22 Nov. 45
I would now direct your attention to the second case history in
the consolidation of control.
The Nazi conspirators early realized that the influence of the
Christian churches in Germany was an obstacle to their complete
domination of the German people and contrary to their master race
dogma. As the Defendant Martin Bormann stated in a secret decree of
the Party Chancellery signed by him and distributed to all Gauleiter
on 7 June 1941--it is identified as Document Number D-75 and will be
included in the document book which will be presented to the
Court--he stated as follows:
"More and more must the people
be separated from the churches and their organizations and pastors
.... Not until this has happened does the State leadership have
influence on the individual citizens."
Accordingly, the Nazi conspirators, seeking to
subvert the influence of the churches over the people of Germany,
proceeded to attempt to eliminate these churches:
1. By promoting beliefs and practices incompatible with Christian
teachings.
2. By persecuting priests, clergy, and members of monastic
orders. This persecution, as the documentary evidence will show, ran
the gauntlet of insults and indignities, physical assault,
confinement in concentration camps, and murder.
3. By the confiscation of church properties. 4. By suppressing
religious publications.
5. By the suppression of religious organizations. In addition,
they also suppressed religious education. This is illustrated by the
secret decree of the Party Chancellery which I just referred to in
Document D-75, when the Defendant Bormann stated:
"No human being would know
anything of Christianity if it had not been drilled into him in his
childhood by his pastors. The so-called "dear God" in no
wise gives knowledge of His existence to young people in advance, but
in an astonishing manner, in spite of His omnipotence, leaves this to
the efforts of the pastors. If, therefore, in the future our youth
learns nothing more of this Christianity, whose doctrines are far
below ours, Christianity will disappear by itself."
At a subsequent stage in these proceedings,
additional documentary evidence of the acts of the conspirators in
their attempt to subvert the influence of the Christian churches will
be offered. At this time I offer the document book in support of this
phase of the case together with the accompanying brief.