EAST GERMAN COMMUNISTS FIGHT RELIGION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-02771R000100300029-4
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 3, 1998
• Sequence Number: 29
• Publication Date: April 1, 1959
• Content Type: REPORT

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EAST GERMAN COMMUNISTS FIGHT RELIGION
April 1959
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EAST GERMAN COMMUNISTS FIGHT RELIGION
The Communist state of East; Germany is engaged in a war
of attrition against the powerful Evangelical Church and its
16 million members.
Faithful to the precepts of Communism that Christianity
must be wiped out as rapidly as possible in order to make way
for the materialistic order ordained by Marx-Leninism, the
Pankow regime is keeping up a relentless pressure on the church
in the Eastern zone.
However, despite their desire to see the end of religious
morality as rapidly as possible, the Communists are fully
aware that the Evangelical Church is a powerful element that
cannot be dismissed summarily.
The Evangelical Church is a closely knit organization
because it developed organized resistance during the Nazi period
and it opposed Hitler's efforts to make the churches amenable
to totalitarian rule. Thus, in 19L1-5, the Evangelical and
Catholic Churches turned out to be the only public institutions
functioning with popular support in. Germany.
In its present struggle with the Communists the Evangeli-
cals have been doing everything possible to maintain the illu-
sion that they are members of an All-German Church and that
the dividing line between the West and East does not exist.
However, in practice, Bishop Dibelius, head of the All-German
Evangelical Church, has little influence in the East and is
not even allowed to visit the eastern parts of his diocese.
Since the end of the war, although the Church has been
undeniably weakened in some aspects of its activity, it still
remains a force in Eastern Germany and will likely continue
to be so for some time.
For this reason, the Communists have had to proceed with
caution, employing a sweet and sour tactic by putting on a
show of seeming reason and amiability and then following it
up with a show of ruthlessness.
Broadcasting over the West Berlin radio on the situation
of the Church in East Germany during 1958, Bishop Dibelius
declared that "by and large, the picture is unchanged." There
had been some slight relaxation in Church-State relations
after the uncompromising hostility shown by the regime during
the first half of the year, the Bishop said, but the regime's
determination to bring about a radical transformation of the
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population's mentality and way of life was evidently unchanged.
With uncompromising persistence they are trying to transform
men's minds, to make men abandon their Christian faith and
adopt the materialist view of life. This aim is pursued from
the kindergarten onwards, through the ruthlessly enforced
Jugendweihe (Communist youth initiation ceremony) and through-
out life." Life is bitter and painful for all those who ques-
tion the State's right to transform their minds, the Bishop
concluded, since open resistance in a totalitarian State is
extremely hazardous. Moreover, there is always the threatening
presence of the Soviet troops to be reckoned with.
Atheism the Keynote
There can be absolutely no doubt about the basic atheism
that underlies the intentions of the East German regime.
While East German Government spokesmen frequently claim
that the State does not interfere in matters which are the
concern of the churches, it remains a fact that their teach-
ings are constantly under attack. Gerhart Eisler, a leading
propagandist, has openly attacked the Ten Commandments, for
example. Writing in the Communist youth newspaper Jun e Welt
on October 11, 1958, he declared that only a Socialist ociety
can proclaim the moral principles of doing away with the exploit-
ation of man by man. As for the Ten Commandments, we deny
their so-called supernatural Divine origin and we can prove it
scientifically. The Ten Commandments are no obstacle to the
criminal policy of the imperialists."
One of the clearest expositions of how the State feels
about the Church emanates from the pen of Kurt Hager, formerly
head of the Agitation and Propaganda Department of the East
German Communist Party (SED) and now professor of Dialectical
Materialism at Humboldt University. In an article in Einheit,
the monthly theoretical organ of the SED, Hager wrote:
The founders of Marxism-Leninism always
pursued an implacable war against idealistic and
religious views. In our struggle against imperi-
alism and militarism it is essential to unmask
relentlessly all the devices of idealism ...and to
propagate widely materialist ideas. Marxism, how-
ever, does not take the view that idealism and
religion can be abolished simply by the dissem-
ination of scientific knowledge. The complete
overcoming of religion can only be achieved by
the final destruction of the social order of the
exploiters and the establishment of the Communist
society. The realization of Socialism and Commu-
nism will destroy the material roots which nourish
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religious beliefs ...(but) long after capitalism
has been destroyed, religious attitudes remain which
cannot be thrust aside by force or administrative
measures. From this emerge important conclusions
for our practical work.
The first and fundamental task of our Party
is not the struggle against religion, but the win-
ning over of religious believers to the struggle
for the maintenance and securing of peace against
the American and Bonn war policy and for the demo-
cratic reunification of Germany, for active parti-
cipation in the peaceful work of all peace-loving
peoples--above all with the peoples of the Soviet
Union. This. campaign is in the interests of Chris-
tian people. We place in, the foreground the things
which unite us rather than the things which divide--
the need to win over all Christian workers to coop-
erate in solving the vital problems of the German
people and the erection of the foundation of Social-
ism in the German Democratic Republic."
Hager explains the sporadic! character of the onslaught on
religion in East Germany when he pointed out that while popular
scientific propaganda must be increased, this must be done
-"patiently and without offending the feelings of religious be-
lievers." Among these directives on tolerance and gentle per-
suasion, there is a warning to the leaders of the Church: "We
cannot silently pass over the reactionary machinations of the
leaders of the Evangelical and Catholic Churches who support
the policy of Adenauer, the policy of remilitarization, of re-
venge, of chauvinism and who use the Church in the GDR as a base
for imperialist forces."
The article sums up the policy of the East German regime
towards the Church and explains much that seems contradictory
in it. Basically, it is anti-relijr;ious and aims to destroy
religious beliefs. But, for political reasons to further the
aim of extending the Communist regime to the whole of Germany,
the struggle against religion is to be subdued. In this manner
it is hoped to win the support of practicing Christians in East
Germany for a united Communist German State and to keep up an
appropriate facade for policy consumption.
Because of this there is no doubt that the Pankow regime
would like to have the full support of influential leaders such
as Bishop Dibelius. But since thin is impossible, they seek to
discredit the leaders of the Church by representing them as
"tools of American and Bonn imperialism and militarism."
One fact emerges very clearly from the record of Church-
State relations in East Germany since the end of the war. The
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Communist regime has found virtually no support for its doctrines
or policies among the leaders of the Evangelical Church, in
contrast with the situation in some East European countries.
The very few so-called "progressive Christians" in East Germany
have no importance within the Church and so little outside it
that, for example, Neue Zeit organ of the East German Chris-
tian Democratic Union, alto depend upon members of the Polish
PAX Movement for contributions expounding ""progressive Chris-
tian" views.
The Evangelical bishops have repeatedly stressed that the
Church does not wish to be a political resistance movement or to
do anything which would link it with any political tendency.
But they insist that the Church cannot disregard the duty of
challenging "false scientific concepts which lead to confusion
of conscience" and of refuting "theoretical and practical athe-
ism."
Since the fall of 1955, considerable pressure has been
brought to bear upon the leaders of the Church to give a declar-
ation of loyalty to the State. But they have made it clear
that while they are prepared to respect the State "as a reality,"
they will not give unqualified-endorsement to all the policies
of the regime that a formal declaration would imply.
The Communist view on this has been succinctly expressed
by Vice President Zaisser of the Soviet Home Affairs Administra-
tion in Germany in these words:
"The Church has allowed itself to be utilized
as the trumpet of Western imperialism. There is
still room in the concentration cams of the Soviet
Zone for these celestial comedians.
In such a State it can cause no surprise that the Communist
newspaper Neues Deutschland published on Christmas Eve an obscene
parody of t h e wo 6 af~ meacarol, "Silent Night, Holy Night,"
which said:
"Silent night, peace on earth and good
will towards men. Why not? But whose was the
kingdom, the power and the glory so far? an
has longed for a star of Bethlehem, but the star
remained pale and remote.... Peace on earth in
this age is guaranteed by a new star, a star made
by man himself, red and five-pointed."
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Tactical Harassment
Throughout the years the East German regime has made
countless efforts to harass the Church, to weaken it financially,
to lampoon its tenets, to defame its leaders and to attempt to
make it look ridiculous, particularly in the eyes of the youth
of the country.
The long-range policy of the government is to seek to starve
out the churches by limiting the training of new clergy, while
forbidding them from bringing in reinforcements from outside.
The Catholic Church, with some two million members in the East
Zone, is already desperately short of priests and nuns to carry
on its work and if the Soviet power continues in control the
churches may gradually shrink in size and influence.
Although the Communists have not yet dared to declare open
warfare on the powerful churches, they have borne down hard on
some of the smaller ones. The Christian Scientists and Jehovah'-s
Witnesses have been banned. Neither, however, was banned on
purely religious grounds. The Christian Scientists fell under a
"Law Concerning Natural Healers," while the Witnesses were tried
for "warmongering, espionage and boycotting democratic institu-
tions." They had boycotted the spurious Stockholm "peace" appeal
and the equally phony elections. Their belief in the coming end
of the world makes them "saboteurs of reconstruction" under Com-
munist law. Some 600 Witnesses are believed to be in prison,
some with sentences ranging to life.
Communist harassing operations against the Protestant and
Catholic churches have been directed chiefly against their sol-
vency and the training of clergymen., Although church property
rights have been officially recognized, the churches have been
prevented by a variety of expedients from gaining adequate finan-
cial returns from their holdings. The restitution of church
property confiscated by the Hitlerians was virtually negated by
administrative obstacles. Although the churches were formally
exempted from the operation of the land reform program, lands to
which the church had no clear title, or which were held in hered-
itary tenure, were taken over.
The right of the churches to tax their members has not been
formally forbidden, but since 1950 the churches have had to make
the collections themselves, although traditionally this has al-
ways been done by the State which then remitted the monies to
the ecclesiastical authorities. The churches have been hampered
in making the collections by a total lack of access to public
records. There probably has been a reduction of some 50 per-
cent in church revenues through these and other financial har-
assments.
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The heaviest financial blow to the religious organizations
came at the time of the currency exchange in 1948. Although
State-approved organizations were able to exchange old East
marks for new ones on a one-for-one basis, the churches were
allowed to exchange only on a one-for-ten basis. This measure
eliminated 90 percent of the financial resources of the church.
In addition, debts contracted in the old currency had to be
paid off in the new currency on a one-for-one basis.
The church also finds it difficult to get financial aid
from Western Germany. GDR regulations allow conversion of
West marks into East marks only on a one-for-one basis, whereas
the actual value of the currency is about four and one-half
East marks to one West mark.
Church collections also have been restricted by the authori-
ties. While formerly church groups could make house-to-house
canvasses and solicit funds in public places, they may now
solicit funds only on the street and at church. These collec-
tions must be sanctioned by the civil authorities who only per-
mit them about three times a year. Each permit is only good
for four days and as an added harassment the permits are never
granted in the months of good weather, but only in the fall
and winter.
Harassment has also taken the form of a series of attacks
on different institutions such as church schools, kindergartens,
hospitals, homes for orphans and the aged and the Railway
Missions. This has been done gradually and. during the anti-
church drive of 1952-1953 many church homes and orphanages were
taken over. In January 1956 a group of officials and social
workers of the Evangelical Railway Missions were arrested on
charges of "collecting information of military and economic
importance" and helping East German citizens to flee to the
West. They were eventually released, but of the former 97 rail-
way missions only half a dozen have been able to continue their
work.
Much the same thing has happened to the charitable organi-
zations known as the Evangelical Welfare Mission. Several of
its officials were arrested in July 1957 on charges of conspiring
with the organization's West German offices to kidnap East Ger-
man children. They were later released, but the organization's
work has been seriously hampered.
In June 1958 the East German Communists launched a series
of violent attacks on the management of an Evangelical children's
home in Pomerania and church officials feared that this was but
a beginning. The drive came only two weeks after the Communists
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in the region forced the Roman Catholic management of Saint
Joseph's home at Stralsund to turn over its 60 children to
a state-run institution. The home's license was revoked and
the teaching permits of the nuns were cancelled because they
allegedly failed to follow the "'socialist educational system."
At the same time another attack was launched on the Evan-
gelical home located at Grelfswald. Singled out as a special
campaign target was Dean Kusch, the home's director. He was
charged with failing in his supervisory duties, and the Communist
press added that "nothing else could be expected of this man
who at the recent Synod of the Evangelical Church had kept silent
on the atomic rearmament of West Germany." This remark indi-
cates the true reason for the attack which had nothing to do
with the way the home was run.
Continual Arrests
Barely a day goes by without the Communist press announ-
cing the arrest of some churchmen--Catholic as well as Protes-
tant--on some patently trumped-up charges. In February 1959,
11 Catholic laymen of Rathenow were sentenced by the Potsdam
District Court to terms of imprisonment of up to five years
on charges of "espionage camouflaged as Catholic activities."
As the Berlin Catholic journal Petrusblatt pointed out, it was
obvious that no witnesses were called a e trial and the de-
fendants were sentenced for having contact with an organization
which did not exist. Church protests that no Catholic organi-
zation such as that cited in the indictment existed were ignored.
Shortly after this came the trial of four Jesuit priests
who were sentenced to terms of imprisonment of up to five years
at hard. labor. This time the charge was the familiar Communist
one of "currency offenses," coupled with the accusation they
had helped people to flee the East German workers' paradise.
In the summer of 1958, Hugo Hermes, Catholic Chaplain of
Bad Koesen, was sentenced to 16 months in prison for the "unlaw-
ful possession" of theological books of West German origin and
for the stand he had taken against the Communist youth conse-
cration ceremony, known as the Jugendweihe. The case aroused
great indignation and on August 11 a crowd of over 4,000 Pro-
testants and Catholics gathered in Naumburg Cathedral to pro-
test. They were addressed by the Evangelical and Catholic
bishops and were told that when Hermes moved in the course of
his duties from West to East Germany, he had received official
permission to bring his books with him.
In December 1957 Protestant pastor Maercker of Pankow was
sentenced to two and one-half years in prison for urging his
sons not to join the People's Police. In the same month several
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church journals were confiscated and two pastors had to flee
for their lives to West Berlin.
In February 1958 Bishop Dibelius was banned from entering
East Germany which includes 90 percent of his Brandenburg diocese.
In April, the Ministry of Education forbade religious instruc-
tion in the schools and ordered two--week courses in dialectical
materialism instead in camps for children of pre-confirmation
age.
It is impossible to give more than a few illustrations of
such persecution since it is a daily occurrence and many scores
of pastors and priests are in East German jails on similar
charges. However, an analysis of anti-church manifestations
for 1955 shows there was a considerable tightening up. Church
newspapers were repeatedly confiscated, clergymen continued to
be arrested on spurious charges and school teachers were exhorted
to "take measures against the superstition of religion," while
food allocations were denied to confessional kindergartens.
A particularly distasteful example of Communist persecu-
tion tactics was reported in January 1959, when a young mother
in East Germany was deprived of her children because of her
religious beliefs. The Stralsund District Court had granted a
divorce to an official and awarded him the custody of the two
children of the marriage on political grounds. In a rider to
the decision, the Court declared that the wife had "brought up
these two young children on strictly religious principles. The
Court cannot approve of such upbringing as it gives no guarantee
of education in the spirit of democracy, socialism, patriotism
or international friendship." The Court also ordered the mother
to make monthly payments for the children's maintenance.
Youth the Target of Atheism
In the conflict of ideas between Church and State, the
main objective of the Communists is to estrange the youth of
the country from the religion of their fathers. In 1955 the
regime established an innovation called the Jugendweihe, a
substitute for church confirmation, in which the youngsters
pledge loyalty to the State, thus diverting their loyalties
into political channels.
Preparation for the Jugendweihe takes place in the last
few school weeks before Easter for boys and girls in their
eighth school year. The 25 hours of preparatory instruction
include lectures on science, the universe, the earth and its
peoplest alleged political aims, lectures on medicine and on
the human body. The festival itself is conducted in a festive
atmosphere. There are speeches, singing of national hymns
and finally the oath by the youngsters. The children are
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given a copy of a State-approved book, while the parents get
a bonus of 50 marks for each of their children participating.
The oath-taking goes in the following manner. The chil-
dren are addressed:
'Dear Young Friends--Are you prepared as faith-
ful sons and daughters of our State to work and to
fight for a happy life for the whole German people?
Are you prepared together with us to give all your
strength to the great and noble cause of socialism?
Are you prepared to work together for the friend-
ship of the peoples arid the Soviet people and all
men who love peace to insure and defend world
peace?"
After the children have promised this, the master of cere-
monies then says:
"We have accepted your promise. You have
set yourself an exalted and noble goal. You
have enrolled yourself in the host of missions
of men who are working and fighting for peace
and socialism. We solemnly receive you into the
community of all the workers in our German Demo-
cratic Republic and promise you support, protection
and help.*
The initial response of the Church was naturally a negative
one to this ceremony. A Bishops' Conference was held to discuss
the matter and shortly afterwards a letter was read from the
pulpit in which the position of the Church was defined. The
Church refused to accept the contention of the State that it
was permissible for a boy or girl to participate both in the
Jugendweihe and in a religious confirmation. It insisted that
church members must refuse the Jugendweihe on penalty of being
ejected from the Church.
At the beginning, the idea of the Jugendweihe was not very
popular and only a few children participated. The State then
began to exert pressure in various ways on the children and
their parents to ensure better results. In 1957-1958, for
example, children in SED holiday camps were told to write to
their parents asking permission to take part in the youth dedi-
cation ceremony. Each morning the names of those who had
obtained permission were read out and the others were urged to
follow their example.
When six-year-olds were admitted to school, their mothers
were asked if they would allow their children to take part in
youth dedication when they were older. If they answered in the
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affirmative, they were told that it would be better for the
child's future if he did not participate in religious educa-
tion. Despite these and other means--such as threats of econ-
omic reprisals against the fathers--no more than 10 percent of
eligible children took part in the pagan ceremonies.
Therefore, more drastic measures were adopted for the
1958 youth dedication year. The Party, mass organizations
(trade unions, youth organizations, etc.) and the departments
for education in the local council were all ordered to give
the fullest possible support to ensure dedication for all chil-
dren. The drive was launched by SED leader Walter Ulbricht him-
self in a speech opening the Dedication Year at Sonnenberg, in
Thuringia, on September 29. He bitterly attacked religious
training, declaring it was intolerable that the learning of
great inventors and scientists should be suppressed by "reac-
tionary false piety."
This strong official backing given to youth dedication
was directly contrary to the undertaking given to representa-
tives of the churches by Premier Grotewohl in December 1956,
when he assured them that youth dedication was to be a non-State
institution run on a purely voluntary basis. As a result, a
letter of protest was sent by the ecclesiastical authorities
to the government.
The protest was answered by Minister of the Interior Karl
Maron in a letter published in Neues Deutschland on November
19. He declared it was the "right an duty of the State to
support efforts to educate young people in the spirit of its
policy. Youth dedication, therefore, he said, had the "support
of all State organs and institutions and especially those con-
cerned with education."
As a result of all these pres.,,ures, the youth dedication
has been having greater success and in 1958 it was estimated
that 45-50 percent of the elementary school graduates took part
in the Jugendweihe. This compares with only about 15 percent
in 1955. In the face of this, the Church has been forced to
tone down its original interdict that participation in the State
ceremony automatically ruled out later church confirmation.
The Evangelical Church still regards the Jugendweihe as
paying at least lip service to atheism and hence a sin. But
realistic Bishop Dibelius and other church leaders in East Ger-
many have decided they must henceforth emphasize the Church's
readiness to forgive. Therefore, youngsters who submit to the
Red ceremonies, but repent of their action will be admitted to
confirmation at the discretion of the local pastor.
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Debelius has pointed out the gravity of the situation by
citing one East German town of 20,000 in which only three of
the 200 eligible children were confirmed while all the others
participated in youth dedication. "Obviously,'" said Dibelius,
"the Church is not simply going to write off these young people."
Communist pressure on parents is strongest in the indus-
trial areas where workers are sometimes reminded that they
might lose their jobs or apartments if their children do not go
through the Communistic ceremony. Usually, it is sufficient
for the Communists to point out that few students not so dedi-
cated have any chance of ever gaining admission to secondary
schools or universities. The Communists claim that 72.5 percent
of all eligible school children in East Germany are now regis-
tered for the Jugendweihe.
Parodies of Weddings and Christenings
In similar vein the Communists are trying to denigrate
the age-old Christian ceremonies of marriage and christening.
They are attempting to replace the "love, honor and obey" in
the marriage ceremony with a joint pledge by the couple to
"maintain socialist achievement."
According to Evangelische Welt, official organ of the
German Protestant Churc , the Communist regime is suggesting
that newlyweds exchange this vow:
"We pledge to maintain socialist achieve-
ment and increase the State power of workers and
peasants. We promise we will respect each other,
will help care for and help each other, will
help each other's professional and cultural dev-
elopment, will take our decisions jointly and
will be indissolubly true to each other."
The newspaper said that the formula had been adopted by the
town council of Stalinstadt, an East German industrial town,
and that it could be regarded as a model for other towns.
At the same time, the regime is attempting to eliminate
the christening ceremony. In a number of towns parents have
been visited by officials who offered a variety of inducements.
They were told, for instance, that if they agreed to a civil
naming.ceremony it would be given them free and that the child
would be given 100 marks ($224) to start a savings account.
Many needy families were offered financial aid for the child's
layette.
The Communist officials also explained to hesitant par-
ents that after the public ceremony, the State would not be
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opposed to the customary baptism. The first of these civil
ceremonies has already taken place in a number of Thuringian
towns. They were conducted with. great pomp in flower and. flag
decorated public buildings. Headed by the mayor, the name-giv-
ing ceremony was accompanied by speeches and music and singing
by children. It was reported the State provided transportation
for relatives and friends who otherwise would not have been
able to attend.
Relations Deteriorate
Relations between Church and State have deteriorated
considerably in the past year and the Church has declared that
it had. proved impossible to achieve normal relations with the
East German State authorities. The Council of the Evangelical
Church said it saw "to its sorrow," that the "oppression of
conscience and the obstacles to church life, especially in the
education of youth, continue."
The Council also confirmed that Prebendary Heinrich Grueber,
for nine years liaison representative to the government, had
resigned. The government refused to receive him on the pretext
that he was not a. citizen of East Germany, thus persisting in
its recent stand that it would negotiate only with churchmen
of East Germany and did not desire contact with such people as
Bishop Dibelius.
Bishop Dibelius confirmed on October 1958 what he termed
the frustration and oppression facing the Church in East Ger-
many. In a statement he declared that it was many decades since
propaganda designed to induce believers to leave the ranks of
the Church had been as strong as it was today, and that no
country in the world was exposed. to so extensive a propaganda
effort as was the Soviet Zone of Germany where atheist propa-
ganda is carried on "from house to house, from factory to
factory and from office to office."
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