Georg Fritze’s Refusal to Swear the Hitler Oath


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Georg Fritze, a Confessing Church pastor in Cologne and a Religious Socialist, refused to swear the oath of allegiance and explained this at length to the Evangelical Consistory of the Rhine Province in a letter. He refused to subordinate the Gospel to Nazi aims. The head of finance department at the consistory consequently blocked payment of his salary. Fritze was relieved of his official duties effective immediately on October 17, 1938 and retired as of August 1, 1939. He died on January 3, 1939 as the result of a stroke.


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  • © Archiv der Ev. Kirche im Rheinland, Düsseldorf, Best. 51, Personalakte Georg Fritze

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