How Bonhoeffer, his wife, and brother-in-law opposed the Nazis

“German Conservatives orchestrated” Hitler’s rise to the chancellorship?. The NSDAP in free elections never won more than 33% of the popular vote, so Hitler’s rise to power was illegal. But conservatives? The party program is overtly socialist if modern socialists would take time to read and understand.

Thanks so much for bringing this article to our attention. When I was young, and visiting my father’s German family, we would always pray for Martin Niemoller. Years later, investigating his life, I discovered Dietrich B. The dvd, “Bonhoeffer” is very enlightening because it features Eberhardt Bethge, alive at the time, DBs closest friend and cofounder of the seminary they started (in the heart of Nazi Germany). Another dvd, “Agent of Grace” is very good, and of course ther are his writings. He was not a “prvocateur” or activist really, but as he said Christ compelled him to act.

Mark @ 1 – One has to take into account that political terminology of “Left” and “Right” takes on different meanings when crossing borders. While there are certainly similarities, there are also substantial differences. The Right in Germany had much of its birth and direction in the policies of Bismarck, which were imbued with a quasi-socialist and nationalist character from the beginning. During WWI, it was the Rightists, i.e., the advocates of a strong state embodied in the monarchy, that instituted Kriegssozializmus, the experience of which conditioned much of the German electorate to vote for a socialism that was also conservative and nationalist. The argument in post-war (I) Germany was between socialists of the left and socialists of the right. The Liberals (who in the U.S. context would be the Libertarians or libertarian Republicans, or the old classical liberals of Anglo-American political history) never stood a chance.

Elisabeth Sifton is Reinhold Niebuhr’s daughter. RN knew DB well.

I believe Christine was Bonhoeffer’s sister – married to Hans, correct? Dietrich was engaged to be married at the time of his death.

@SKP. Fair enough. Most of the Canadian socialists I know are both nationalistic and protectionist, and would find themselves in broad agreement with large swathes of the NSDAP platform. Too often, the NSDAP is presented by North American media with great glee as Germany’s radical right wing party of the ’30s. The media are generally all too pleased to let differences in political nomenclature slide.

What an amazing man! From his time in New York to what he did back in Germany. I’m thankful for all the recent attention the past few years.

Dr. Veith, Christine was his sister not his wife. Bonhoeffer was engaged but never married. I just read Bonhoeffer: Pastor,Martyr,Prophet,Spy by Eric Metaxas this summer. It is a fascinating account of this life.

I’d be interested in reading a theological discussion on his involvement in the plot to assassinate Hitler. I’m sure there’s one out there, but I haven’t seen it. Just wondering how he justified it. I have heard defense lawyers use the ‘sumbitch deserved to die’ defense, and if ever a man deserved to be killed, it would be Hitler. But I’m just curious about the theological implications of a pastor being a part of the plot.

In re: assassinations, the Lutheran mayor of Leipzig, Goerderler, was against that option. He thought the proper thing was to arrest Hitler and have him brought to trial for his crimes (as the US did with Saddam). I wonder if the mayor’s approach was the right one.