Book: JW & Nazi-Regime

Osarsif

Book by Detlef Garbe, Pellechia and 22 other persons (some of them Jehovah's Witnesses):

From the Foreword (quoting others):

"Time and again, Jehovah's Witnesses were the most courageous." [...] "no Christian community can stand even the slightest comparison with the number of their matyrs." [...] About 1,200 died or were killed [...] The contributions in Part B of this anthology focus on the controversies about the documentary video "Stand Firm Against Nazi Assault" produced by the Watch Tower Society and shown at many symposia and exhibitions and the attendant reservations expressed by public officials and other critics.

From the Time table:

June 25, 1933 Mass rally in Berlin-Wilmersdorf by invitation of the Magdeburg headquarters, attended by ca. 7,000 Jehovah's Witnesses. Passed »Declaration« to invalidate accusations against the association, and reveals leadership attempts at reaching an agreement with the new rulers in Germany. This course fails.

Waw!

More from the Time table page:

Dec. 20, 1937 In Moringen concentration camp for women, a »declaration« is introduced only for Jehovah's Witnesses. After 1935 »declarations« were used in concentration camps as well as in prisons. After 1937, this is institutionalized by imposing subsequent detention (Nachhaft = protective custody arrest after completing a prison sentence) if the declaration is not signed. Before the war, this »declaration« was ostensibly signed more frequently. Estimates are that about 10 percent of Witnesses incarcerated in concentration camps signed and up to 50 percent in prisons. On December 21, 1937, this »declaration« is standardized on Himmler's orders. It states: »Declaration. I have come to know that the International Bible Students Association is proclaiming erroneous teachings and under the cloak of religion follows hostile purposes against the State. I therefore left the organization entirely and made myself absolutely free from the teachings of this sect. I herewith give assurance that I will never again take any part in the activity of the International Bible Students Association. Any persons approaching me with the teachings of the Bible Students, or who in any manner reveal their connections with them, I will denounce immediately. All literature from the Bible Students that should be sent to my address I will at once deliver to the nearest police station. I will in the future esteem the laws of the State and join in every way the community of the people. I have been informed that I will at once be taken again into protective custody if I should act against the declaration given today.«

10% of the Jehovah's Witnesses in the concentration camps and up to 50% in prisons signed the declaration. Remember those numbers the next time Jehovah's Witnesses brag they were "the most courageous".

More about this book at the Watchtower Observer: http://observer.org/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20010828&Category=JWANDHITLER3&ArtNo=10828006

patio34

Thanks Osarif for that news. Those percentages vary considerably from what is in the mind of Joe-dub. I wonder what the tone of the rest of the book is. Do you know?

Pat

avengers

You're doing a good job researching all this material. You made a point where I didn't stop to look. Thanks.
Keep up the good work.

FREEDOM without strings attached

dungbeetle

The moral of the story is: Don't go around telling everybody to change your religion to mine RIGHT NOW or you're going to die soon any minute RIGHT NOW.

The Russian JW's still haven't learned that. I don't know that any of them have.

BITE ME, WATCHTOWER!!!

alliwannadoislive

i feel a bit 'dirty' having just read this post - i think it's inappropriate to make cheap sensationalist reading out of such a tragic situation - the people that gave their lives for these policies are not worthy of the implied scorn:

10% of the Jehovah's Witnesses in the concentration camps and up to 50% in prisons signed the declaration. Remember those numbers the next time Jehovah's Witnesses brag they were "the most courageous".

really - could you say that you would have been in the faithful 90% ? which - lets face it - is one hell of a high percentage ?

the disgust should be aimed at the political regime that committed these atrocities - but also for the religious organisation that totally betrayed their followers and sent them to their deaths

Osarsif

alliwannadoislive wrote:

> i feel a bit 'dirty' having just read this post - i think it's
> inappropriate to make cheap sensationalist reading out of such a
> tragic situation

I did not make "cheap sensationalist reading" out of the situation.

> - the people that gave their lives for these policies are not
> worthy of the implied scorn:
>
> 10% of the Jehovah's Witnesses in the concentration camps and up to
> 50% in prisons signed the declaration. Remember those numbers the
> next time Jehovah's Witnesses brag they were "the most courageous".

I did not scorn of the people who died.

> really - could you say that you would have been in the faithful
> 90% ? which - lets face it - is one hell of a high percentage ?

The 90% are not 90% of all JW's living in Germany at the time. It's 90% of the JW's who were in the camps. Before they got there, half of the JW's who were arrested had signed the declaration. So the percentage is much lower. It is lower than 50%.

JW's who went to the camps = 2,000
JW's who remained faithful in the camps = 1,800
Total number of JW's in Germany = 25,000 (acording to the book)
1,800/25,000 = 7.2%

7.2% does not seem to be "one hell of a high percentage", especially if you consider that they knew they would be sent to the front line of the battle (where almost certainly they would be killed by the Russians or Americans) as soon as they signed the declaration.

> the disgust should be aimed at the political regime that committed
> these atrocities - but also for the religious organisation that
> totally betrayed their followers and sent them to their deaths

I don't see much of a difference between the religious organization and the followers, and I am not aiming "disgust" at anyone. I'm just saying these numbers show a different picture from the bragging I've seen in many Jehovah's Witnesses' publications.

alliwannadoislive

looks like we're gonna disagree then - i read as the trivialisation of an ultimate sacrifice ...

Julie

Alliwannadoislive,

You misread Osarsif's point. See, he isn't trying in any way to discredit someone who died for their beliefs.

The point you are missing, and missing badly, is that these numbers don't quite go with what the Dubs-at-the-door would have us believe. No, I know first-hand quite the opposite. I studied with them and they'd have had me believe there were countless JWs who died for their faith in the Nazi camps.. Coupled with the fact (yes "fact") that the Dubs-at-the-door are likely claim that the WT stood up to the Nazi's (like they claim they do every government--though I guess sucking as much welfare from "Caeser" doesn't count). Yes indeedy, noboday as brave as those loyal JWs in Germany, right? LOL Unitl you go have a read at those cowards and their sniveling "oh please don't be mean to us, everything is the fault of those wretched Jews!" letter.

Anyone who died for their faith is brave. Misguided IMO but brave nonetheless. No one here has claimed otherwise. No trivializing death. Just a few lies/exaggerations being revealed/highlighted (again) here.

Perhaps you find throwing light on WT-lies/exaggerations upsetting?

Julie

Book: JW & Nazi-Regime

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