Friday, January 25, 2013
Saturday, January 12, 2013
Nazis And Church
| The following photos provide a pictorial glimpse of Hitler, how his Nazis mixed religion with government, and the support for Hitler by the Protestant and Catholic Churches in Germany. In, no way, does this gallery of photos intend to support Nazism or anti-Semitism, but instead, intends to warn against them. |
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 (TV Photo from National Geographic Channel's "Dawn of the Nazis: Becoming Hitler," aired Dec. 2011) |
Hitler With Whip (acting
like 'Jesus')
Hitler's close friend, Dietrich Eckart, told
of overhearing Hitler showing off to a lady by denouncing Berlin
in extravagant terms: ". . . the luxury, the perversion,
the iniquity, the wanton display and the Jewish materialism disgusted
me so thoroughly that I was almost beside myself. I nearly imagined
myself to be Jesus Christ when he came to his Father's Temple
and found the money changers." Eckart described Hitler as
"brandishing his whip and exclaimed that it was his mission
to descend upon the capital like a Christ and scourge the corrupt."
And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting: And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables. |
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Hitler wth Archbishop Cesare Orsenigo, the papal nuncio in Berlin, 1935
On April 20, 1939, Archbishop Orsenigo celebrated Hitler's birthday. The celebrations, initiated by Pacelli (Pope Pius XII) became a tradition. Each April 20, Cardinal Bertram of Berlin was to send "warmest congratulations to the Fuhrer in the name of the bishops and the dioceses in Germany" and added with "fervent prayers which the Catholics of Germany are sending to heaven on their altars."(Source: Hitler's Pope: The Secret History of Pius XII, by John Cornwell)
The Fuhrer in Franken
Adolf Hitler (center) at the monument for the war dead in Franken Germany. According to Ray Cowdery, Hitler rarely missed an opportunity to visit war memorials, even when a photographer was not present.
(Source: Hitler: The Hoffmann Photographs, Vol. 1, Ray Cowdery, Ed., 1990)
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| Hitler leaving Church Hitler leaves the Marine Church in Wilhelmshaven. (Source: The German Propaganda Archive) |
Hitler at Nazi party rally Note the "Church of our Lady" in the background as if it represented the foundation of the party. Photo taken in Nuremberg, Germany (circa 1928). (Source: 20th Century History) |
Church & State Hitler in front of "Church of our Lady" in Nuremberg, Sept. 1934. Photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann. (Source: USHMM) |
 Hitler signing his autograph for a Christian fan |
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Hitler's mother's grave Klara Hitler was a pious Catholic mother who raised Hitler according to her beliefs. Hitler felt grief-stricken over his mother's death. She was buried alongside her husband in Linz, Austria. German soldiers here pay their respects to the grave in 1938. Note the Christian cross on her monument. (Source: The Importance of Adolf Hitler, by Eleanor H. Ayer, Lucent Books, 1996, p. 25) To see what the gravesite looks like today, click here. |
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The Göring Wedding Only Christians perform Christian weddings, and the Nazis were no exception. Hermann Göring married Emmy Sonnemann, a famous Opera star. Adolf Hitler stands in the front row as "Best Man" during the ceremony in the Cathedral by Reichbishop Müller. (Source: ThirdReich.ca) |
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 (Source: Wikipedia) |
The Concordat between the Vatican and the Nazis Cardinal Secretary of State, Eugenio Pacelli (later to become Pope Pius XII) signs the Concordat between Nazi Germany and the Vatican at a formal ceremony in Rome on 20 July 1933. Nazi Vice-Chancellor Franz von Papen sits at the left, Pacelli in the middle, and the Rudolf Buttmann sits at the right. The Concordat effectively legitimized Hitler and the Nazi government to the eyes of Catholicism, Christianity, and the world.
The full text of the concordat appears on the Concordat Watch website. (click here to see the text).
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Hitler Oath: I swear by God, this holy oath, to the Führer of the German Reich and people. Adolf Hitler... <Watch movie> (Source: Hitler: Tyrant of Terror, shown on the History Channel) |
Nazi Graves
One must not forget that Germany represented the most Christianized country in the world in the 1930s and 40s. Nazi Christian soldiers died as Protestants and Catholics and their grave markers testified to their religion.(Source: Photoarchive of the Thrid Reich: http://stolz.by.ru/)
ST Front (Source: Photoarchive of the Thrid Reich)
- Chaplain with a machine gun unit
- (Source: axishistory.com)
- Most wars are justified on religious grounds.
- Of course if a soldier felt uneasy about slaughtering others, they could always turn to a chaplain who would then patiently explain to them that killing is allowed by God and about the righteous morality of war. He might then give a few Biblical examples of God ordained killings. And then he might tell them that Jesus will forgive them and send them to Heaven if they should happen to die.
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Nazi funeral (Source: Third Reich Depot) According to the source, this period photo comes from the SS Heimwehr Danzig Funeral/Festivities for Fallen SS Soldiers of the "Battle of Westerplatte" that occured in Poland in 1939. |
Wehrmacht Chaplain With Catholic Cross
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(Photo source: unknown)
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Catholic Bishops giving the
Nazi salute in honor of Hitler.
Note Joseph Goebbels (far right) and Wilhelm Frick (second from right) (Source: USHMM, Photo source: Bayerische Staatsbibliothek [Bavarian State Library]) |
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An Archbishop with the Nazis Archbishop Cesare Orsenigo, head of the Diplomatic Corps, attending the Nuremburg Party Rally in September 1933. According to Dr. Paul O'Shea, Orsenigo, as Dean of the Corps, it was the Nuncio's role to lead the Corps at all major government functions. After 1935 Orsenigo did not attend major government propaganda displays.
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Cardinal Bertram in the funeral procession for Bishop Bares,
Berlin, 7 March 1935 As a chairman of the German bishop conference the Breslauer Cardinal Bertram plays a crucial role in shaping the attitude of the German bishops in relation to the National Socialist state. (Photo source: Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand) |
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Welcome Celebration for Bishop Konrad Graf von Preysing
in the Sportpalast, Berlin, 8 Sept. 1935 Note the Catholic Chi-Rho Cross to the right of the Nazi flag. Chi and Rho are the first two letters of the Greek word for Christ. The Chi Rho Cross, or warrior's cross, originated from the monogram of Roman Emperor Constantine. How fitting it appears next to a swastika. Following the death of Berlin's Bishop Bares, Pope Pius XI unexpectedly selects Konrad Graf von Preysing, a little-known Eichstatt bishop, as bishop of Berlin. Berlin, the region for which he is responsible, now also includes the center of the National Socialist power structure and so requires a high degree of political skill from its ecclesiastical leader. (Photo source: Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand) |
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Priests giving the Hitler salute
Priests giving the Hitler salute at a Catholic
youth rally in the Berlin-Neukölln stadium in August 1933.
(Source: A
Moral Reckoning: The Role of the Catholic Church in the Holocaust and
Its Unfulfilled Duty of Repair by Daniel Jonah Goldhagen)
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Catholic Service for Nazis
(Photo source: unknown)
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Ludwig Müller, a Nazi sympathizer,
and a candidate of Hitler, was elected to the position of Reich
Bishop in 1933 as Hitler attempted to unite regional Protestant
churches under Nazi control. Hitler did not practice separation
of Church & State.
Although Hitler had problems with the Catholic
Church and eventually wanted to replace Catholicism with his
brand of Christianity, the very fact that Hitler wanted a united
German Church proves that he supported Christianity.Berlin, Germany, November 17, 1933. (Source: USHMM) |
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This autographed portrait of Müller shows
him wearing the NSDAP-Hoheitsabzeichen (Nazi Eagle party badge) and
Feldschnalle (ribbons). (Click image for an enlarged view) (Source: sent by email from Gregers Forssling) |
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Reich Bishop Ludwig Müller, Berlin, 1934 (Photo source: Gedenkstätte Deutscher Widerstand) |
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(Source: Museum of Tolerance) |
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Investiture of Reich Church Bishop, 1933
Women in traditional dresses joined Nazis
at the investiture of Ludwig Müller as Reich Church Bishop.
Müller praised the concept of "one mighty, all-embracing
German people's church."
(Source: Museum
of Tolerance) |
Deutsche Christen (German Christians)- The Deutsche Christen (DC) became the voice of Nazi ideology within the Evangelical Church (the Religious Right of their day) and approved by Hitler. They proposed a church "Aryan paragraph" to prevent "non-Aryans" from becoming ministers or religious teachers. Most church leaders solidly supported the "Judenmission." Only a very few number of Christians opposed Nazism such as the "Confessing Christians" (a Church movement not recognized by the Protestant orthodoxy) headed by Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The support of Nazism by the majority of German Christians and German Christian leaders shows the danger of mixing religion with government.
- The photo on the left shows the procession of bishops in front of the Berlin Cathedral, 23 Sept. 1934.
SS guards stand at attention. The head of the march shows members
in party and SA uniforms while pastors follow in the rear.
Note the flags with the Christian cross with the swastika in the middle. To see a movie trailer about the Deutsche Christen, from the documentary film, "Theologians Under Hitler," click here.
Deutsche Christen Flag
 (Photo sources: unknown) |
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Deutsche Christen (German Christians)
SA storm troopers with placards of the "German
Christians," Berlin, July 1933.
On July 14, 1933, Hitler's government approves
a new charter for the Protestant church. With massive intervention
by the NSDAP, the church elections scheduled only a short time
later result in a resounding victory for the "German Christians."
Hitler himself appeals to all Protestant Christians in a radio
speech on the eve of the election to vote for the "German
Christians." With its slogan "church must remain church,"
(Source: Gedenkstätte
Deutscher Widerstand) |
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Presidium of the "German Christians," Berlin,
November 13, 1933
The "German Christians" desired
to achieve absolute organizational and ideological conformity
between the Protestant church and the National Socialist state.
Following their triumphant success in the Protestant church elections
in July 1933 and the election of Ludwig Müller to the office
of Reich bishop, they feel they have reached the zenith of their
power over church policy in the autumn of 1933.
(Source: Gedenkstätte
Deutscher Widerstand) |
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National Bishop Friedrich Coch giving a Hitler greeting
in Dresden, 10 December 1933
Dresden pastor Friedrich Coch is one of the
leading men of the "German Christians" in Saxony. The
NSDAP's Gau consultant for church matters since 1932, he is elected
to the office of state bishop by the "Brown Synod"
in August 1933.
(Source: Gedenkstätte
Deutscher Widerstand) |
| Nazi
Artifacts (Mementoes, Badges, Paintings, etc.) compiled by Jim Walker created: 13 Nov. 2005 additions: 28 June 2008 |
- Not only do we see religion's influence in the words and deeds of Nazis but they also expressed their religion through their artwork, mementoes, and symbols. Unmistakably, Christianity served as their religion of their expression. The following artifacts provide further evidence of Hitler's (and Nazi Germany's) Christianity. In, no way, does this exhibition intend to support Nazism or anti-Semitism, but instead, intends to warn against the dangers of mixing religion with government.
Gott Mit Uns (God With Us) Nazi Buckle
Enlisted Man's German Army belt buckle (Stamped steel, 1937 pattern, made by "R S & S" for Richard Sieper & Sohne Ludenscheid). Photo from the German Militaria Catalog (their web site no longer exists).
Also see "Guarding the Führer: Sepp Dietrich, Johann Rattenhuber and the Protection of Adolf Hitler," Blaine Tayler, 1993, p. 165
Benedictine monastery Swastika
Although Hitler's inspiration for the Nazi swastika is unceretain, it may have been influenced by the swastika displayed at the Benedictine monastery where Hitler served as an altar boy. Whenever Hitler attened mass, he had to pass beneath the Benedictine swastika graven in the stone escutcheon of the abbey portal. Considering that Hitler once wanted to become a Benedictine monk, it is possible that this swastika stuck in his mind and later influenced his design for the Nazi swastika.
Source: "The Enigma of Hitler"
Coat of Arms of Prussia after 1933
Gott mit uns! (God with us!)
Prussia represents a historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries this state had substantial influence on German and European history. The last capital of the state of Prussia was Berlin.
After the Machtergreifung (seizure of power) in 1933, Prussia became a Nazi state. Hitler himself became formally the governor of Prussia. His functions were exercised, however, by Hermann Göring, as Prussian prime minister.
(Coat of arms source: Wikipedia)
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)
The Deutsche Christen (German Christians) were a German Protestantism movement aligned towards antisemetic principles of Nazism. The DC were sympathetic to Hitler's goal of uniting the individual Protestant churches into a single Reich church.The DC was first formed in 1931 and the flag was flown during marches and demonstrations.
Deutsche Christen Badge
(German Christian Pin)
(Source: Gentleman's Military Interest Club)
Mother's Cross (Mutterkreuz)
A Christian cross given to German mothers
Hitler encouraged several programs for the growth of a strong German Nazi Volk. These programs involved the encouragement of the virtues of German motherhood for the purpose of increasing the size of their families and the abolition of abortions (except for the mentally ill). In 1938, Hitler instituted a new award to honor German Nazi motherhood, especially for large families. He awarded such mothers the cross of Honor of the German Mother (Ehrenkreuz der deutschen Mutter).
Although the German Iron cross usually appears symmetrical this particular cross, by lengthening the vertical member, it becomes a Christian cross.
Hitler and mother with the Mutterkreuz (Source: Germania International)
German Christian Movement Badge (Deutsch-Christliche Mitgliedsabzeichen)
Enamel, 22x24mm, pin-backed, gold coloured badge
Hitler backed The German Christians movement (DC) with the party's organizational support.
(Source: Dan Kelley's Treasures of the Third Reich)
Frauenschaft Badge
The National Socialist Women's Organization (Nationalsozialistische Frauenschaft, or NSF), affirmed all the recognized fundaments of Nazi ideology, including the preservation of Christian belief.
Lili Otto, one of the leaders of the NSF wrote in 1933:
- "Our Frauenschaft flag carries the same colors as the Swastika flag, with our flag black stands out, solemn and worthy. On top shine forth the Christian cross in the color of purity, constantly warning us: 'You women and mothers, be real Christians; protect Christianity in your family, rear your children to love the savior.'"
- (from Richard Steigmann-Gall's The Holy Reich)
- (Photo source: George Johns Militaria)
Schlageter pin badge Brass die struck badge with a soldered spring pin. (Source: Snyder's Treasures, militaria collectables)
Schlageter pin badge Steel die struck badge with a soldered spring pin. (Source: Snyder's Treasures, militaria collectables) Schlageter refers to Albert Leo Schlageter, whom the Nazis considered a martyr for the German cause. (See the Schlageter memorial below.) Note the "Cross of Christ" standing atop the Swastika, indicating its higher supremacy.
Heimetfest event badge 1934 with swastika, cathedral and Alfeld city arms A die struck gilded brass pin with a soldered spring pin (An exmaple of mixing Church and State) (Source: Snyder's Treasures, militaria collectables)
Hitler Youth Day Badge 1933 25x50mm, brass (Source: (Source: Dan Kelley's Treasures of the Third Reich)
German Volksbund* War Memorial Pin Badge (Source: Snyder's Treasures, militaria collectables)
German Volksbund* War Memorial Pin Badge and Patch(Source: Snyder's Treasures, militaria collectables)
* The Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge does not represent a Nazi organization, but it did have Nazi influence. The VDK represents an organization that cares for the memorials and graves of fallen soldiers of all Christian denominations from World War 1 to today. Its founder, Siegfried Emmo Eulen had Nazi connections (and thus so did the VDK). Eulen formed the VDK in 1919 and fought from 1939 until 1945, when he died from his wounds. Through the direct intervention of Goebbels, Eulen managed to change the National Day of Mourning (Reichstrauertages) into the Heroes' Day of Remembrance (Heldengedenktag). For this day, as he wrote, should "not in the long run be a day of mourning, but must be a day of exhaltation, a day of hope for the fruition of what was sown with blood". (Source: Die Zeit (13.11.1987 Nr. 47, page 82), "Helden von gestern: Vergessen über den Gräbern" by Sabine Stamer, translated by Muriel Fraser.)
Heroes Remembrance Day 1940 (Heldengedenktag)
The image at the right comes from a frame from a Nazi film of the Heldengedenktag 1940 celebration. This celebration derived from Siegfriend Emmo Eulen of VDK fame (see above).Watch the film here. (unfortunately,YouTube has since removed it due to content violations.)
Luthertag [Luther Day] Commemorative Badge
Commemorative badge for Germany's Martin Luther Day - 10th November 1933
Strictly speaking not a Nazi award but, nevertheless, the Nazis took an active hand in preparing the celebrations. Broad segments of the Nazi Party participated in Luther Day across Germany. Wilhelm Frick proposed that 10 November - the actual date of Luther's birth - should represent an official holiday, to celebrate "the work of the German Reformation" and serve as a lively echo in all German Protestantism, indeed directed far across Germany's borders. (Source: Steigmann-Gall, "The Holy Reich")
(Photo source: shop.doue.de)
Nazi Church Coin
(Mixing Church & State)
5 Mark, Potsdam Garrison Church
(Source: WW2 Online Catalog)
Deutschen Christian Bread Plate 1942
The church integrated the teaching and doctrine of the traditional Protestant church, but like Martin Luther, this church stood against the corruption of the inner church’s conceptions. Luther had nailed 99 theses on the cathedral door at Wittenberg and his life afterwards focused on the grace of God and unending disputes with the Vatican. He also saw the Jews as a corrupting influence in true religious piety and the following of Jesus Christ. He felt the Jews failed to heed his warning of eternal damnation and even encouraged congregations to drive them out and burn their synagogues. He called them by the term “synagogues of Satan.” The Deutsche Christian Church integrated and redefined traditional Christianity to include and align with the ideology of the Third Reich, which they saw as a God-sent gift to the German people. The doctrines of the Deutsche Christian Church were meant to replace centuries-old doctrine. Christ was reinterpreted as an Aryan of the highest order; a warrior come to earth to lead his people out of the way of sin that had become their wont. St. Paul was seen as an introverted Jew whose writings Judized Christian thought in an unhealthy way. They believed that that which is weak is inferior and not allowed because Paul teaches in the epistles the putting away of “self.” Concept of the cross and sacrifice are integrated with the concept of “struggle.” They believed that Germans were born to struggle; the battles, earthly and divine, were reinterpreted in terms of “Kulturkampf”. The German Christian Church was formed in 1932. They had 600,000 members. This degree of influence enabled them to call in April 1933 for a National Socialist-controlled “Reich Church” to replace the federal statutes of the Evangelical Church; the organization was led by Pastor Ludwig Müller. They supported the movement of the NS Party platform for a positive Christianity. They rallied for the removal of the Jewish Old Testament from the Bible. Their symbol was a traditional Christian cross with a hooked cross (swastika) in the middle and the group’s initials were ‘DC.’
The bread plate is in oak and the center contains the cross with a sun-wheel swastika.
(Sourcet: Germania International)
Nazi Army (Heer) chaplain's hat with silver Christian cross
(Source: Warelics Militaria Collectibles)
Navy (Kriegsmarine) chaplain's cap (Source: Uniforms & Militaria)
To see a photo of a chaplain with a Nazi machine gun unit, click here.
Mementoes of German solders before the Christian cross (photo source: www.auction-service.com)
(Photo source above: Germania International,
photo at right: auction-service.com )
Christian Cross with Nazi Flag
From a Heinrich Hoffmann photo book titled: HITLER BAUT GROßDEUTSCHLAND (Hitler Constructs Greater Germany) which follows Hitler in Austria in the spring of 1938.
(Photo source: USM Rare Books)
Hitler's Church
Catholic Church (St. Michael's), in Leonding, Austria where Adolf Hitler attended as a boy.
The funeral for Hitler's mother took place in this church on Christmas Eve in 1907.
(Source: St. Michael's Church)
Both his parents Alois, and Klara were buried at the gravesite.
Hitler's mother, Klara was a pious Catholic. Hitler was devoted to his mother and loved her deeply. She died of breast cancer at the age of 47 on December 21, 1907.
Hitler visited the grave of his parents on March 12, 1938, the day he followed his troops as they invaded Austria.
These photos show the grave location in relation to the church
The photo at left shows Hilter in 1938.
(Source: Adolf Hitler Visits Austria)
Nazi Protestant Church
In 1932 the Protestant church came under the influence of the Nazi movement called "German Christians" (Bewegung Deutscher Christen, also called "Stormtroopers of Jesus") and lead by the founder, Rev. Joachim Hossenfelder. This movement represented Hitler's "Positive Christianity" views and lawfully encoded into the Nazi "constitution." Hitler tried to force regional Protestant churches to merge into the Protestant Reich Church. Protestant churches throughout Germany participated in the movement but Hitler's union of the churches failed because of in-church bickering. Only one visibly apparent church remains in Germany that shows distinctive markings of Positive Christianity, a reminder of how Christianity and Nazism mixed together during the Nazi regime.
Martin Luther Memorial Church in BerlinConsecrated in 1935, the Martin Luther Memorial Church in Berlin still stands in Berlin. Originally the Church bells and altar contained the swastika, but later removed because of post-war law that outlaws swastikas in Germany. Nevertheless, the church still retains many of the Nazi symbols and icons, including a muscular Aryan Jesus, Iron cross, statues of Nazi stormtroopers, and a bust of Adolf Hitler.
During the 30s, Nazi party members made up two thirds of the church attendance, where they also baptized their children.
Note, Hitler greatly admired Martin Luther (mentioned in Mein Kampf), and considered him one of the greatest reformers.
Religious services in the church took place until 2005 when loose tiles began to fall off making the church unsafe. Today, priests and parishioners work to raise money to save the church.
The photos below show a few of the Nazi icons.
(Photo source: Spiegel Online)
Inside the entrance hall of the church hangs a chandelier in the shape of an iron cross, complete with oak leaves (the symbol of courage in battle).
Wooden frieze carved into the side of the pulpit depicting Jesus standing next to a Nazi soldier and Aryan women and children.
Closeup of Jesus with a Nazi soldier.
Baptismal front with carving of Hitler holding an stormtrooper hat.
Stone carving on arch surrounding chancel of Martin Luther Memorial Church.Close-up showing Christ thorns, and a helmeted soldier.
- German Soldier Death Cards
The following shows examples of German military "Death Cards" that served as mementoes for family and friends of deceased soldiers. (This tradition also occurred in civilian life.) Usually these mementoes came printed on small cards with a photo and information of the deceased on one side and, typically, a grave site or religious theme printed on the other side. It should not surprise anyone that many German soldiers and their families practiced the Christian faith. The following shows just three death cards of German soldiers that reveal the religious nature of Germans during WWII:
- Joseph Littinger- A picture of him in his SS uniform with both black collar tabs plain. He died in a Russian prisoner of war camp on 19 January 1946. This fold out card has two religious pictures on the backside. (Source: georgejohnsmilitaria.com)
- Lt. Toni Benkel A two sided fold out card. The backside has two religious pictures. The Front has a full picture of Toni in his parade dress uniform with an Army dagger. He died on 6 July 1940 in a field hospital in Brai, he served as a Lieutenant and a company leader in a Infantry Regiment. (Source: georgejohnsmilitaria.com)
Josef Buhler A corporal in the Luftwaffe before his death on 19 March 1943 in Russia. He was born October 5 1921.
(Source: georgejohnsmilitaria.com)- For a look at a few more German Death cards, click here.
So spoke Jesus Christ
A front page of the Nazi publication, Der Stuermer.
The headline reads, "Declaration of the Higher Clergy/So spoke Jesus Christ: You hypocrites who do not see the beam in your own eyes. (See Matthew 7:3-5)
The cartoon depicts a group of Hitler Youth marching forth to drive the forces of evil from the land. The caption under the cartoon reads, "We youth step happily forward facing the sun... With our faith we drive the devil from the land."
(Source: USHMM)
German Lutheran Church Gazette honoring Hitler Translated below:
German Deacons' Gazette
MAGAZINE FOR MALE DEACONS
Organ of the German DeaconsOne is your Master, Christ, but ye are all brethren
26th Year April 1939
(Hitler Portrait) Heil to the Führer of all Germans!
Note the cross symbol on the upper-right corner. The Diakonisches Werk (run by the Lutheran Church) still uses the symbol.(Source: Christian Horror Picture Show)
Propaganda slide pertaining to the issue of converting to Catholicism.
One image from a slide lecture produced by "Der Reichsfuehrer SS, der Chef des Rasse-und Siedlungshauptamtes" [the Leader of the SS, the Chief of the Race and Settlement Main Office]. The slide lecture, entitled "Das Judentum, seine blutsgebundene Wesensart in Vergangenheit und Gegenwart" [Jewry, Its Blood-based Essence in Past and Future], is Part I of the thematic series, "Judentum, Freimaurerei, Bolschewismus" [Jewry, Freemasonry, Bolshevism]. The text of the slide lecture is available at the Bundesarchiv Koblenz, record group number NS31/163.
(Source: USHMM)
When you see a cross
Page from the anti-Semitic German children's book, "Der Giftpilz" (The Poisonous Mushroom)
The text reads, "When you see a cross, then think of the horrible murder by the Jews on Golgotha..."
(see 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15, "...the Jews: Who both killed the Lord Jesus, and their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they please not God, and are contrary to all men")
(Source: USHMM)
- In the Beginning was the Word (Am Anfang war das Wort)
- A painting titled by Hermann Otto Hoyer depicts the glorification of Hitler in messiah-like fashion. The light over him falls on the listener. Hitler represents the bringer of light.
- "In the Beginning was the Word" of course appears as the first words in the Gospel of John.
- (Source: The Visualisation Of National Socialist Ideology)
Nazi Election Poster
From the July 1932 Reichstag election. The text translates as: "Over 300 National Socialists died for you — murdered by Marxist subhumanity!!! For work and food vote Adolf Hitler List 2." The reference is to Nazis killed during the political battles on the streets and in political meetings. The Christian imagery is clear. Courtesy of Dr. Robert D. Brooks.
(Graphic and text source: German Propaganda Archive)
SMOKING GUN!
Hitler's paintings
In his youth Hitler lived as an artist (albeit, a mediocre one). Nevertheless he took it seriously and he produced between 2,000 to 3,000 drawings, sketches, watercolors and oil paintings. He considered himself an artist until 1920. As from any artist, his works reflect his philosophy and life. Raised a Catholic (but with a Protestant mind), Hitler also painted his ingrained religious ideas onto many of his canvases. Below shows just three:
Mother Mary with the Holy Child Jesus Christ, Oil/canvas, 1913
by Adolf Hitler
(Source: Two Austrians, An "artist" and a "house painter")
Observe that Jesus looks like a blond haired Aryan. Hitler did not believe that Jesus a Jew [1].
Karls-Church, Vienna, Aquarell, 1912, by Adolf Hitler (Source: Two Austrians, An "artist" and a "house painter")
Mountain scene with wayside cross, 1923 - 1925, by Adolf Hitler (Source: Two Austrians, An "artist" and a "house painter")
For photos of Hitler, Nazis, and German clergy, click here.
Notes:
[1] How does Christian Nazi exegesis explain the absence of Jesus' Jewishness? Houston Stewart Chamberlain, a Christian anti-Semitic Englishman wrote an influential book called The Foundations of the 19th Century, in which he advanced the thesis of an Aryan Jesus rather than from Semitic blood. Chamberlain argued that Assyrians, Greeks, and Aryans colonized Galilee and the neighboring districts centuries before Christ. Hitler read Chamberlain during his Vienna period, and had a brief audience with the aging anti-Semite at the Wagner estate shortly before being sent to Landsberg Prison.
The Nazis also used the term ''Mischling'' to describe a person with partial Jewish ancestry. It literally means "mixed." As defined by the Nazi Nuremberg laws, a person having either one Jewish parent or two Jewish grandparents represented a Mischling of the first degree. Those with one Jewish grandparent represented a Mischling of the second degree. The Mischling definition excused some religious people including Protestants and Catholics from the "accursed" Jewish nature. Because many Christian Nazis believed that Jesus came from God, Jesus could also fall into a Mischling category if you believed that only one of his parents had Jewish blood. His Dad, no doubt looking very Aryan-like, produced a Son in His image who, according to Hitler's painting, looked like a blond haired Aryan baby.
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