1. How far did the Nazis attempt to control the Church?

2. Learning objective – to be able to assess the extent the Nazis tried to control the Church. I can describe some of the features of the relationship between the Church and the Nazis. Grade D I can explain the how far the Nazis tried to control the Church. Grade B I can explain and assess the relationship between the Nazis and the Church. Grade A

3. Starter – This cartoon was produced in 1935 by Philip Zec. It had the caption ‘The New Christianity. 100% Aryan’. What is the message of the cartoon?

4. What problems did the Church present to the Nazis? The Church is a threat! The Church presented competition to the Nazis for the hearts and minds of the German people. Most of the German population was Christian. Churches could provide a platform for anti-Nazi meetings and messages. Churches preached tolerance and peace – contrary to the Nazis. We need the Church! Many Church members had voted for Hitler – particularly Protestants, who were a source of pro- Nazi public speakers. There was common ground between the Churches and the Nazis – such as on the importance of family life.

5. What was the impact of the Concordat? Approximately one third of Germans were Catholics, who owed their loyalty to the Pope not Hitler as well as having schools which taught different values to the Nazis. Hitler first tried to reach and agreement with the Pope, which he did in July 1933 with the Concordat which agreed that the Nazis would allow Catholics freedom of worship and Catholic schools while the Pope agreed that German Catholics would stay out of politics. However, Hitler did not keep his word and shut Catholic schools and harassed Catholic priests by charging with made up offences and sending some to concentration camps. In 1937, Pope Pius XI condemned Hitler in a statement called ‘With Burning Anxiety’.

6. Why did Protestants become a source of opposition to the Nazis? Germany was the homeland of Protestantism and two thirds of Germans declared themselves as Protestants. Many Protestants had supported Hitler in the early 1930s, preferring them over the Communists. However, Hitler tried to suppress Protestantism by creating the Department of Church Affairs in 1935. Alongside this measures such as Nazi campaigns against Church schools and banning Christmas carols and plays in schools, limited freedom of worship.

7. How did Protestant oppose the Nazis? Protestant opposition towards the Nazis grew and some spoke out against him. The most famous Protestant who opposed Hitler was Martin Niemöller, a war hero and Protestant pastor. Niemöller set up the Confessional Church in 1934 which was made up of Protestants who opposed Nazi interference. Niemöller was sent to a concentration camp along with 800 of his fellow ministers.

8. What was the Reich Church? Some Protestants collaborated with the Nazis and allowed for Nazi flags and other propaganda to be displayed in their Churches. These Protestants formed the Reich Church and worked with Hitler and promoted Nazism in return for carrying on with church services as normal. The leader of this church was Ludwig Müller who Hitler made Bishop of Germany in 1933.

9. Why was the Nazis attitude towards the Church inconsistent? Protestantism had a very strong hold in German society and many local and leading Nazis were Protestants. Although there was a centralised Nazi Church policy, this was the responsibility of local leaders to implement. This meant that there was some inconsistencies in the application of the policy. For example, some local Nazi leaders went to church every Sunday and sang in the choir while others sent SA men out to beat up ministers and smash up churches. This meant the suppression of the Church by the Nazis varied from area to area. Alongside this, the 1939 census revealed that over 60% of Nazi Party members still registered themselves as Christian.

10. Task Stick a copy of this visual representation of the the Nazi Party and the Church into your exercise book. Beside each image write how it can contribute to answering the central question – ‘How did each person contribute to the Nazi’s policy towards the Church?’

11. Task Complete a mind map outlining the Nazi Party’s policy towards the Church. Your mind should include the following features – Central title ‘ The Nazis and the Church’. Four arms with the headings – Catholics, Protestants, Church Opposition and The Reich Church. No more than 20 words. Colour coded.

12. Plenary – a touch of Scrabble What are the three key words from this lesson that sums up your learning? Which word has the highest value if you used in a game of Scrabble? Compare with the person next to you. Which word has the highest value?