Holocaust Encyclopedia, “Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany: From the 1890s to the 1930s”
“Initially, leaders of the Jehovah's Witnesses sought to find a way to work with the Nazi government. In October 1934, the leadership sent a letter to the Reich government, explaining the Witnesses' core beliefs and their commitment to political neutrality.”
The museum’s companion article on the movement’s history in Germany, published over the museum’s own name. It records that “Soon after Hitler became chancellor, Bavarian authorities issued a ban on the International Bible Students’ Society” and that “Twice during 1933, police occupied Witness offices to confiscate religious literature.”
Official source (opens in new tab)
Provenance and verification note for Holocaust Encyclopedia, Jehovah's Witnesses in Germany: From the 1890s to the 1930s
Confidence note. The page's HTML was downloaded and read directly on 19 September 2026. The letter the passage names is of October 1934, not the June 1933 Declaration.
Notes. The article does not mention the June 1933 Declaration.
Accessed. 19 September 2026 · Source ID. src-de33-ushmm-1890s-1930s