Kirchenkampf

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Kirchenkampf is a German term that translates as "church struggle" in English. The term refers to the battle between the Nazi regime of the Third Reich and the German church. The underlying perception of German Christianity was epitomized by Martin Bormann who in 1942 stated in a confidential memo to Gauleiters that the power of the churches "must absolutely and finally be broken" as Nazism "was completely incompatible with Christianity."^[1] Contrary to Hitler's tactical judgment, Bormann pushed the Kirchenkampf forward at the height of World War II.^[1]

The Kirchenkampf can be divided into five stages.^[2] The first (spring to fall 1933) was marked by Hitler's efforts to assimilate the church into the culture of National Socialism.^[2] The Reichskonkordat was an outcome of this stage.^[2] The regime attempted to bring the church under the control of the Nazi state in the second stage (fall 1933–fall 1934).^[2] Opposition to these efforts led to the emergence of the Confessing Church.^[2] In the third stage (fall 1934–February 1937), the regime tried to bring the church under its control by taking charge of church finances and governance structures.^[2] The fourth stage (February 1937–1939) was marked by more open conflict by "Nazism itself and its anti-Christian worldviews" and the regime began imprisoning resistant clergy.^[2] In the fifth stage (1939–1945) more clergy were imprisoned and Dietrich Bonhoeffer was imprisoned and executed; clergy were drafted into the military, church publications were censored or banned, and services and functions restricted or banned.^[2]

[edit] See also

• Nazism and religion
• The Ninth Day

[edit] Notes