dtufail/nuremberg-trials-corpus huggingface dataset:
instruction in Czech schools was suppressed. Most of the weeklies and monthlies which the Catholics had published in Czechoslovakia, had been suppressed from the very beginning of the occupation. The Catholic gymnastic organization "Orel" with 800,000 members was dissolved and its property was confiscated. To a great extent Catholic church property was seized for the benefit of the Reich. "(b) Czechoslovak National Church. "* * * The Czechoslovak Church in Slovakia was entirely prohibited and its property confiscated under German compulsion in 1940. It has been allowed to exist in Bohemia and Moravia but in a crippled form under the name of the Czecho-Moravian Church. "(c) Protestant Churches. "The Protestant Churches were deprived of the freedom to preach the gospel. German secret state police watched closely whether the clergy observed the restrictions imposed on it. * * * Some passages from the Bible were not allowed to be read in public at all. * * * "* * * Church leaders were especially persecuted, scores of ministers were imprisoned in concentration camps, among them the General Secretary of the Students' Christian Movement in Czechoslovakia. One of the Vice-Presidents was executed. "Protestant Institutions such as the YMCA and YWCA were suppressed throughout the country. "The leading Theological School for all Evangelical denominations, HUS Faculty in Prague and all other Protestant training schools for the ministry were closed down in November 1939, with the other Czech universities and colleges. "(d) Czech Orthodox Church. "The hardest blow was directed against the Czech Orthodox Church. The Orthodox churches in Czechoslovakia were ordered by the Berlin Ministry of Church Affairs to leave the Pontificat of Belgrade and Constantinople respectively and to become subordinate to the Berlin Bishop. The Czech Bishop Gorazd was executed together with two other priests of the Orthodox Church. By a special order of the Protector Daluege, issued in September 1942, the Orthodox Church of Serbian Constantinople jurisdiction was completely dissolved in the Czech lands, its religious activity forbidden and its property confiscated. "All Evangelical education was handed over to the civil authorities and many Evangelical
order of the Protector Daluege, issued in September 1942, the Orthodox Church of Serbian Constantinople jurisdiction was completely dissolved in the Czech lands, its religious activity forbidden and its property confiscated. "All Evangelical education was handed over to the civil authorities and many Evangelical teachers lost their employment; moreover the State grant to salaries of many Evangelical priests was taken away." (998-PS) (3) In Poland. The repressive measures levelled against the Christian Church in Poland where Hans Frank was Governor-General from 1939 to 1945, were even more drastic and sweeping. In protest against the systematic strangulation of religion, the Vatican, on 8 October 1942, addressed a memorandum to the German Embassy accredited to the Holy See in which the Secretariat of State emphasized the fact that despite previous protests to the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Reich, von Ribbentrop, the religious condition of the Catholics in the Warthegau "has become even sadder and more tragic." This memorandum states: "For quite a long time the religious situation in the Warthegau gives cause for very grave and ever increasing anxiety. There, in fact, the Episcopate has been little by little almost completely eliminated; the secular and regular clergy have been reduced to proportions that are absolutely inadequate, because they have been in large part deported and exiled; the education of clerics has been forbidden; the Catholic education of youth is meeting with the greatest opposition; the nuns have been dispersed; insurmountable obstacles have been put in the way of affording people the helps of religions; very many churches have been closed; Catholic intellectual and charitable institutions have been destroyed; ecclesiastical property has been seized." (3263-PS) On 18 November 1942 the Papal Secretary of State requested the Archbishop of Breslau, Cardinal Bertram, to use every effort to assist Polish Catholic workers transferred to Germany, who were being deprived of the consolations of religion. In addition, he again appealed for help for the Polish priests detained in various concentration camps, whose death rate was "still on the increase." (3265-PS). On 7 December 1942 the Cardinal Archbishop of Breslau replied that all
to Germany, who were being deprived of the consolations of religion. In addition, he again appealed for help for the Polish priests detained in various concentration camps, whose death rate was "still on the increase." (3265-PS). On 7 December 1942 the Cardinal Archbishop of Breslau replied that all possible efforts were being put forward by the German Bishops without success on behalf of the victims of concentration camps and labor battalions, and deplored "the intolerable decrees" against religious ministration to Poles. (3266-PS) On 2 March 1943, the Cardinal Secretary of State addressed a note to von Ribbentrop, Reichsminister for Foreign Affairs, in which the violations of religious rights and conscience among the civilian population of Poland were set out in detail, and the time, locality, and character of the persecutions were specified. Priests and Ecclesiastics were still being arrested, thrust into concentration camps, and treated with scorn and derision, while many had been summarily executed. Religious instruction was hampered; Catholic schools were closed; the use of the Polish language in sacred functions and even in the Sacrament of Penance was forbidden. Even the natural right of marriage was denied to men of Polish nationality under 28 years of age to women under 25. In the territory called "General Government" similar conditions existed and against these the Holy See vigorously protested. To save the harassed and persecuted leaders of the Catholic Church, the Vatican had petitioned that they be allowed to emigrate to neutral countries of Europe or America. The only concession made was that they would all be collected in one concentration camp-Dachau. (3264-PS) The Nazi conspirators adopted a dilatory and obstructionist policy toward complaints as to religious affairs in the overrun territories, and a decision was "taken by those competent to do so. * * * that no further consideration will be taken of proposals or requests concerning the territories which do not belong to the Old Reich." (3262-PS) "Those competent" to make decisions on complaints as to religious affairs in the overrun territories-especially the Party Chancery, headed by Bormann-the methods they used, and the reasons for their attitude
be taken of proposals or requests concerning the territories which do not belong to the Old Reich." (3262-PS) "Those competent" to make decisions on complaints as to religious affairs in the overrun territories-especially the Party Chancery, headed by Bormann-the methods they used, and the reasons for their attitude are outlined by the Cardinal Archbishop of Breslau, a German living in Germany, in a letter to the Papal Secretary of State on 7 December 1942 as follows: "Your Eminence knows very well the greatest difficulty in the way of opening negotiations comes from the overruling authority which the "national Socialist Party Chancery" (Kanzlei der Nazional-sozialistischen Partei, known as the Partei-Kanzlei) exercises in relation to the Chancery of the Reich (Reichskanzlei) and to the single Reich Ministries. This 'Parteikanzlei' directs the course to be followed by the State, whereas the Ministries and the Chancery of the Reich are obliged and compelled to adjust their decrees to these directions. Besides, there is the fact that the "Supreme Office for the Security of the Reich" called the 'Reichssicherheitshauptamt' enjoys an authority which precludes all legal action and all appeals. Under it are the 'Secret Offices for Public Security' called 'Geheime Staatspolizei' (a title shortened usually to Gestapo) of which there is one for each Province. Against the decrees of this Central Office (Reichssicherheitshauptamt) and of the Secret Offices (Geheime Staatspolizei) there is no appeal through the Courts, and no complaint made to the Ministries has any effect. not infrequently the Councillors of the Ministries suggest that they have not been able to do as they would wish to, because of the opposition of these Party offices. As far as the executive power is concerned, the organization called the SS, that is Schutzstaffeln der Partei, is in practice supreme. "This hastily sketched interrelation of authorities is the reason why many of the petitions and protests made by the Bishops to the Ministries have been foiled. Even if we present our complaints to the so-called Supreme Security Office, there is rarely any reply; and when there is, it is negative. "On a number of very grave and fundamental issues
of authorities is the reason why many of the petitions and protests made by the Bishops to the Ministries have been foiled. Even if we present our complaints to the so-called Supreme Security Office, there is rarely any reply; and when there is, it is negative. "On a number of very grave and fundamental issues we have also presented our complaints to the Supreme Leader of the Reich (Fuehrer). Either no answer is given, or it is apparently edited by the above-mentioned Party Chancery, which does not consider itself bound by the Concordat made with the Holy See." (3266-PS) The interchange of correspondence following the transmission of the above-described note of 2 March 1943 on the religious situation in the overrun Polish Provinces illustrates the same evasive tactics. (3269-PS) In his Allocution to the Sacred College, on 2 June 1945, His Holiness Pope Pius XII recalled, by way of example, "some details from the abundant accounts which have reached us from priests and laymen who were interned in the concentration camp at Dachau": "In the forefront, for the number and harshness of the treatment meted out to them, are the Polish priests. From 1940 to 1945, 2,800 Polish ecclesiastics and religious were imprisoned in that camp; among them was the Auxiliary bishop of Wloclawek, who died there of typhus. In April last there were left only 816, all the others being dead except for two or three transferred to another camp. In the summer of 1942, 480 German-speaking ministers of religion were known to be gathered there; of these, 45 were Protestants, all the others Catholic priests. In spite of the continuous inflow of new internees, especially from some dioceses of Bavaria, Rhenania and Westphalia, their number, as a result of the high rate of mortality, at the beginning of this year, did not surpass 350. Nor should we pass over in silence those belonging to occupied territories, Holland, Belgium, France (among whom the Bishop of Clermont), Luxembourg, Slovenia, Italy. Many of those priests and laymen endured indescribable sufferings for their faith and for their vocation. In one case the hatred of the impious against Christ reached the point of parodying on the person of an interned priest, with barbed wire, the scourging and the crowning with thorns of our Redeemer." (3268-PS)
Italy. Many of those priests and laymen endured indescribable sufferings for their faith and for their vocation. In one case the hatred of the impious against Christ reached the point of parodying on the person of an interned priest, with barbed wire, the scourging and the crowning with thorns of our Redeemer." (3268-PS) Further revealing figures on the persecution of Polish priests are contained in the following extract from Charge No. 17 against Hans Frank, Governor-General of Poland, submitted by the Polish Government, entitled "Maltreatment and Persecution of the Catholic Clergy in the Western Provinces": "IV. GENERAL CONDITIONS AND RESULTS OF THE PERSECUTION 11. The general situation of the clergy in the Archdiocese of Poznan in the beginning of April 1940 is summarized in the following words of Cardinal Hlond's second report: '5 priests shot 27 priests confined in harsh concentration camps at Stutthof and in other camps 190 priests in prison or in concentration camps at Bruczkow, Chludowo, Goruszki, Kazimierz, Biskupi, Lad, Lubin and Puszczykowo, 35 priests expelled into the Government General, 11 priests seriously ill in consequence of ill-treatment, 122 parishes entirely left without priests.' 12. In the diocese of Chefmno, where about 650 priests were installed before the war only 3% were allowed to stay, the 97% of them were imprisoned, executed or put into concentration camps. 13. By January 1941 about 7000 priests were killed, 3000 were in prison or concentration camps." (3279-PS) The Allocution of Pope Pius XII on 2 June 1945 described National Socialism as "the arrogant apostasy from Jesus Christ, the denial of His doctrine and of His Work of redemption, the cult of violence, the idolatry of race and blood, the overthrow of human liberty and dignity." It summarized the attacks of "National Socialism" on the Catholic Church in these terms: "The struggle against the Church did, in fact, become even more bitter: there was the dissolution of Catholic organizations; the gradual suppression of the flourishing Catholic schools, both public and private; the enforced weaning of youth from family and Church; the pressure brought to bear on the conscience of citizens, and especially of civil
Church did, in fact, become even more bitter: there was the dissolution of Catholic organizations; the gradual suppression of the flourishing Catholic schools, both public and private; the enforced weaning of youth from family and Church; the pressure brought to bear on the conscience of citizens, and especially of civil servants; the systematic defamation, by means of a clever, closely-organized propaganda, of the Church, the clergy, the faithful, the Church's institutions, teaching and history; the closing, dissolution, confiscation of religious houses and other ecclesiastical institutions; the complete suppression of the Catholic press and publishing houses." (3268-PS) LEGAL REFERENCES AND LIST OF DOCUMENTS RELATING TO SUPPRESSION OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES DocumentDescriptionVol.Page Charter of the International Military Tribunal, Article 6, especially 6 (a, c)....I5 International Military Tribunal, Indictment Number 1, Sections IV (D) 3 (c) (2, 3); X (B)...I20,55 Note: A single asterisk (*) before a document indicates that the document was received in evidence at the Nurnberg trial. A double asterisk (*) before a document number indicates that the document was referred to during the trial but was not formally received in evidence, for the reason given in parentheses following the description of the document. The USA series number, given in parentheses following the description of the document, is the official exhibit number assigned by the court. *064-PSBormann's letter to Rosenberg, 27 September 1940, enclosing letter from Gauleiter Florian criticizing Churches and publications for soldiers. (USA 359)....III109 *068-PSLetter from Bormann to Rosenberg, 5 April 1940, enclosing copy of Bormann's letter to the High Command of Navy, and copy of Navy High Command letter to Bormann of 9 February 1940. (USA 726)....III114 *070-PSLetter of Deputy Fuehrer to Rosenberg, 25 April 1941, on substitution of National Socialist mottos for morning prayers in schools. (USA 349)....III118 *072-PSBormann letter to Rosenberg, 19 April 1941, concerning confiscation of property, especially of art treasures in the East. (USA 357)....III122 *089-PSLetter from Bormann to Rosenberg, 8 March 1940, instructing Amann not to issue further
National Socialist mottos for morning prayers in schools. (USA 349)....III118 *072-PSBormann letter to Rosenberg, 19 April 1941, concerning confiscation of property, especially of art treasures in the East. (USA 357)....III122 *089-PSLetter from Bormann to Rosenberg, 8 March 1940, instructing Amann not to issue further newsprint to confessional newspapers. (USA 360)....III147 *098-PSBormann's letter to Rosenberg, 22 February 1940, urging creation of National Socialist Catechism, etc. to provide moral foundation for NS religion. (USA 350)....III152 *100-PSBormann's letter to Rosenberg, 18 January 1940, urging preparation of National Socialist reading material to replace Christian literature for soldiers. (USA 691)...III160 *101-PSLetter from Hess' office signed Bormann to Rosenberg, 17 January 1940, concerning undesirability of religious literature for members of the Wehrmacht. (USA 361)...III160 *107-PSCircular letter signed Bormann, 17 June 1938, enclosing directions prohibiting participation of Reichsarbeitsdienst in religious celebrations. (USA 351)...III162 *116-PSBormann's letter to Rosenberg, enclosing copy of letter, 24 January 1939, to Minister of Education requesting restriction or elimination of theological faculties. (USA 685)...III165 *122-PSBormann's letter to Rosenberg, 17 April 1939, enclosing copy of Minister of Education letter, 6 April 1939, on elimination of theological faculties in various universities. (USA 362)....III173 *129-PSLetter from Kerrl to Herr Stapol, 6 September 1939, found in Rosenberg files. (USA 727)....III179 *840-PSParty Directive, 14 July 1939, making clergy and theology students ineligible for Party membership. (USA 355)....III606 *848-PSGestapo telegram from Berlin to Nurnberg, 24 July 1938, dealing with demonstrations against Bishop Sproll in Rottenburg. (USA 385)....III613 *849-PSLetter from Kerrl to Minister of State, 23 July 1938, with enclosures dealing with persecution of Bishop Sproll. (USA 354)....III614 *998-PS"German Crimes Against Czechoslovakia". Excerpts from Czechoslovak Official Report for the prosecution and trial of the German Major War Criminals by the International Military Tribunal established according to Agreement of four Great Powers of 8 August 1945. (USA 91)....III656 *1164-PSSecret letter, 21 April 1942, from SS
Against Czechoslovakia". Excerpts from Czechoslovak Official Report for the prosecution and trial of the German Major War Criminals by the International Military Tribunal established according to Agreement of four Great Powers of 8 August 1945. (USA 91)....III656 *1164-PSSecret letter, 21 April 1942, from SS to all concentration camp commanders concerning treatment of priests. (USA 736)....III820 *1458-PSThe Hitler Youth by Baldur von Schirach, Leipzig, 1934. (USA 667)....IV22 *1481-PSGestapoorder, 20 January 1938, dissolving and confiscating property of Catholic Youth Women's Organization in Bavaria. (USA 737)......IV50 *1482-PSSecret letter, 20 July 1933 to provincial governments and the Prussian Gestapo from Frick, concerning Confessional Youth Organizations. (USA 738)......IV51 *1498-PSOrder of Frick, 6 November 1934, addressed inter alios to Prussian Gestapo prohibiting publication of Protestant Church announcements. (USA 739)...IV52 *1521-PSReport from the Bavarian Political Police to the Gestapo, Berlin, 24 August 1934, concerning National mourning on occasion of death of von Hindenburg. (USA 740)...IV75 *1708-PSThe Program of the NSDAP. National Socialistic Yearbook, 1941, p. 153. (USA 255; USA 324)...IV208 *1815-PSDocuments on RSHA meeting concerning the study and treatment of church politics. (USA 510)....IV415 1855-PSExtract from Organization Book of the NSDAP, 1937, p. 418...IV495 *1997-PSDecree of the Fuehrer, 17 July 1941, concerning administration of Newly Occupied Eastern Territories. (USA 319)....IV634 *2349-PSExtracts from "The Myth of 20th Century" by Alfred Rosenberg, 1941. (USA 352).....IV1069 2351-PSSpeech of Rosenberg, 7 March 1937, from The Archive, Vol. 34-36, p. 1716, published in Berlin, March 1937....IV1070 2352-PSSpeech of Kerrl, 27 November 1937, from The Archive, Vol. 43-45, p. 1029, published in Berlin, November 1937....IV1071 2403-PSThe End of the Party State, from Documents of German Politics, Vol. I, pp. 55-56....V71 2456-PSYouth and the Church, from Complete Handbook of Youth Laws....V198 *2851-PSStatement by Rosenberg of positions held, 9 November 1945. (USA 6)....V512 *2910-PSCertificate of defendant Seyss-Inquart, 10 November 1945. (USA 17)....V579 *2928-PSAffidavit of Mathias Lex, deputy president of the German Shoemakers Union. (USA
the Church, from Complete Handbook of Youth Laws....V198 *2851-PSStatement by Rosenberg of positions held, 9 November 1945. (USA 6)....V512 *2910-PSCertificate of defendant Seyss-Inquart, 10 November 1945. (USA 17)....V579 *2928-PSAffidavit of Mathias Lex, deputy president of the German Shoemakers Union. (USA 239)....V594 *2972-PSList of appointments held by von Neurath, 17 November 1945. (USA 19)....V679 *2973-PSStatement by von Schirach concerning positions held. (USA 14)....V679 *2978-PSFrick's statement of offices and positions, 14 November 1945. (USA 8)....V683 *2979-PSAffidavit by Hans Frank, 15 November 1945, concerning positions held. (USA 7)....V684 *3261-PSVerbal note of the Secretariate of State of His Holiness, to the German Embassy, 18 January 1942. (USA 568)....V1009 3262-PSReport of His Excellency, the Most Reverend Cesare Orsenigo, Papal Nuncio in Germany to His Eminence the Cardinal Secretary of State to His Holiness, 27 June 1942.....V1015 *3263-PSMemorandum of Secretariate of State to German Embassy regarding the situation in the Warthegau, 8 October 1942. (USA 571)....V1017 *3264-PSNote of His Eminence the Cardinal Secretary of State to Foreign Minister of Reich about religious situation in Warthegau and in other Polish provinces subject to Germany, 2 March 1943. (USA 572).....V1018 3265-PSLetter to His Eminence the Cardinal Secretary of State to the Cardinal Archbishop of Breslau, 18 November 1942....V1029 *3266-PSLetter of Cardinal Bertram, Archbishop of Breslau to the Papal Secretary of State, 7 December 1942. (USA 573)....V1031 3267-PSVerbal note of German Embassy to Holy See to the Secretariate of State of His Holiness, 29 August 1941.....V1037 *3268-PSAllocution of His Holiness Pope Pius XII, to the Sacred College, 2 June 1945. (USA 356)....V1038 3269-PSCorrespondence between the Holy See, the Apostolic Nuncio in Berlin, and the defendant von Ribbentrop, Reich Minister of Foreign Affairs.....V1041 3272-PSStatement of Rupert Mayer, 13 October 1945.....V1061 3273-PSStatement of Lutheran Pastor, Friedrich Kaufmann, Salzburg, 23 October 1945.....V1064 *3274-PSPastoral letter of Austrian Bishops read in all churches, 14 October 1945. (USA 570)....V1067 *3278-PSReport on fighting of National Socialism in