[Protestant churches in Germany 1935-1937]

The file contains several publications from members of the protestant church, as well as articles regarding the 'Kirchenkampf' ("church struggle") in the years of 1935 till 1937. Kirchenkampf is a German term pertaining to the situation of the Christian churches in Germany during the Nazi period (1933–1945). The articles point the internal dispute between the 'Deutsche Christen' (German Christians) and the 'Bekennende Kirche' (Confessing Church) out. Furthermore the over control of the Protestant churches is a topic in the articles, resulting to a dispute between the Nazi regime and the Protestant church bodies. One publication showing this disagreement is an open letter to Mr. Kerrl, 'Reichsminister für die kirchlichen Angelegenheiten' (Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs). The letter was written by Otto Dibelius, a German bishop of the Evangelical Church in Berlin-Brandenburg. In his open letter he is explaining why the protestant church is so important to Germany, why the freedom of religion is fundamental and that the Reichsminister Kerrl should let them follow their faith. Other publications show new regulation for the protestant churches and the struggle to work against the coordination with the 'Deutsch Evangelische Kirche' (German Evangelical Church), also discribed as the Protestant 'Reich Church'. As it was a unified state church of some German Protestant regional churches that espoused a single doctrine compatible with National Socialism.