1935 REICHSGESETZBLATT, PART I, PAGE 1178
Law for the Safeguarding of the German Protestant Church of 24 September 1935
According to the will of the Protestant congregation the unification of the State Churches in a German Protestant Church has been accomplished and documented in a constitution.
Nevertheless, the Reich Cabinet has been obliged to observe with deep anxiety how a condition has later arisen through a conflict of church groups among and against each other, which destroys the unity of the congregation, prejudices the freedom of faith and conscience of the individual, harms the racial community [Volksgemeinschaft], and exposes to extreme dangers the stability of the Protestant Church itself.
The Reich Cabinet permeated by the desire to be able to turn over the regulation church which is internally settled, in accordance with its duty as a trustee, and in the knowledge that this task cannot be left to any of the conflicting groups.
To safeguard the stability of the German Protestant Church and to introduce an order which will enable the church to regulate its own questions of faith and creed in complete freedom and calm, has resolved upon the following law, which is hereby published. .
The Reich Minister for Church Affairs, in order to reestablish a settled state of affairs in the German Protestant Church and in the Protestant State Churches is empowered to issue decrees with the legally binding power. The decrees will be published in the Reichsgesetzblatt.
Munich, 24 September, 1935.
The Fuehrer and Reich Chancellor
Adolf Hitler
The Reich Minister for Church Affairs
Kerri
145
Law authorizing the Minister for Church Affairs (Kerrl) to issue decrees to resolve conflicts in the German Evangelical Church
Authors
Adolf Hitler (Fuehrer, Reich Chancellor, Supeme Commander of Wehrmacht)
Adolf Hitler
Austrian nationalized German politician, leader of the National Socialist party and dictator of Germany (1889-1945)
- Born: 1889-01-01 1889-04-20 (Braunau am Inn) (country: Austria-Hungary; located in the administrative territorial entity: Archduchy of Austria above the Enns; statement is subject of: Adolf-Hitler-Geburtshaus)
- Died: 1945-04-30 (Berlin Führerbunker) (country: Nazi Germany; located in the administrative territorial entity: Berlin; statement is subject of: death of Adolf Hitler)
- Country of citizenship: Cisleithania (period: 1889-04-20 through 1918-11-11); First Republic of Austria (period: 1919-01-01 through 1925-04-30); Nazi Germany (end cause: death of Adolf Hitler; period: 1933-01-30 through 1945-04-30); Republic of German-Austria (period: 1918-01-01 through 1919-01-01)
- Occupation: painter (statement is subject of: paintings by Adolf Hitler); political writer; politician (reason for preferred rank: generally used form); soldier
- Member of political party: German Workers' Party (period: 1919-09-12 through 1921-07-11); Nazi Party (series ordinal: 556)
- Member of: Nazi Party
- Participant in: Aktion T4; Beer Hall Putsch; The Holocaust; ethnic cleansing
- Significant person: Albert Speer; Benito Mussolini; Eva Braun; Joseph Stalin
Hanns Kerrl (Reich Minister for Church Affairs (1935-38); justice minister, Prussia (1933-34))
Hanns Kerrl
Nazi Minister for Religion (1887-1941)
- Born: 1887-12-11 (Fallersleben)
- Died: 1941-12-15 1941-12-12 (Paris)
- Country of citizenship: German Reich
- Occupation: politician
- Member of political party: Nazi Party
- Member of: Sturmabteilung
- Significant person: Paul Lindemann
- Position held: Member of Landtag of Prussia; member of the Reichstag of Nazi Germany; minister
Date: 24 September 1935
Literal Title: Law for the Safeguarding of the German Evangelical Church of 24 September 1935
Total Pages: 1
Language of Text: English
Source of Text: Nazi conspiracy and aggression (Office of United States Chief of Counsel for Prosecution of Axis Criminality. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Government Printing Office, 1946.)
Evidence Code: PS-3436
Citation: IMT (page 2248)
HLSL Item No.: 450485
Notes:For follow-up decrees, see documents PS 3437 and PS 3439. This document was entered for judicial notice without an exhibit number.