Nazi Protestant Church

[António Fragoeiro]

Hi, found some photos and information about a church in berlin called Martin Luther Church Memorial, it still has inside a bust of Adolf Hitler, an aryan jesus and statues of nazis soldiers.
Enjoy.
Cheers
Nuno

[António Fragoeiro]

Here are some more

[António Fragoeiro]

[johnhmcgary]

Nuno, I was stationed in Berlin for 2 years and never even heard about this, wish I had seen it. Thanks, John

[jagdhorn]

the "A" more than likley refer to Alpha and Omega. Note that the "O" follws where I thinkthe A" is. It refers to Jesus, not Adolf. It comes from Rev 22:13.

Remember too, many churches lost many parisoners, and the momuments to the fallow are commonly around and in churches. remember too, that the people who died were and are seen as fallen for the living. Many momuments are titled "For Us" (but in German of course!)

The German churches often have a WW1 momument, often it is older thanthe WW2, and hte WW2 is an add-on,a horribly long add on.

Remember too, in many many US churches, there are lists of men and women who went to war and died.

I have visited lots and lots of village churches, and I have almost always stopped at WW1/2 momuments and said a short prayer for the fallen. I do it for the fallen of any war. These momuments are still very much visited,a nd I don'treally see any thing odd or really wrong withthis churches decorations.
And, I am a protestant pastor, and not at all sympathetic to the Nazi party or what they did to Europe.
Jagdhorn

[jagdhorn]

oh, one more note- the iconology of the ayarian jesus- I don't see it, itlooks a lot like the jesus's I see all over Protestant (white) churches. It looks a lot like the copy of the oil painting from the 1950. which until fairly recently was hanging in the front of the church I serve in.

the statue of a man with a cap in his hand. Maybe Adolf, but it could equally be a generic soldier holdings his M43 Muetze.
As for a German soldier following Christ, Many Germans would say that what their soldiers went through- Verdun, Somme, Stalingrad, regardless of hte politics, saw them suffer as Christ did. This may be open to dispute, but there was lots of suffering,a nd no one likes to think their suffering was with out meaning.
Jagdhorn

[shuggymac1]

Hi Jgdhorn, Nuno is correct in his comments.
See link here, I believe the Hitler statue in Nuno's photo is the one that has now been removed from the pulpit.

Priests plan jumble sales to help save Nazi church for posterity | European Football - Times Online

[Walkwolf]

I too believe the "A" really stands for 'Alpha' and not for 'Adolf', even if the relief
wood carving in the church is or has been identified as Adolf Hitler.


Alpha and Omega - The Beginning and the End.......

[SteveR]

To deny the churchs existance would be absurd. To remove the art work representing the common people would be foolish also.
It is in a bauhaus style designed building. The Nazis condemmed the bauhaus movement and banned the types of work from that school so it is a brick and mortar oxymoron so to speak.
The sculpture that could be said is Hitler has been removed as well as the swastikas that is well and good. Hitler and the Nazis brought down a horrendous buttkicken on the German people and I can understand why they are sensitive about that.

An example of Bauhaus style would be the first building with a glass facade was a Bauhause design. All of the glass covered buildings you see in large cities today evolved from the Bauhaus School of Art.
Steve

[cricketchris1944]

I never knew of this,very interresting.