{"id":31277,"date":"2026-05-05T07:56:26","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T07:56:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/?page_id=31277"},"modified":"2026-05-07T10:49:55","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:49:55","slug":"bishop-clemens-august-von-galen","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/schoolshistory.org.uk\/topics\/european-history\/nazi-germany\/bishop-clemens-august-von-galen\/","title":{"rendered":"Bishop Clemens August von Galen"},"content":{"rendered":"

Bishop Clemens August von Galen was a leading Catholic opponent of Nazi policies. Bishop von Galen spoke out against Euthenasia; the methods used by the Gestapo and the abuse of the Catholic Church by the Nazi State. He served as Bishop of Munster from 1933 until his death in 1946. Bishop von Galen\u2019s resistance to the Nazi State and firm beliefs have led him to be beatified by the Catholic Church: one step down from being recognised as a saint.<\/p>\n

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\"Bishop
Bishop von Galen<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/figure>\n

Bishop von Galen\u2019s resistance to the Nazi Regime:<\/h2>\n

1933 \u2013 Refuses to follow the instructions of the Nazi school superintendent to amend the Religious Education lessons in Catholic Schools.<\/p>\n

1934 \u2013 Begins preaching in opposition to Nazi racial ideological beliefs.<\/p>\n

1934 \u2013 Sermon denouncing Rosenberg\u2019s ideology. This results in the SS visiting von Galen to pressure him into preaching in favour of the ideas. Instead, von Galen denounces the Nazi Party when questioned.<\/p>\n

1936 \u2013 Bishop von Galen leads public demonstrations against the Nazi decision to remove the Crucifix from all schools.<\/p>\n

1937 \u2013 Along with Bishop Preysing, von Galen writes the draft of the Papal Epipliscal, \u201cWith burning Anxiety\u201d<\/p>\n

1937 \u2013 With Burning Anxiety (Mit brennender Sorge) read in all Catholic Churches in Germany.<\/p>\n

1941 \u2013 Denounces the Euthenasia program and the actions against the Church in the East. A series of powerful sermons earns him the nickname \u201cThe Lion of Munster\u201d<\/p>\n

1941 \u2013 Nazi leaders and officials discuss methods of dealing with von Galen. Suggestions included execution and forced removal from office. Due to his popularity with the people of Westphalia, he was not arrested as the leadership feared unrest in a heavily Catholic area if he was deposed.<\/p>\n

1941 \u2013 Copies of von Galen\u2019s sermons \u2013 which refer to murderous policies \u2013 are circulated throughout the Reich and occupied territoies. They are known to have reached the front lines on the Eastern Front and Karol Wojtyla (who later became\u00a0Pope John Paul II) is said to have read them whilst a young man living in Krakow.<\/p>\n

Legacy of Bishop von Galen<\/h3>\n

Bishop von Galen\u2019s sermons inspired other resistance. The Lubneck Martyrs were said to be inspired by his sermon. The first pamphlet distributed in Munich by the White Rose Movement<\/a>\u00a0was a copy of one of his sermons.<\/p>\n

The above is a rather brief run through of the main ways in which von Galen resisted the regime. He was made a Cardinal shortly after the end of the war.<\/p>\n

Germany 1919 \u2013 1945 Links<\/h2>\n

The Second Reich<\/h3>\n

Unification of Germany<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Political systems within the Second Reich<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0German Society during the Second Reich<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Collapse of the Second Reich<\/a><\/p>\n

Weimar Republic<\/h3>\n

Interim Government<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Founding of the Weimar Republic<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Impact of the First World War on Germany<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Treaty of Versailles and its impact on Germany<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Weimar Constitution<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a01919-1923: Years of Crisis?<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Spartacist Uprising<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Kapp Putsch<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Reparations<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Hyperinflation in Germany, 1923<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a01924-1928: A Golden Era?<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a01925 Presidential Election<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Gustav Stresemann<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0German Foreign Relations 1919-1932<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Germany in the Great Depression<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Failings of the Weimar Republic<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Dada Movement<\/a><\/p>\n

Rise of the Nazi Party<\/h3>\n

The Munich Putsch<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Did the Economic Crisis of 1923 help the Nazi\u2019s?<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Origins of the Nazi Party<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Rise of the Nazi Party<\/a><\/p>\n

Nazi Germany<\/h3>\n

Totalitarian Regime in Nazi Germany<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0How did Hitler consolidate power?<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Mein Kampf<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Nazi methods of control<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Opposition to the Nazi Regime<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Organisation of the Nazi Party<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Fuhrerprinzip<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Kristallnacht<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Youth and Education<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Goering and the 2nd 4 Year Plan<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Anti-Jewish Boycott, 1933<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Nazi Anti-Semitism<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0DAF (The German Labour Front)<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Propaganda in Germany 1919-39<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Economic Policy of the Nazi Party<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Kreisau Circle<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0The Confessing Church<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Catholic Church<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Edelweiss Pirates<\/a><\/p>\n

Biographies<\/h3>\n

Ludwig Beck<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Dietrich Bonhoeffer<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Bishop Clemens von Galen<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Carl Goerdeler<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Robert Ley<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Helmuth von Moltke<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Martin Niemoller<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Erwin Rommel<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Hjalmar Schacht<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Sophie Scholl<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Albert Speer<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Claus von Stauffenberg<\/a>\u00a0\u2013\u00a0Fritz Todt<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Bishop Clemens August von Galen was a leading Catholic opponent of Nazi policies. Bishop von Galen spoke out against Euthenasia; the methods used by the Gestapo and the abuse of the Catholic Church by the Nazi State. He served as Bishop of Munster from 1933 until his death in 1946. Bishop von Galen\u2019s resistance to… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":31374,"parent":789,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"off","neve_meta_content_width":100,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-31277","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t