The Holy Reich: Nazi Conceptions of Christianity, 1919-1945

To what extent is Christian doctrine accountable for Nazism and its historical legacy? In The Holy Reich, esteemed historian Richard Steigmann-Gall grapples with this question, and forces us to confront new and disturbing answers. Despite the popular belief that Nazi ideology rejected Christianity, many members of the Nazi elite - including SS Obergruppenfuehrer Dietrich Klagges, the prime minister of Brunswick, who made Hitler a German citizen - viewed themselves as good Christians. At the same time, prominent pastors praised the Nazi program, especially its antisemitism, but also its anti-marxism and anti-liberalism. In this penetrating argument, Steigmann-Gall demonstrates ideological bonds between Nazism and Christianity by exploring the political and religious views of key players on both sides. He delves deeply into the original sources to chart the personal religious feelings of Nazi leaders - including Goebbels, Goering and Hitler - and their supporters. Rejecting the common misconception that the Nazi elite suppressed Protestantism and Catholicism, he cites numerous cases in which Nazi party members enthusiastically embraced Christianity and often the clergy as well. A strong case is made throughout: instead of representing an assault on Christianity as such, he reveals how the Nazis' ideology fit within a Christian framework. The Christian God provided Hitler's henchmen with an understanding of Germany's "ills" and their "cure."