Geoffrey Robinson
Holocaust Drew International Seminar
September 6, 2000
I originally wrote this in the fall of 1997. A lot has happened to me since then. I went over to Europe in May to June of 1997 in order to study the Holocaust. My specific research topic was the response of Lutheran Church to the Holocaust, especially since the Lutheran Church has a history of anti-Semitism. The institution responded in two ways: education and heresy. It was a sad trip in many ways, but very educational. I hope any who read this find it enlightening.
Please keep the fact that this work was written for a secular class in mind. Hopefully, my Christian worldview will show. However, I believe the information is useful to Christian and non-Christian alike. It is by no means exhaustive and by no no means the definitive work on the subject. It is an undergraduate piece written before I had done a 100 page honors thesis later in the school year. It shows that in many respects. My writing is not the best work I have done. It was also written months after I had grown weary of the subject, two months after I returned from Europe.
Sin has devastating effects that far outlast the act. This can be clearly seen in the report. I urge all everywhere to examine your hearts, present them before Jesus, and remove the sins of your life.
Lastly, I have taken the liberty to revise the original version in places and also to format the work for the Internet.
Martin Luther made extremely anti-Semitic remarks during the course of his life. After the Holocaust the Lutheran Church in general, and specifically the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany, were forced to deal with these past comments of Luther and with anti-Semitism in the Lutheran Church tradition. During the course of my studies of the Church, I saw it dealing with their past in a number of ways. These methods included education of their laity and clergy and adopting liberal theological positions.
Martin Luther initially advocated tolerance towards Jews, and he condemned their persecution. When Johann Reuchlin was advocating the confiscation of all rabbinic literature, he was criticized by Luther. These sympathetic views of Luther towards the Jewish people are shown in one of his works, That Christ was Born a Jew.
Despite Luther's initial tolerant stance towards Jews, he became vehemently anti-Semitic. This change apparently was due to his lack of success in winning Jews to the Christian faith. Luther even began to write about his hostile views concerning the Jewish people. In 1542 he published his infamous pamphlet, Against the Jews and Their Lies. Luther scathingly blasted Judaism and the Jewish people.
Luther expounded on how the Jews are an unwanted presence everywhere they go, which would explain why the Jews were constantly being expelled:
They are a heavy burden to us, a scourge, a pestilence and misfortune for our country. This is proved by the fact that they have often been expelled by force. (Cohn-Sherbok 72-73)
Luther portrayed the Jews as the enemy of God as well:
Know, O adored Christ, and make no mistake that aside from the Devil, you have no enemy more venomous, more desperate, more bitter, than a true Jew who truly seeks to be a Jew. (Cohn-Sherbok 73)
Luther goes on to propose how to deal with the Jewish people:
First, their synagogues should be set on fire, and whatever does not burn up should be covered or spread over with dirt so that no one may ever be able to see a cinder or stone of it. And this ought to be done for the honour of God and of Christianity... Secondly, their home should likewise be broken down and destroyed. (Cohn-Sherbok 73)
If this passage sounds oddly similar to the events of the Holocaust, it is no coincidence. Luther's words were invoked by the Nazis who perpetrated the Holocaust.
Ronnie Golz is an example of the Holocaust education the Luther Church endeavors. He mentioned to me that he talks to local churches about the process that led to the Holocaust. During our bus trip in Berlin, he told us the process begins 1066 C.E. With the Crusades. Ronnie Golz explains how the "rail lines" that led to the death camps were laid by Christianity several years before the Holocaust began. He tries to emphasize the disturbed relationship Jews have had with Christianity over the centuries.
On a more positive note, Ronnie Golz also emphasizes the Jewishness of the Christian faith in his talks. For example, he mentions how the New Testament is a Jewish book written by Jews. Mr. Golz also mentioned that he tells his groups that Jesus was killed by the priests, Jewish authorities and the Romans, instead of the anti-Semitic version which states that all Jews at all times are responsible for the death of Jesus.
Ronnie Golz said that he gives this type of talk about twice a year. The types of groups he speaks to at different churches varies widely. Despite this, the general points he covers are the same. Mr. Golz does not initiate the meetings, but the groups invite him instead. This seems to reflect the genuine interest of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in learning about its history, even though it is a checkered past.
Dr. Franz von Hammerstein is another person who is involved in educating the Lutheran Church about the Holocaust, but unlike Mr. Golz he is a part of the German Lutheran Church. After the war, he became a pastor, and Dr. Hammerstein pastored in Germany. In 1958 he was influential in the building of the Church of Reconciliation in France.
From early in his career Dr. Hammerstein has been involved in Action Reconciliation. "Action Reconciliation is an organization founded in 1958 at a synod of the Protestant Church in Germany" (Peace 1). The goal of the organization was to volunteer in countries which suffered under German fascism in order to bring about reconciliation. Action Reconciliation has participated in building projects in order to accomplish this goal. At the same time, the organization has recognized the need of the younger German generation to learn about the Nazi era. This learning takes several different forms, from visiting the sites of the Holocaust to talking with witnesses and survivors. Towards this end, Action Reconciliation maintains visitor centers at various sites such as Dachau. (Peace)
Dr. von Hammerstein pointed out that confirmation classes are now taken to synagogue. The Lutheran Church of Germany now sends many students to Israel also. He has taken groups of parishioners to Auschwitz himself as well. Dr. von Hammerstein has also taught parishioners about Judaism Like Ronnie Golz, he has also taught about the relationship between Jews and Christians in classes and seminars. Dr. von Hammerstein also stresses the Jewishness of Jesus and the Bible to the laity as well.
I also had the opportunity to visit Action Reconciliation's visitor center in Dachau. "Since 1979 two volunteers from Action Reconciliation, together with a pastor of the Protestant campus church, work on the site of the former concentration camp Dachau" (Peace). The church is on the site of Dachau, and it is committed to the reconciliation between all people, to provide encounter for people of different ideologies, to provide counseling, and to provide worship services. The volunteers in Dachau also work outside the camp towards these ends. Action Reconciliation in Dachau encourages the town to deal with the past and tell all of Germany what happened during the War. (Peace)
I was able to speak to Pastor Bauer of Action Reconciliation in Dachau. He is an ordained pastor of the Lutheran Church of Bavaria, which is subsumed under the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany. Pastor Bauer spoke to me concerning the issues surrounding the Lutheran Church's response to the Holocaust and the Church's involvement during the Holocaust.
Pastor Bauer stated that the Church was guilty of sins of omission towards the Jews during the War. In May of 1945 the Evangelical Lutheran Church met at Stuttgart to discuss the role of Lutheran churches during the World War II. This resulted in a first step for the Church, a document. The document stated that the Protestant churches did not do enough to resist Hitler and the Nazis. Pastor Bauer stated that although the statement is no that concrete and is very general, it approaches an admission of guilt. The Lutheran Bishop of Bavaria signed the document, but he did not publicize it. It was "half-hidden."
There was a very important reason for the abstract and hidden nature of the Stuttgart document. By 1945 the population, as a whole, did not want to deal with the issue. Very few Germans wanted to see the camps or talk about the issue in 1945, at the same time when the population had to start life over after the War.
Although there was many in the Luther Church who did not do enough, Pastor Bauer was careful to not that there was still some Lutherans who were standing up to Hitler. These Lutherans were known as "the Confessing Church." The clearest example of such a person is Dietrich Bonnhoffer, who was a Lutheran pastor of the Confessing Church. Pastor Bauer stated that as early as 1933 Bonnhoffer recognized the need to protest against the Nazis immediately.
While Bonnhoffer is a bright spot for the Evangelical Lutheran Church, there were very few who spoke out like Bonnhoffer. Some members of the Confessing Church di not see the political ramifications of their faith. The vast majority of the Confessing Church knew that the actions of the Nazis was not correct, but they did not speak up for other reasons. Pastor Bauer stated that it was a great shame that there was not more people like Bonnhoffer. Mr. Funk of the Resistance Museum in Berlin also spoke about the Confessional Church's lack of reaction in a lecture to our group. He said that while the Confessional Church was not anti-Semitic, it did have anti-Jewish elements. The Church did not protest Kristallnacht, and it did not protest the Holocaust until the Autumn of 1942, although the Church knew of the Holocaust in the spring of 1942.
My interview with Pastor Bauer then turned towards the Evangelical Lutheran Church's view of Luther and how its understanding of Luther's anti-Semitic writings. Pastor Bauer strongly feels that anti-Semitic is a contradiction for a follower of Jesus. He also noted how Luther became very anti-Semitic in his old age. I assume Pastor Bauer was implying that Luther was not quite himself in his old age (if I may use an euphemism), but I am not sure of this. Pastor Bauer also mentioned that Luther did not hold a racial view. Luther's views could be considered more against Judaism and the people of that religion than against a race of people.
As for the Lutheran Church's contribution towards the Holocaust, Pastor Bauer stated that the anti-Judaistic elements in the Lutheran Church of Germany made the job of the Nazis much easier. This legacy is seen as painful, but the issue is not at the center of the Church. Most of the Church, laity included, has tried to avoid this issue. Recently, the Lutheran Church's legacy during the Holocaust has been made more open within the Church itself. This tendency towards openness has largely been a result of time, since the people of the War-era have been aging. Pastor Bauer stated that the Church body makes less excuses for its behavior during the war than in previous years. Some synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church have dealt with the Holocaust in earnest. Some synods of the Church have deal with Jewish-Christian relations as well.
While Pastor Bauer seemed optimistic regarding the Lutheran Church's reaction to the Holocaust, he also seemed cautious. He felt that the Lutheran Church's remembrance of the Holocaust is a process. More and more Lutherans are thinking about these issues, but the Church is far from where it needs to be. For example, the awareness of the Lutheran Church's past has grown within the Church, but not enough for Pastor Bauer's tastes.
I proceeded to ask him about how the pastors and the laity interact with each other in regards to Holocaust issues. Pastor Bauer told me that many pastors try to avoid the topic of the Holocaust. Some do not try to avoid the topic, and that number is increasing in Pastor Bauer's opinion. He helps teach students in seminary about the Holocaust by leading these future pastors through Dachau. Many students try to avoid the trip because it is too painful. In recent years more seminary students have been coming to Dachau. Pastor Bauer believes this is due to the age of students. The grandchildren of the people of World War II have an easier time going to the camp than the previous generation.
Pastor Bauer also talked about the changes in seminary over the years. From 1960 to 1964 there was silence regarding the Holocaust in the theological seminaries. Despite this, Pastor Bauer relates that there were some professors in Berlin during 1960 who were willing to deal with the Holocaust. AFter 1968 there was more discussion within the theological institutions as a whole.
I also asked Pastor how the clergy broaches the subject of the Holocaust ot the laity. When Neo-Nazi activities occur, they do something immediately. They call local parishes, and then they arrange trips to Dachau. Visitors deal with the past at Dachau. Some parishioners try to avoid the place, even in the town of Dachau. Although parishioners are ambivalent about visiting Dachau, the camp has a major impact once they arrive.
Pastor Bauer also mentioned that the hierarchy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church encourages the local pastors to educate their laity. Pastor Bauer's bishop, for example, is fully in favor of Action Reconciliation's work in Dachau. In fact, Bauer's bishop asked him to take the post at Dachau. Although some pastors do not care about the issue of Holocaust education, they are not vocal.
I also brought up the topic of evangelism within the Lutheran Church towards the Jewish people. While some believe in evangelism towards Jews, it seems the vast majority of the Lutheran Church in Germany does not believe in this. Most maintain a Dual Covenant position. Simply put, Dual Covenant theology states that Jews do not need to believe in Jesus because of the covenants the Jewish people have with Abraham and through Moses. Mr. Bauer used Paul's description of the olive tree in Romans 11 in order to support his position. His interpretation was that the roots, the Jewish faith, support the branches. Jews and Christians are different parts of that tree. Dual Covenant theology, according to Pastor Bauer, is a direct result of the Holocaust.
Bauer concluded my interview with many interesting points. He stated that the study of Judaism by Christians would teach Christians a lot about their own faith. The Christian faith would not exist without the Jewish basis. He then related this to the Holocaust. "The more you are in touch with the Jewish roots of the Church, the more likely you are to see Hitler as an enemy" (Bauer). He then stated that the Church would have been the next target after the Jews, especially the Confessing Church.
Christian Staffa in Berlin had a much more negative view of the Lutheran Church than Bauer in his lecture to our class and during my interview with him. He was pessimistic about the church following up its projects with money. Staffa mentioned that when he tries to reevaluate the Jewish-Christian dialogue at the academy, it calms people down. There is no action. He also was much less diplomatic than Bauer when I asked him about evangelism in the Lutheran Church of Germany and the quality of the Church's response to the Holocaust.
Staffa complained that there was not much room to experiment with the liturgy of the Lutheran Church, and he called that liturgy anti-Semitic. Staffa said it was the working tradition of Luther. I asked him to clarify that statement, and he told me that the Lutheran tradition assumes Jews have no truth. He also stated that we must be careful of exclusiveness. This seems to be a mute point however, since, according to Staffa, the Evangelical Lutheran Church does not engage in evagelicism in Germany.
At this point in my interview, I brought up the point that Christianity affirms that Jesus is the Messiah. Judaism affirms that Jesus is not the Messiah. For Christians to affirm that Jews have truth on this point would be to negate our own claim. Staffa then made the claim that Paul stated that there would be a coming Messiah both Jews and Gentiles would accept. Staffa neglected to mention that Paul thought that this Messiah would be Jesus' second coming (Phil. 2:9-11).
At this point, I must comment on the scholarship of the justification for the Dual Covenant positions. From my talk with Staffa, I am convinced his view was not based on his scriptural interpretation but on personal taste. He was trying very hard to give me a biblical basis for the view, but Staffa was not able to do this.
Pastor Bauer was at least able to point to Romans 9-11, as I mentioned earlier. Unfortunately for his position, when I went to the text in order to check what he said, Romans did not support his view. The text stated gives a description of Paul's view of a right relationship with God, and that view includes Jesus (Romans 10:9). The tree analogy, which Bauer mentioned and Paul uses, implies that unbelieving Jews have been cut off (Romans 11:17). Although in Bauer's defense, Paul claims the tree is a Jewish tree and that Jews can naturally fit into the tree. However, the text does not support the Dual Covenant position. It in fact condemns the position.
While my exposure to the Lutheran Church of germany was limited, I am encouraged to see what they are doing for Holocaust education. According to Pastor Bauer and Staffa, they seem to have progressed much in the last fifty years. Their resolve to tackle their own anti-Semitic legacy through action in the present is to be commended. Although they may have a long way to go, I was impressed by what I saw. There seemed to be a genuine spirit of repentance on the part of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Despite this, I was disappointed in the biblical scholarship of the people I interviewed. The Dual Covenant Position may be the position the Lutheran Church want to hold, but they do not seem to have scriptural justification for the position.
Action Reconciliation. Action Reconciliation's Peace Services at Dachau. Dachau, Germany.
Bauer. Personal interview. 27 May 1997.
Cohn-Sherbok, Dan. The Crucified Jew. London: Harper Collins, 1992.
Golz, Ronnie. Bus Tour. Berlin, 1 June 1997.
Golz, Ronnie. Personal interview. 1 June 1997.
Staffa, Christian. German Resistance Museum. Berlin, 4 June 1997.
Staffa, Christian. Personal interview. 4 June 1997.
von Hammerstein, Franz. German Resistance Museum. Berlin, 4 June 1997.