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Adolf Hitler Becomes Chancellor of Germany
In November of 1932, the Nazi party won 33 percent of the vote, which was more than any other party, in the German Election. Due to this, President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler, who was the head of the National Socialist German Workers Party (NAZI Party), the new chancellor of Germany. This affected Jehovah's Witnesses since this was the time that he was in charge of everyone in Germany of what the people watched, read, heard, and could restrict their bibles and studies. -
Burning of “Un-German” Books
Basically, what happened in this event is Hitler ordered all of the Nazis to burn all of the books, almost, because the only books considered to be okay were ones that were pro-nazi. Any book that was Anti-Nazi, Un-German, or published by a Jew were burned. This also correlated with this event of time since the Nazis burned books that were Anti-Nazi, Un-German, or published by a Jew but also burned Jehovah's Witnesses bibles and studies. -
Press Censor Law
They didn't want jews to work in the newspapers any longer. Newspapers also could not publish any information that was against the Nazi party. Anyone who was found publishing anti-nazi material would be sent to a concentration camp. This also relates to Jehovah's Witnesses since the Germans had banned the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society and had banned them before this with local laws but they ignored them and continued to publish these bibles and books. -
Law Against “Criminals”
The government had to hold prisoners indefinitely, even if they served a prison term. Just because nazis decided the prisoner was a “dangerous habitual criminal. And this Law Against “Criminals” also was a way that Jehovah’s Witnesses were persecuted since they didn’t believe in what the Nazis were saying and telling them to follow Hitler but instead they said no and was given “penalties” and punishments because of it and were also sent into concentration camps. -
Hitler Becomes Fuhrer
This is when Adolf Hitler became ruler of Germany after the President passed away. And with this power, he persecuted against all people who opposed him like Jehovah's Witnesses who declined and refused to follow his orders and were punished like with the people who also opposed Hitler. -
Mandatory Military Service
When military needs people to fight in a war, but there aren't enough volunteers, sometimes they'll begin conscription, which is a law that says if you are able to fight, you have to fight. Conscription legally requires people to join the army, with penalties if they don't. This Mandatory Military Service was also for people from the religion Jehovah’s Witnesses and when they declined, they were often given these penalties since they didn’t want to join the military for what they believe in. -
Jehovah’s Witness Organization Banned
They banned what they did not want to be banned so then did not do what hitler told him to do he did not give up. And how my group of people shows persecution towards them was that the Nazis killed the brothers and sisters and burning their houses down and just left their bodies on the floor. -
Polish Jews Deported from Germany
Nazi Germany expelled about 17,000 jess from germany in 1938. Poland was unwilling to accept the Jews, so they were put in a “no- man's land" between the countries and eventually into refugee camps. The Nazis also deported Jehovah's Witnesses from Poland during this event on where they were deporting Jews onto others countries like refugee camps. -
First Prisoners Arrive at Auschwitz
In june 1940 all Christian and Jewish people were put into concentration camps and most of them went to the most popular camp of all Auschwitz and were imprisoned for years and tested on and killed. Jehovah's Witnesses were also persecuted because of their beliefs and were sent into concentration camps with the Jews and other groups. -
Soviet Troops Liberate Auschwitz
SS broke 60,000 prisoners from Auschwitz camp on foot but 15,000 died during the escape. Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz and found 6,00 sick/starving prisoners. And in those 60,000 prisoners that were liberated, there were Jehovah's Witnesses in that camp and escaped with their faith that they had inside that camp.