Mennonites and Hitler

June 6, 2003

When we discuss our decision to be Christian peacemakers, we inevitably have to face the question, "But what would you do about Hitler?" Here is the record of what Mennonites did in Germany-a course we likely don't want to follow.

As we read these words of thanks from the Mennonite church to Chancellor Hitler, remember historical context: in 1933 the future looked very promising as Hitler attempted to rebuild the country after the devastation of WWI. The abuses followed, but at this early date, no one anticipated that Hitler would lead Germany into such a devastating abuse of power.

I've chosen to include this letter with Christian Citizenship Sunday to remind us how vital it is that we continually speak words of prophetic and sometimes painful truth to our government leaders, in addition to words of thanks.

Many thanks to John D. Thiesen, archivist and co-director of Mennonite Library and Archives at Bethel College, for his research work. I asked him whether there were letters from the Mennonite church in Germany to Adolf Hitler. He also faxed me 10 letters to presidents of the United States, made by Mennonite Church (1), General Conference Mennonite Church (3) and Mennonite Central Committee (6), between 1905-1975.

Susan Mark Landis, peace advocate, Mennonite Church USA

The most well known letter is this one (text is in the German Mennonite newspaper Mennonitische Blätter in 1993 p. 101). This hasn't been translated or published in English before, as far as I know. This was a telegram to Hitler.

To Chancellor Adolf Hitler, Berlin [10 Sep 1933]

The Conference of East and West Prussian Mennonites, assembled today in Tiegenhagen, Free State of Danzig, feels deep gratitude for the powerful revival that God has given our nation through your energy and promises joyful cooperation in the up building of our Fatherland through the power of the Gospel, faithful to the motto of our forefathers: No other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ."

And then there was a perfunctory reply from Hitler shortly thereafter:

For your loyalty and your readiness to cooperate in the up building of the German nation, expressed in your letter to me, I express my sincere thanks. Adolf Hitler

Hitler was named German chancellor (prime minister) early in 1933, so this was after he had been in office for several months. The Nazi Party program made reference to "positive Christianity" which appealed to Mennonites. After they came to power, the Nazis took harsh action against left-wing parties and also against what people like Mennonites would have seen as "public immorality." This came after several years of economic hard times (the Depression) and also years of political turmoil, including quite a bit of political violence, which we would now likely call terrorism. For the Prussian Mennonites, the longer-term context included the results of World War I, which left their region divided among 3 separate countries. Some of the Prussian Mennonite had to cross international boundaries to go to church or to see relatives and friends only a few miles away; the borders divided countries that had been undivided for centuries previously.

John D. Thiesen
Archivist and Co-director of Libraries
Mennonite Library and Archives
Bethel College