Beth A. Griech-Polelle
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300092233
- eISBN:
- 9780300131970
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300092233.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
Clemens August Graf von Galen, Bishop of Münster from 1933 until his death in 1946, is renowned for his opposition to Nazism, most notably for his public preaching in 1941 against Hitler's euthanasia ...
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Clemens August Graf von Galen, Bishop of Münster from 1933 until his death in 1946, is renowned for his opposition to Nazism, most notably for his public preaching in 1941 against Hitler's euthanasia project to rid the country of sick, elderly, mentally retarded, and disabled Germans. This biographical study of von Galen views him from a different perspective: as a complex figure who moved between dissent and complicity during the Nazi regime, opposing certain elements of National Socialism while choosing to remain silent on issues concerning discrimination, deportation, and the murder of Jews. The book places von Galen in the context of his times, describing how the Catholic Church reacted to various Nazi policies, how the anti-Catholic legislation of the Kulturkampf shaped the repertoire of resistance tactics of northwestern German Catholics, and how theological interpretations were used to justify resistance and/or collaboration. It discloses the reasons for von Galen's public denunciation of the euthanasia project and the ramifications of his openly defiant stance. The book reveals how the bishop portrayed Jews and what that depiction meant for Jews living in Nazi Germany. Finally, it investigates the creation of the image of von Galen as “Grand Churchman-Resister” and discusses the implications of this for the myth of Catholic conservative “resistance” constructed in post-1945 Germany.Less
Clemens August Graf von Galen, Bishop of Münster from 1933 until his death in 1946, is renowned for his opposition to Nazism, most notably for his public preaching in 1941 against Hitler's euthanasia project to rid the country of sick, elderly, mentally retarded, and disabled Germans. This biographical study of von Galen views him from a different perspective: as a complex figure who moved between dissent and complicity during the Nazi regime, opposing certain elements of National Socialism while choosing to remain silent on issues concerning discrimination, deportation, and the murder of Jews. The book places von Galen in the context of his times, describing how the Catholic Church reacted to various Nazi policies, how the anti-Catholic legislation of the Kulturkampf shaped the repertoire of resistance tactics of northwestern German Catholics, and how theological interpretations were used to justify resistance and/or collaboration. It discloses the reasons for von Galen's public denunciation of the euthanasia project and the ramifications of his openly defiant stance. The book reveals how the bishop portrayed Jews and what that depiction meant for Jews living in Nazi Germany. Finally, it investigates the creation of the image of von Galen as “Grand Churchman-Resister” and discusses the implications of this for the myth of Catholic conservative “resistance” constructed in post-1945 Germany.
Beth A. Griech-Polelle
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300092233
- eISBN:
- 9780300131970
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300092233.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
This introductory chapter focuses on Bishop Clemens August Graf von Galen, who has been represented as a firm anti-Nazi resister. The discussion takes a closer look at the reasons why von Galen ...
More
This introductory chapter focuses on Bishop Clemens August Graf von Galen, who has been represented as a firm anti-Nazi resister. The discussion takes a closer look at the reasons why von Galen decided to go against particular policies and how he is different from the other church leaders during the Nazi era. This chapter also considers von Galen's similarities with these church leaders, places his decisions within the context of church-state relations from the 1930s to the 1940s, and tries to pinpoint where he fits concerning the debates of the definition of resistance.Less
This introductory chapter focuses on Bishop Clemens August Graf von Galen, who has been represented as a firm anti-Nazi resister. The discussion takes a closer look at the reasons why von Galen decided to go against particular policies and how he is different from the other church leaders during the Nazi era. This chapter also considers von Galen's similarities with these church leaders, places his decisions within the context of church-state relations from the 1930s to the 1940s, and tries to pinpoint where he fits concerning the debates of the definition of resistance.
