Today in History

Today in History
1945
Dietrich Bonhoeffer Is Hanged

On April 9, 1945, Lutheran pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer was hanged at Flossenburg, only days before the American liberation of the POW camp. The last words of the brilliant and courageous 39-year-old opponent of Nazism were “This is the end—for me, the beginning of life.”

Two days after Adolf Hitler became chancellor of Germany, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, lecturer at Berlin University, took to the radio and denounced the Nazi Fuhrerprinzip, the leadership principle that was merely a synonym for dictatorship. Bonhoeffer’s broadcast was cut off before he could finish.

Shortly thereafter, he moved to London to pastor a German congregation, while also giving support to the Confessing Church movement in Germany, a declaration by Lutheran and evangelical pastors and theologians that they would not have their churches co-opted by the Nazi government for propagandistic purposes. Bonhoeffer returned to Germany in 1935 to run a seminary for the Confessing Church; the government closed it in 1937.

Bonhoeffer also spent some time in America and was saddened by the lack of spiritual fervor of most of the churches he visited. He was, however, greatly inspired by the dedication and passion that he found in the black churches he visited. Some believe that Bonhoeffer was actually born again when he worshiped with the black congregations that warmly welcomed him.

Upon his return to Germany (which he was advised not to do) Bonhoeffer’s continued vocal objections to Nazi policies resulted in his losing his freedom to lecture or publish. He soon joined the German resistance movement, being involved even a plot to assassinate Hitler.

In April 1943, shortly after becoming engaged to be married, Bonhoeffer was arrested by the Gestapo. Evidence implicating him in the plot to overthrow the government came to light and he was court-martialed and sentenced to die.

While in prison, he acted as a counselor and pastor to prisoners of all denominations. Bonhoeffer’s work, Letters and Papers from Prison, was published posthumously. Among his celebrated works of theology are: The Cost of Discipleship and Ethics.