1.  starter activity
This extraordinary photo taken in the 1930s shows Catholic bishops in Germany giving the Nazi salute. List as many reasons as you can, why you might expect the Nazis to destroy the Church and why you might want to keep it for your own use. How might Hitler’s attitudes change after the War?

2. Nearly all Germans Christian – 1/3 RC. 2/3 Protestant
Reasons for destroying Church
Nearly all Germans Christian – 1/3 RC. 2/3 Protestant
Nazi ideology contradicted Christian values
Church meetings could be centre for opposition
Many leading opponents were religious, e.g. Niemöller
Reasons for keeping the Church
Smoke screen for Nazi policies
Priests were effective public speakers
Common policies – traditional family values
People often turn to religion in time of need

3. Why didn’t the Nazis destroy the churches?
 Key words: Protestant / Catholic concordat pastor
Why didn’t the Nazis destroy the churches?
 LOs
To identify ways the Nazis manipulated the Church
To assess the impact of key individuals & movements
To conduct a case study

4.  Your task
Read p (SHP)and list the way in which the Nazis manipulated the Church in Germany. Focus on these areas:
Concordat
Reich Church
Faith Movement
Which area of society was more important to Hitler: compare Sources 1 & 2 (p.94). How and why are they different?

5. Manipulation of the Church
Public support – Hitler: Christianity was ‘the unshakeable foundation of the moral life of our people’
Agreements – June 1933, Concordat with Rome not to interfere with Church in return for support
Protestant Church reorganised – Reich Church, headed by Bishop Müller
Faith Movement – pagan alternative
Changes - carols and nativity plays banned in schools (1937); Church schools abolished (1939)

6.  Your task
Study the individuals on p.96-7 (Bonhoeffer, p.152) & complete the table below:
Name
Catholic/Protestant/ Other?
What did they oppose?
What happened to them?
Threat to regime (5* for greatest)
Martin Niemöller
Paul Schneider
Cardinal Galen
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

7. Martin Niemöller Faith: Protestant
Opposed: Reich Church & ‘German Christians’
How dealt with: concentration camp; Hitler ordered execution but survived
Threat: ???

8. Paul Schneider Faith: Protestant pastor
Opposed: Nazi regime & preached critical sermons
How dealt with: Buchenwald concentration camp; tortured; captive 2 years
Threat: ???

9. Cardinal Galen Faith: Roman Catholic bishop – aka ‘Lion of Munster’
Opposed: euthanasia programme
How dealt with: Nazis wanted to avoid martyrs BUT executed 3 priests
Threat: ???

10. Josef Fath Faith: Roman Catholic priest
Opposed: Nazi schoolteachers & leaders of Hitler Youth; ignored celebrating religious festivals
How dealt with: denounced to authorities
Threat: ???

11. Jehovah’s Witnesses Faith: Jehovah’s Witnesses
Opposed: Nazi interference with their faith
How dealt with: concentration camps – marked out with purple badges
Threat: ???

12. Dietrich Bonhoeffer Faith: Protestant
Opposed: Reich Church & ‘German Christians’; Nuremberg Laws; Hitler – joined Abwehr and conspired to assassinate him
How dealt with: arrested & executed
Threat: ???

13. If you were given the task of designing a Nazi church what would it look like and what kind of ceremonies would you hold there?
 Extension - study the information on p.98-9 about the Church in Bavaria. Work in pairs. One student gather evidence the Nazis succeeded in controlling the Church in Bavaria, the other that it failed. Hold a silent debate with your partner to see who wins.

14.  Homework
Imagine you are a Protestant priest giving a sermon (a speech) to your congregation. Explain what you hate about Nazi methods of control. You should mention the following:
Attempts by the Nazis to destroy the Church
Criticisms of the Reich Church & the Faith Movement
Comments on the treatment of fellow people of faith, e.g. Niemöller
Starter sentence: ‘Fellow Christians, we gather together in very dangerous times …..’

15. Why didn’t the Nazis destroy the churches?
 Key words: Protestant / Catholic concordat pastor
Why didn’t the Nazis destroy the churches?
 LOs
To identify ways the Nazis manipulated the Church
To assess the impact of key individuals & movements
To conduct a case study
 Plenary