Highly Creative Nonconformity

Of all things, the German Christians’ magazine “Evangelium im Dritten Reich” is a rewarding source for a wide variety of examples of individual Christians’ nonconformity under National Socialism.

The magazine denounced ecclesio-political opponents, the moment German Christians felt that their activities were being disrupted in any way. Remarkable effort was put into also portraying ecclesio-political opponents as politically disloyal to the state or even as dangerous enemies of the state in order to denounce them to the Gestapo when possible.

The accusations against opponents sound downright banal in part. Sometimes, they also attest to the creativity of the individuals who resisted the German Christians’ actions, which were held to be presumptuous and even blasphemous.

Some examples of individual Christians’ nonconformity are refusing to fly any kind of flag at all and leaving flag poles empty once the traditional church flag was to be replaced by the swastika flag; removing a wreath from Nazi and SA formations before a war memorial in a church; leaving church early when the Horst Wessel Song was also supposed to be sung at the conclusion of German Christian ceremonies; or sticking one’s hands in the pockets of one’s pants when called upon to give the “Nazi Salute” at church ceremonies, too.