Jehovas Zeugen

In 1931, a group known as the International Bible Students, founded in Pittsburgh in 1872, embraced a new name: Jehovah’s Witnesses. Here at the Jehovas Zeugen in Essen, their story intertwines with the tumultuous history of Germany. Jehovah’s Witnesses faced persecution under the Nazi regime for their unwavering faith. They refused to swear loyalty to any government but God’s Kingdom. This refusal stemmed from their belief that worldly powers were aligned with Satan. At the Jehovas Zeugen, and across Germany, their commitment to neutrality meant they wouldn’t give the Heil Hitler salute, join the German Labor Front, or participate in Nazi events. This defiance, coupled with their active missionary work, painted a target on their backs. The Nazis saw their beliefs as subversive. They twisted their reliance on Old Testament texts to falsely link them to “international Jewry”. By 1933, approximately 25,000 to 30,000 Germans were Jehovah’s Witnesses or sympathizers. They faced prejudice even before the Nazis. Mainstream churches labeled them heretics. Citizens found their door-to-door preaching invasive. After Hitler’s rise, the persecution escalated. Jehovah’s Witnesses who refused to comply with Nazi demands lost jobs and benefits. Many were arrested. Children of Jehovah’s Witnesses were ridiculed at school, expelled for refusing the Hitler salute, and sometimes even taken from their families. Despite the intensifying pressure, Jehovah’s Witnesses continued to meet secretly and distribute literature smuggled from abroad. The Jehovas Zeugen community stood as a beacon of spiritual resistance. Their story is a testament to the power of faith in the face of oppression. The Jehovas Zeugen in Essen stands as a quiet reminder of their courage.