Letter to the Chancellor of Reich
The Jehovah’s Witnesses were persecuted by the Nazi regime because of their so-called bond
with the Jews, the Masons and the Communists, because of their refusal to vote, to take the weapons, to do the Hitler salute, and
of their proselytism considered being subversive. They first of all tried in1933 to adapt with Hitler, Chancellor of Reich, who completely
thereafter prohibits the Jehovah’s Witnesses worship. At the beginning of 1934 and particularly from October of that year, the movement
entered logic of combat against the Nazis by means of the printed sheet.
James PENTON in Apocalypse Delayed reports that in June
1933 the persons in charge of the Watchtower tried to charm the Nazi regime by the affirmation of their honesty towards the principles
of the National Socialist government and by anti-Semitic declarations in a Declaration of Facts. This declaration written by Joseph
Rutherford, president of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, was sent to Hitler accompanied by a handwritten letter written by the German leader
of the Jehovah’s Witnesses of the time, Paul Balzereit.
Evidence of the authenticity of the declaration as well as the letter.
The
seat of the Jehovah Witnesses does not dispute the authenticity of this letter and affirms that it was written by the local German
leader of the Students of the Bible at the time. The declaration was officially published by the movement in the 1934 Yearbook. The
movement insists on the fact that the essence of its contents is not a standpoint in favor of the Nazi regime, but an affirmation
that the movement was rigorously apolitical and religious, with Christian values that Hitler, raised in the Catholic religion, claimed
to share in the beginning of his regime.
With regards to the anti-Semitism however, Joseph Franklin Rutherford wrote in
The letter Jehovah's Witnesses sent to Hitler:
WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND
TRACT SOCIETY
GENERAL OFFICES 117,
GERMAN BRANCH Wachtturmstr. 1-19
Dear Reichskanzler,
on June 25, 1933, at the Sporthalle Wilmersdorf in
In several parts of the country, actions were taken against a corporation of serious
Christian men and women who are standing on the foundation of positive Christianity. Such actions can only described as the persecution
of Christians by other Christians, since the accusations - which have led to these actions against us - primarily are of clerical,
especially catholic origin and untrue.
We are absolutely convinced of the impartiality of the government officials dealing with
this situation. Yet we conclude that the contents of our literature and the purpose of our movement are largely misinterpreted due
to the accusations which are brought up against us by our religious opposers and which might result in a prejudiced viewpoint. This
might also be due to the amount of our literature and the high demand put upon the respective officials.
For this reason the
things discussed at the conference were put down as a declaration of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, in order to pro vide
you, Mr. Reichskanzler, as well as the high officials of the German Reich and its countries, with a document of the fact that the
Bible Re searchers of Germany only have one goal in their work, namely to lead people back to God and to be witnesses of the Name
of Jehovah, the most high, the father of our Lord and redeemer Jesus Christ.
We are convinced that you, Mr. Reichskanzler, will
not have such activities disturbed. The communities of the Bible Researchers of Germany and their members are generally known as defenders
of respect of the Most High and zealous students of the bible. Local police officials will need to testify to the fact that Bible
Researchers have to be counted among elements of the country and ist people who are known for their love and support of oder. There
sole mission is to draw the hearts of humans to God.
The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (located in Magdeburg/Germany) is
the organizing center of the mission of the Bible Researchers.
The
In the very same manner, in course of the recent months the board of directors of our Society not only refused to engage
in propaganda against
The enclosed declaration was read by the secretary to the five thousand delegates of
the conference of the Bible Researchers. It was approved unanimously and it was decided to present one copy each together with this
report of the conference to Mr. Reichskanzler and all the other high government officials of the Reich and its countries.
This we
want to do herewith and ask that the following request, which is also stated in the declaration, will be received with favour:
Namely
that a commission from our midst is given the chance to person ally explain the true situation either to Mr. Reichskanzler himself
or to the minister of internal affairs. Alternatively, we ask Mr. Reichskanzler to appoint a commission of men who do not have any
religious prejudice against us - men who do not have professional religious interests but are solely interested to comply to the just
principles as they were set up by the Reichskanzler himself - to investigate our situation impartially. The principles mentioned,
refer to paragraph 24 of the program of the National Socialistic German Party of Workers, which reads:
"We demand the freedom of all
religious denominations within the state, as far as they do not endanger the state itself or violate the moral values of the German
race.
The party as such represents the viewpoint of positive Christianity without being attached to any particular denomination. It
fights against the Jewish-materialistic spirit inside and outside of us and is convinced that any recovery of the German people can
only take place from the inside out."
We are fully convinced that, once we have been judged impartially, based firstly upon God's
word and secondly upon the above mentioned paragraphs, the national government of Germany will find no reason to prevent us from our
church services and missionary activities.
We are looking forward to your kind approval, which we hope to receive soon, and want to
assure our highest respect to you, honorable Mr. Reichskanzler.
Yours faithfully
-The
letter Jehovah's Witnesses sent to Hitler - page 1 (original in german)
-The letter Jehovah's Witnesses sent to Hitler - page 2 (original
in german)
-The letter Jehovah's Witnesses sent to Hitler - page 3 (original in german)
According to “Free Minds Journal” the
letter that accompanied the Declaration of Facts was an attempt to convince Hitler that the persons in charge of the
See the
James
PENTON, author of the Book “Apocalypse Delayed” specifies that in 1933 the persons in charge of the Watchtower tried to charm the
Nazi regime by the affirmation of their honesty towards the principles of the National Socialist government and by anti-Semitic declarations.
(p147). It also specifies that the directory of 1974 8 has without any doubt reason in supposing that Paul Balzereit (President at
that time of the German branch of Magdeburg) or at least somebody of the branch wrote this letter to Hitler (p148).
The 1974 Yearbook
claims that Balzereit was responsible for attempting to deal with the Nazis and that it could very well attenuate or to sweeten this
Declaration (p111). But, according to James PENTON this declaration appears in the 1934 Yearbook of the Jehovah’s witnesses (American
version) as an official Society and President’s document (p148 “Apocalypse Delayed”).
“Free Minds Journal” also specifies that
it was published as an “Official document”, that the American leaders and in particular, Judge Rutherford were directly responsible
for pure anti-Semitism and the will to deal against their principles of Christian neutrality (p3+ AD p 148)
We can find anti-Semitic
remarks towards the Jews of the Anglo-American empire on page 34 of the 1934 Yearbook (American version). By the expression '“Such
is exactly our position” the Society also decides against the racketeer oppressors. (p135). Then, it indicates that it supports the
principles of the German government straightforwardly (p136) and, that the defended very high ideals, proclaimed by the national government
are stated, endorsed and strongly underlined in its publications (p137). It also states that its literature, its work, instead of
being a threat with the government principles, is the firmest defender of such high ideals (p138).
What can you say about these
assertions, especially if one puts them in parallel with the following paragraphs extracted from the letter sent by the Jehovah’s
Witnesses to Hitler in 1933:
“in regards to the objectives and the purely religious and apolitical efforts of the Bible Students-
it should be said that those are in total agreement with the identical goals of the national Government of German Reich.”
“the Bible
Students of Germany fight for the same moral goals, raised, that the national Government of German Reich proclaimed, concerning the
relation of man with God, namely: the honesty of the creature towards its Creator!” whereas the 1974 Yearbook indicates on page 111
that the Declaration was a “protest against the government intervention of Hitler against the preaching carried out by the witnesses”
James
PENTON clearly indicates in his book that by realizing that the Nazis had not been impressed but irritated by the Declaration of Facts,
which started an immediate wave of persecution, that then and only then Rutherford, the Society and the Persons in charge of the German
Jehovah’s Witnesses were opposed without compromise to the Nazi policy (p 149 Apocalypse Delayed). This point is included in “Free
Minds Journal” on page 2 Flight 13 N°3 May/June 1994.
"Declaration of facts"
This is the Declaration of Facts that Jehovah's
Witnesses today wish never existed, and that they also pretend does not exist. When we know that the JWs are represented in the Holocaust
Museum, together with the Jews - we can surly wonder why the Jews does not protest most strongly by being presented together with
JWs as "victims".
Declaration of Facts
"This company of German people, who are peaceable and law-abiding citizens
representing many others from every part of Germany, all of whom are earnestly laboring for the highest welfare of the people of this
land, being now duly assembled at Berlin this 25th day of June, AD.. 1933, do joyfully declare our complete devotion to Jehovah, the
Almighty God, and to his kingdom under Christ Jesus, whose shed blood bought the human race. We declare that the holy Scriptures set
forth in the Bible constitute the Word of Jehovah God given to men for their guidance in righteousness, and that the Word of God is
the truth, and that it is of greatest importance that man have a knowledge of his relationship to God. We ask to be judged by the
standard of the Word of God.
"Christ Jesus is Jehovah God's great Witness to the truth, and as his faithful and devoted
followers we are, by His grace, witnesses to the truth. The purpose of this Declaration is that we may present a true and faithful
witness before rulers and the people as to the name and purpose of Jehovah God and our relation thereto.
"We are wrongfully
charged before the ruling powers of this government and before the people of this nation; and in order that the name of Jehovah God
may be exalted in the minds of the people, and that his benevolent purposes be better understood and our position fairly placed before
the government, we do respectfully ask the rulers of the nation and the people to give a fair and impartial consideration to the statement
of facts here made.
"The Scriptures plainly state that the chief opposer of Jehovah God and the greatest enemy of mankind
is Satan the Devil whose name is also that of Serpent and Dragon. It is written in the Scriptures that Satan, who has long been the
invisible ruler of this world, deceives and blinds the people to the truth in order that the light of and concerning Jehovah God and
Christ Jesus may not shine into the minds of men. (2 Corinthians 4: 3,4) Frequently by fraud, subtility [sic]] and deception Satan
has induced honest persons to war with each other, in order that he might turn them all away from God and destroy them. Above all
things, the people need to know Jehovah God and his gracious provision for their general welfare.
"By the term 'clergy',
as used in our literature, reference is made to the class of professed religious teachers, priests and Jesuits who employ improper
political means to accomplish their ends and pin forces even with those who deny God and the Lord Jesus Christ. That is the same class
to whom Jesus referred as his persecutors. We have no criticism of any honest religious teacher.
"When Jesus went to the
Jews to tell them of the truth, it was the Jewish clergy, that is to say, the Pharisees and priests, that violently opposed him and
persecuted him and caused him to be charged with all manner of crimes and offenses. They refused to hear the truth, and addressing
them Jesus said: "Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the
lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in truth, because there is no truth in him. When
he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me
not.' (John 8: 43-45) Although the Pharisees and priests then claimed to represent Jehovah God Jesus told them that they were in fact
the representatives of Satan the Devil.
"We have no fight with any persons or religious teachers, but we must call attention
to the fact that it is generally those who claim to represent God and Christ Jesus who are in fact our persecutors and who misrepresent
us before the governments and nations. As true followers of Christ Jesus we are to expect such opposition, and we mention it here
in explanation of why we have been misrepresented before the rulers of this nation. To his faithful followers Jesus said: 'Remember
the word I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they [the false religious teachers] have persecuted me, they
will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.' (John 15: 20) Furthermore, Jesus said that this
same class of men would cause his true followers to be wrongfully charged before the ruling powers, his language being: 'But take
heed to yourselves: for they [false religious teachers] shall deliver you up to councils [police power]; and in the synagogues ye
shall be beaten; and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.' (Mark 13: 9) This explains
why Jehovah God now permits his faithful witnesses to be misrepresented and persecuted, namely, that those of a wrong spirit may identify
themselves as opponents of God and thus bear witness against themselves. The same materialistic spirit that caused the persecution
of Jesus Christ now exists and is back of the persecution of us his faithful followers.
"It is falsely charged by our enemies
that we have received financial support for our work from the Jews. Nothing is farther from the truth. Up to this hour there never
has been the slightest bit of money contributed to our work by Jews. We are the faithful followers of Christ Jesus and believe upon
Him as the Savior of the world, whereas the Jews entirely reject Jesus Christ and emphatically deny that he is the Savior of the world
sent of God for man's good. This of itself should be sufficient proof to show that we receive no support from Jews and that therefore
the charges against us are maliciously false and could proceed only from Satan, our great enemy.
"The greatest and most oppressive
empire on earth is the Anglo-American empire. By that is meant the British Empire, of which the
Our Literature
"It
is said that our books and like literature, when circulated amongst the people, constitute a danger to the peace and safety of the
nation. We are certain that this conclusion is due to the fact that our books and other literature have not been carefully examined
by the rulers and hence are not properly understood. We respectfully call attention to the fact that these books and other literature
were written originally in
"It should be borne in
mind that in the British Empire and in America the common people have suffered and are now suffering greatly because of the misrule
of Big Business and conscienceless politicians, which misrule has been and is supported by political religionists, and hence the þ
writers of our books or literature have endeavored to employ plain language to convey to the people the proper thought or understanding.
The language used, however, is not as strong or emphatic as that used by Jesus Christ in denouncing the oppressors and false teachers
of his time.
"The present government of
"Our organization is not political in any sense. We only insist on teaching the Word of Jehovah God
to the people, and that without hindrance. We do not object or try to hinder anyone's teaching or believing what he desires, but we
only ask the freedom to believe and teach what we conceive the bible to teach, and then let the people decide which they wish to believe.
"To know Jehovah God and his gracious provision for mankind is of most vital importance to all persons, because God has declared in
His Word that where there is no vision or understanding of his Word the people perish. (Proverbs 29: 18) We have devoted our lives
and our material substance to the work of enabling the people to gain a vision or understanding of God's Word, and therefore it is
impossible for our literature and our work to be a menace to the peace and safety of the nation. Instead of being against the principles
advocated by the government of
"Our organization seeks neither money nor members, but we are a company or organized body of Christian
people engaged solely in the benevolent work of teaching the Word of God to the people at the least possible cost to them. Our organization
was originally incorporated in the
"The people are in great distress and in need of help to understand the reason for their unhappy condition
and what is the means of relief. The Scriptures, when understood, make this matter clear. Instead of collecting money from the people
and using the same to erect great buildings and to support men in luxury, we print the gospel message of God's kingdom and carry it
to the homes of the people that they may, at the least inconvenience to themselves, gain a knowledge of God's purposes concerning
them.
"A careful examination of our books and literature will disclose the fact that the very high ideals held and promulgated
by the present national government are set forth in and endorsed and strongly emphasized in our publications, and show that Jehovah
God will see to it that these high ideals in due time will be attained by all persons who love righteousness and who obey the Most
High. Instead, therefore, of our literature and our work's being a menace to the principles of the present government we are the strongest
supporters of such high ideals. For this reason Satan, the enemy of all men who desire righteousness, has sought to misrepresent our
work and prevent us from carrying it on in this land.
"For many years our organization has put forth an unselfish and persistent
effort to do good to the people. Our American brethren have greatly assisted in the work in
League of Nations
"The language in our books or literature concerning the League of Nations has been seized upon
as a reason for prohibiting our work and the distribution of our books. Let us remind the government and the people of Germany that
it was the League of Nations compact that laid upon the shoulders of the German people the great unjust and unbearable burdens. That
League of Nations compact was not brought forth by the friends of Germany. In America at one time the public press announced that
140,000 clergymen had set aside a certain period of time in which a concerted movement was to be made, and which was made, to induce
the American people to fully endorse the League of Nations. It was the Federation of Churches in America that issued a manifesto stating
that the 'League of Nations is the political expression of God's kingdom on earth', and which by them was substituted in the place
and stead of God's kingdom under Christ. It was in America that our organization under the visible leadership of its president pointed
out emphatically that the League of Nations is not an institution of Jehovah God, because it is oppressive and unfair. It was that
condition, existing at the time, which called forth language that appears in our books concerning the League of Nations and also calling
attention to the fact that such League of Nations compact can never bring about the relief and blessing of the people, because such
relief and blessing can come by adhering strictly to the principles laid down in God's Word and in the manner which Jehovah has pointed
out.
"For almost half a century our strictly Christian organization has carried on its work in various parts of the earth.
Its books are published in more than 50 languages, and upward of 140 million of these books are in the hands of the people. For more
than thirty years our books and literature have been distributed throughout Germany, and millions of these are now in the hands of
the German people and are read by the people, all of whom will bear testimony to the fact that these books, based strictly on the
Bible, are of great help to them and upbuild them and give them hope for a realization of the blessings which Jehovah God long ago
promised. In all these years of our work, and in the wide distribution of our books and literature, not one instance can be truthfully
cited wherein our work or literature has been a menace to the government or has in any wise endangered the peace and safety of the
nations.
"The endeavors of our organization being exclusively confined to bearing testimony to the name and Word of Jehovah
God, it would be entirely inconsistent for us to attempt to exert any political influence in the governments of this world or to do
anything that would endanger the peace and safety of the nation. We have no desire nor inclination to do anything except to carry
out our divinely given commission to proclaim the Word of Jehovah God.
"In America, Canada and other parts of the British Empire the political clergy, priests and Jesuits have persistently persecuted and continue to persecute those of our organization, and without just cause or excuse; and we have every reason to believe that a like influence has been subtilly [sic] employed by the great enemy Satan to misrepresent us and our work in Germany. We remind you that in the years past the political clergymen have brought more sorrow upon the German people than probably any other class of men. We have no desire to fight with the clergymen, but we do ask that the ruling powers of the nation judge us not by the misrepresentation of such men, but that we be judged according to the Word of God and the work we are doing consistent therewith. Jehovah God persecutes no one, but permits each one to choose his own course, holding him responsible for his acts according to knowledge. Jehovah God has emphatically expressed his anger against those who do persecute others who are trying to serve him; and this proves that those who persecute us do not represent God, but that they are incited so to do by the enemy of God and man. Psalm 72:4
Great Truths
"The Holy Scriptures, viewed in the light of
present-day events which are in fulfilment of divine prophecy, disclose that: The time has arrived when Jehovah will make his name
known to all creation and vindicate his name and clear it from the defamation which Satan has placed against that holy name. (Psalm
83: 18) When Jesus Christ, the Vindicator, ascended into heaven Jehovah commanded him to wait until his due time to put the enemy
down. That period of waiting has now come to an end and God has sent forth his beloved Son to oust the enemy and rule in righteousness.
(Psalm 110: 14; Hebrews 10: 12,13) The world, or uninterrupted rule, of Satan has ended, and this began to be evidenced by the World
War in 1914, and since then until now is the time when the gospel of the Kingdom must be told to the people. (Matthew 24: 3,14) Satan
has now been cast out of heaven and down to the earth and now confines his operations to the earth in an endeavor to blind the people
to the truth and destroy them, and that is the reason for the present-day sufferings of humanity. The prophetic words of Jesus now
apply: 'Woe to the inhabiters [the rulers] of the earth, and of the sea [the people in general]! for the devil is come down unto you,
having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. Revelation 12: 12.
"The people of
We beg to remind all that the great crisis is
upon the world because the transition period from bad to good is at hand, and the hope of the world is God's kingdom under Christ,
for which Jesus taught his followers to constantly pray: 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is done in heaven.'
"The power of Jehovah God is supreme and there is no power that can successfully resist him. His time to exercise his power
in the interest of humanity and to the vindication of his great name is here. In this connection we respectfully call attention to
the admonition and warning of Jehovah God, both to the rulers and to the people, which applies to this very hour, wherein he says:
"Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.... Be wise now, therefor, O ye kings; be instructed, ye judges of the earth. Serve
the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled
but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. Psalm 2: 6, 10-12.
'"The present government having declared
adherence to the aforementioned high ideals, we are persuaded that the rulers do not desire to knowingly resist the progressive witness
work to the name of Jehovah God and his kingdom which we are now carrying forward. If our work is merely that of men, it will fall
of its own weight. If it is of Jehovah God and being carried forward in obedience to his commandment, then to resist it means to fight
against God. Acts 5: 39.
We therefore appeal to the high sense of justice of the government and nation and respectfully
ask that the order of prohibition against our work and our literature be set aside, and the opportunity be given us to have a fair
hearing before we are judged. We respectfully ask that the government appoint a committee of impartial men to hold conference with
a committee of our organization and that a fair and impartial examination of our literature and our work be made, to the end that
all misunderstanding may be removed and that we may without hindrance obey Jehovah God's commandment now applying to us, to wit: 'Go
through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for
the people. Isaiah 62: 10.
"The peoples of Germany are a God-fearing people and should not be deprived of an opportunity
to learn of Jehovah God and of his gracious provision to bring lasting peace, prosperity, liberty and everlasting life on earth to
all those who know and obey him. Let all who love God work together to the honor and vindication of his name. All who take a contrary
course must take responsibility before God; but as for us we will serve Jehovah forever.
"RESOLVED, That copies of this
Declaration be respectfully delivered to high officials of the government and that the same be given wide publication to the people,
that the name of Jehovah may be further known."
-The declaration of facts,
-The declaration
of facts,
-The declaration of facts,
-The declaration
of facts,
The Declaration of Facts, introduction - Yearbook of JW 1934
Year
Book 1934 Pages 127-140..."
practically nothing in
In the spring of 1933,
political conditions underwent a great change in
Early in April 1933, the police
of
The Watch Tower Bible & Tract Society,
incorporated under the laws of the
In June, the
president of the Society visited
--The rest is the same things as the Declaration of facts....
-The Declaration of Facts - Yearbook of JW 1934 -
page 127.
-The Declaration of Facts - Yearbook of JW 1934 - page 128.
-The Declaration of Facts - Yearbook of JW 1934 - page 129.
-The
Declaration of Facts - Yearbook of JW 1934 - page 130.
-The Declaration of Facts - Yearbook of JW 1934 - page 131.
-The Declaration
of Facts - Yearbook of JW 1934 - page 132.
-The Declaration of Facts - Yearbook of JW 1934 - page 133.
-The Declaration of Facts - Yearbook
of JW 1934 - page 134.
-The Declaration of Facts - Yearbook of JW 1934 - page 135.
-The Declaration of Facts - Yearbook of JW 1934 -
page 136.
-The Declaration of Facts - Yearbook of JW 1934 - page 137.
-The Declaration of Facts - Yearbook of JW 1934 - page 138.
-The
Declaration of Facts - Yearbook of JW 1934 - page 139.
The Declaration of Facts, Trost, October 1943
"Declaration
Every war brings countless misfortunes upon Mankind. Every war brings difficult moral dilemmas to thousands, yes, millions of
people. This applies especially to this war, which has spared no corner of the earth and has been spread through the air, water and
land. It is therefore inevitable that in such times, not only individuals, but also communities of every sort, unintentionally or
deliberately are falsely suspected.
Even Jehovah's Witnesses have not been spared this fate. We have become made out to be a
association, the object or activity of which is described as, "to undermine military discipline, especially to force or mislead conscripts
into insubordination against military orders, neglect or refusal of duty, or becoming fugitives."
Such an opinion can only be
put froward by someone who completely misunderstands the spirit and activity of our Society or who despite his better knowledge, malevolently
distorts it.
We expressly state, that our association neither commands nor recommends, nor in any other way suggests, acting
against military orders. Questions of that sort are dealt with neither by our congregations nor in the Society's published literature.
We do not at all concern ourselves with such questions. We view our business to be solely that of rendering a witness to Jehovah God
and to proclaim bible truth to all peoples. Hundreds of our members and fellow believers have performed their military duty and continue
to do so.
We have at no time presumed and at no time shall do so, to view the performance of military duty, as laid down by your
statutes, as an offence against the principles and aspirations of the association of Jehovah's Witnesses. We beseech all our members
and fellow believers, in the proclamation of the message of God's Kingdom (Matthew 24:14), to confine themselves strictly to the proclamation
of bible truth, and always to avoid giving grounds for misunderstanding, and certainly never to be able to be misunderstood as offering
any incitement to insubordination against military orders.
Swiss Associaton of Jehovah's Witnesses
President: Ad.
Gammenthaler Secretary: D. Wiedenmann
-The Declaration of Facts, Trost, October
1943. (Click).
Analysis of these events:
-Jehovah's Witnesses, Anti-semitism and the Third Reich. PDF.(Click).
Another
analysis in french :
-Les Témoins de Jéhovah et les Nazis : la société Watchtower répond à ses détracteurs. PDF. (Click).
In
The book “Jehovah’s
Witnesses - Proclaimers of God's Kingdom” (1993) makes a comment in the chapter “They grow in the exact knowledge of the truth”.
Page
141: “The Bible Students knew quite well the many prophecies of restoration which had been made in ancient
This “new light” corresponded
quite simply to a strategic “alignment” on certain current anti-Semites which prevailed in
But there was something more important: as the European Watch Tower bastion was
in Germany and that Brooklyn wished to protect its goods there, this reversal of doctrines was convenient at the time when Hitler,
confirmed anti-Semite, was about to take full power.
As the 1974 Jehovah’s Witnesses Yearbook underlines it: “(Before the assembly
held in Berlin on June 25th, 1933), accompanied by Brother Knorr, Brother Rutherford had arrived a few days beforehand in Germany
to see what could be done in order to protect the goods from the Society.”
In order to avoid presenting itself as a pro-Zionist organization
that supported the return of the Jews in
Let us point out
between brackets that the book “Proclaimers…” does not mention the book “Life” published in 1929, but referred only to “Justification”
of 1932 (it is also non-existent in the index at the end of the volume).
In 1934,
We can
be aware of it:
Page 4: “If a man is a descendant of
Page
5: “The current men called Jews are tradesmen among whom are some of the richest men and most miserly that the world knew. Certain
generals of the Great merchants are named Jews. Many are arrogant, proud and very selfish. Their faith in the Word of God is low or
even zero, and they do not believe that Jesus-Christ is the Savior of mankind. It thus does not seem reasonable but God, when he starts
to spread the blessings of the Kingdom on earth, will extend to such people his first favors. That is not in conformity with the Scriptures
that show, on the contrary, that the current men called Jews will have a harder life during the reign of Christ than many people other
nationalities.”
Page 9: “The Jewish nation training the chosen people of God, Jesus addressed its preaching to them and offered
them the first occasion to belong to its Kingdom. But when they renounced Christ, God dispelled them, and since then, the Jews became
the enemies of God, because of their blindness.”
(On page 5, let us point out the use of the expression “Great merchants” with
capital letters, which corresponds to English “Big Business”. We will find this expression in the “Declaration of Facts” and in the
written letter to Hitler).
In short and to be retained:
1)Years 1870 to 1932, therefore during a long period of approximately
60 years, the Society taught many biblical texts in support that the Jews, according to the flesh achieved biblical prophecies and
would turn over to Palestine, according to the will of God.
2)From 1932, the Society accepted new revelations. The Jews did not
achieve biblical prophecies. On the contrary, they were most arrogant, masters of trade, and selfish. They did not even deserve to
be called Jew.
3)Most of the European Society goods were in
4)The year that follows 1932 is that of the installation of Hitler to power.
Chronology of the history of the Jehovah’s Witnesses under the German Nazi.
1933
• January 30: Hitler becomes chancellor of Reich.
• February 27: Reichstag fire.
• February 28: Presidential decree Van
Hindenburg declaring the state of emergency. Many political opponents to the regime are arrested.
• March 5: The Nazi party
wins the last democratic elections.
• In March: The Jehovah’s Witnesses adopt a less internationalist name for their legal entity:
Association of the German Bible Students of the North and Association of the German Bible Students of the South.
• April 7:
The Nazis pass the law on “the restoration of the civil service”, consequently not being able to do the Nazi Salute, many Jehovah’s
Witnesses lose their employment.
• From April 8 to 16: Testimony period for distribution of the Crisis booklet, two million
specimens distributed.
• April 10: The
• April 13: The
• April 18: The
• April 19:
The
• April 24: Occupation of the head office of
• April 27: The Watchtower society asks the American department to intervene. What it does: Restitution of the property
by the police force on April 29, and authorization granted to continue its activities in
• May 15: The
• May 17: The
• May 19: The
• June 9: Meeting of Gestapo with three Prussian ministries, two of Reich, and the representatives of the Roman Catholic
Church and Protestant women for the banning of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in Berlin.
• June 6: The
• June 24:
• June 25: A Jehovah’s Witnesses assembly is held in Willmersdorf
Tennis Hall of Berlin with between 5,000 and 7,000 participants. A Declaration of Facts is adopted with scruples by the assembly trying
to find a compromise with Hitler: A kind of non-aggression pact is proposed to him. The Nazis will ignore this declaration as well
as the Chancellor of Reich Letter that was also sent.
• June 28: The Nazis occupy the bethel of
• From August 21 to 24: A total of 65,189 kilos of Jehovah’s Witnesses books, booklets and Bibles are burned within the doors of
• August 28: Martin Harbeck, delegate for the president
of the Jehovah’s Witnesses of Europe Joseph Franklin Rutherford, wrote to the German Jehovah’s Witnesses to obey the authorities,
not to meet without authorization, nor to diffuse the prohibited Jehovah’s Witnesses writings. It seems to also claim that the German
Witnesses will again have the occasion to take part in the justification of the name of Jehovah only once in the
• September 12: After multiple diplomatic negotiations, the American embassy of
• September 29: Harbeck sends a petition to German president Von Hidenberg,
to Hitler and to the minister-president of
• November 1:
1934
• February 9: Joseph Rutherford writes a letter to
Adolf Hitler explaining that if it does not stop persecuting the Jehovah’s Witnesses ,
• March 25: The Jehovah’s Witnesses of the
• April
1: The English Golden age number of this date is devoted to persecutions in
• September
7-9: Assembly in Basle
1935
• April 1: The Watchtower Society is dissolved
in
Sources :
http://www.bible.ca/jw-hitler.htm#declarationtrost1943
http://www.info-sectes.org/tj/hitler.htm
http://www.tj-encyclopedie.org/D%C3%A9claration_de_faits_et_lettre_au_Chancelier_du_Reich