I lived from 1892-1984. I was from Germany, and am in the European category.
A former junior officer in the Germany Navy Martin Niemoller became known for his pacifist beliefs and is perhaps most famous for one poem. First they came for the Communists.
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Born in Lippstadt, Germany on 14th January 1892, his father was a pastor. He became a naval officer cadet in 1910 and had been commissioned in the rank of sub-lieutenant by the beginning of the 1914-1918 War. Eventually he became a U-boat captain and had a successful military career. He was regarded as one of the most successful U-boat commanders of the war and was awarded the Iron Cross.
Following the war he became active in politics and, with various units helped to suppress a socialist revolution in Germany and was a supporter of the Kapp Putsch which took control in Berlin in 1920.
At the start of the Weimar republic Neimoller took up theology and was ordained in 1927. He maintained his political interests and was a supporter of Adolf Hitler and made supporting speeches from his pulpit. These sermons also included support for Hitler's views on nationality and race.
In 1934 he published an autobiography entitled from U-boat to Pulpit. This soon became popular with members of the Nazi party which he described as a movement based on Christian morals.
He took a stance against Hitler when the later appointed Ludwig Muller as leader of the German Protestant Church in 1933 and was one of the founders of the Confessional Church in 1934. This opposition was not total and Neimoller remained a Nazi Party supporter in non-religious matters. He did not oppose concentration camps but was opposed to the persecution of Jews who had converted to Christianity.
Nevertheless Neimoller opposition was noted and he was himself arrested in July 1938 and imprisoned for eight months before his trial at which he was fined 2,00 marks!
On leaving court he was arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned in Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp for re-education. he was later transferred to Dachau for re-education. During this time Goebbels urged Neimoller's execution but his life was saved in part by a campaign by the Bishop of Chichester, England. Rosenburg convinced Hitler and Goebbels that Neimoller's death would give the Bishop's protest more ammunition to attack the Government at a time when they were still seeking appeasement with Britain.
At the outbreak of war the next year neimoller actually reapplied for his naval commission but was thwarted by Goebbel's opposition. When the letter of application was published many saw it as a forgery and led to Neimoller becoming a prominent symbol of resistance.
His sons did serve in the armed forces one being killed in Pomerania in 1940 and one captured on the Eastern Front.
As the Allied invasion was being launched Neimoller and a number of other prominent dissidents were transferred to Tirol in Austria but were rescued before there scheduled execution took place.
In a press conference neimoller admitted his attempt to join the Navy in 1939 and also stated his quarrel with Hitler had been on Religious rather than Political grounds. This led to savage attacks in the press that had previously supported him.
Neimoller now became a leader of the German Evangelical Church and travelled widely although his proposed visit to Britain was strongly opposed by the clergy and the Unions. He did visit the Soviet Union. It was after this visit that he joined the World Peace Movement. Although he still did not agree with Communism he became more and more attracted to Socialism, believing that "the root of every evil development is money"!
He was strongly opposed to the Cold War and to Nuclear weapons proclaiming that, after Hitler, Harry S Truman was the greatest mass murder as he had sanctioned the dropping of the 2 A-bombs on Japan.
After conversations with Otto Hahn and a re-reading of the Sermon on the Mount in June 1954 he finally eschewed military force and became a Pacifist. He eventually was allowed into England and took part in the Aldermaston Marches in 1958 as a supporter of CND and an opponent of NATO.
His fight for peace became stronger after being injured ina car crash in 1961 which killed his wife.
He became leader of the World Council of Churches. he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize in 1967.
Martin Neimoller died on 6th March 1984 at the age of 92.
After his death there has been a great deal of controversy over his poem First they came for the Communists. many believe that it was written by a left-wing peace worker who believed it would have more effect if it was written by a prominent figure and who attributed it to Neimoller. Neither of Neimoller's biographers even mention the poem.
JS
Following the war he became active in politics and, with various units helped to suppress a socialist revolution in Germany and was a supporter of the Kapp Putsch which took control in Berlin in 1920.
At the start of the Weimar republic Neimoller took up theology and was ordained in 1927. He maintained his political interests and was a supporter of Adolf Hitler and made supporting speeches from his pulpit. These sermons also included support for Hitler's views on nationality and race.
In 1934 he published an autobiography entitled from U-boat to Pulpit. This soon became popular with members of the Nazi party which he described as a movement based on Christian morals.
He took a stance against Hitler when the later appointed Ludwig Muller as leader of the German Protestant Church in 1933 and was one of the founders of the Confessional Church in 1934. This opposition was not total and Neimoller remained a Nazi Party supporter in non-religious matters. He did not oppose concentration camps but was opposed to the persecution of Jews who had converted to Christianity.
Nevertheless Neimoller opposition was noted and he was himself arrested in July 1938 and imprisoned for eight months before his trial at which he was fined 2,00 marks!
On leaving court he was arrested by the Gestapo and imprisoned in Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp for re-education. he was later transferred to Dachau for re-education. During this time Goebbels urged Neimoller's execution but his life was saved in part by a campaign by the Bishop of Chichester, England. Rosenburg convinced Hitler and Goebbels that Neimoller's death would give the Bishop's protest more ammunition to attack the Government at a time when they were still seeking appeasement with Britain.
At the outbreak of war the next year neimoller actually reapplied for his naval commission but was thwarted by Goebbel's opposition. When the letter of application was published many saw it as a forgery and led to Neimoller becoming a prominent symbol of resistance.
His sons did serve in the armed forces one being killed in Pomerania in 1940 and one captured on the Eastern Front.
As the Allied invasion was being launched Neimoller and a number of other prominent dissidents were transferred to Tirol in Austria but were rescued before there scheduled execution took place.
In a press conference neimoller admitted his attempt to join the Navy in 1939 and also stated his quarrel with Hitler had been on Religious rather than Political grounds. This led to savage attacks in the press that had previously supported him.
Neimoller now became a leader of the German Evangelical Church and travelled widely although his proposed visit to Britain was strongly opposed by the clergy and the Unions. He did visit the Soviet Union. It was after this visit that he joined the World Peace Movement. Although he still did not agree with Communism he became more and more attracted to Socialism, believing that "the root of every evil development is money"!
He was strongly opposed to the Cold War and to Nuclear weapons proclaiming that, after Hitler, Harry S Truman was the greatest mass murder as he had sanctioned the dropping of the 2 A-bombs on Japan.
After conversations with Otto Hahn and a re-reading of the Sermon on the Mount in June 1954 he finally eschewed military force and became a Pacifist. He eventually was allowed into England and took part in the Aldermaston Marches in 1958 as a supporter of CND and an opponent of NATO.
His fight for peace became stronger after being injured ina car crash in 1961 which killed his wife.
He became leader of the World Council of Churches. he was awarded the Lenin Peace Prize in 1967.
Martin Neimoller died on 6th March 1984 at the age of 92.
After his death there has been a great deal of controversy over his poem First they came for the Communists. many believe that it was written by a left-wing peace worker who believed it would have more effect if it was written by a prominent figure and who attributed it to Neimoller. Neither of Neimoller's biographers even mention the poem.
JS
Links of interest include http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERniemoller.htm
My poetry
- First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,12 lines, 5 comments
