The Reich Church

What was the Reich Church?

The Reich Church was a Nazi version of the Protestant Church. It supported the Nazi Party, allowed Nazi flags with the swastika to be hung in their churches and used an altered, Nazified version of the Lord's Prayer.

When was the Reich Church set up?

The Reich Church was set up in 1936.

Who was the leader of the Reich Church?

Ludwig Müller was the leader of the Reich Church.

Why was the Reich Church set up?

There were 3 main reasons for the creation of the Reich Church:

• ❖ To unify all of the different Protestant churches into one so they could be controlled more easily by the Nazi government.
• ❖ To be able to promote Nazi ideas as they now controlled the Reich Church. For example, they tried to stop use of the Old Testament as they saw it as Jewish.
• ❖ To prevent Jews from being baptised into Christianity.

What was the reaction of Catholics and Protestants to the Nazi involvement in religion and the Reich Church?

Initially, the Protestants and Catholics within Germany were not opposed to the Nazi regime. However, over time opposition grew and some priests began to openly speak out against the Nazis.