Kirchenkampf
Kirchenkampf is a German term which pertains to the situation of the Christian churches in Germany during the Nazi period (1933–1945).
When Hitler obtained power in 1933, 95% of Germans were Christian, with 63% being Protestant and 32% being Catholic. Many historians maintain that Hitler's goal in the Kirchenkampf entailed not only ideological struggle, but ultimately the eradication of the churches. Other historians maintain no such plan existed.
Some leading Nazis such as Alfred Rosenberg and Martin Bormann were vehemently anti-Christian, and sought to de-Christianize Germany in the long term in favor of a racialized form of Germanic paganism.
Overview:
- Nazis remove crucifixes in schools.
- Hundreds of pastors arrested, funds of the church confiscated, collections forbidden.
- Clergy were drafted into the military
- Church publications were censored or banned
Mit brennender Sorge
By early 1937, the church hierarchy in Germany, which had initially attempted to co-operate with the new government, had become highly disillusioned. In March, Pope Pius XI issued the Mit brennender Sorge (German: "With burning concern") encyclical. The Pope asserted the inviolability of human rights and expressed deep concern at the Nazi regime's flouting of the 1933 Concordat, the Anti-Christian nature of its ideology and its attacks on Christian values. It accused the government of sowing the "tares of suspicion, discord, hatred, calumny, of secret and open fundamental hostility to Christ and His Church" and Pius noted on the horizon the "threatening storm clouds" of religious wars of extermination over Germany.
References
Wikipedia contributors, 'Kirchenkampf', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 19 February 2025, 14:26 UTC, <https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kirchenkampf&oldid=1276551140> [accessed 2 March 2025]
