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Christoph Kösters
The Catholic bishops in Germany and June 17th, 1953
Keywords: Katholische Kirche, Evangelische Kirche, Kirchenkampf in der DDR, Volksaufstand 17. Juni 1953
How did the Catholic bishops in Germany react to the events surrounding June 17th, 1953? The “new course” that had been decreed by the leaders in Moscow had put an end to the SED leadership′s battle against the Church, and it had led to an agreement between the Protestant Church and the government of the GDR. As a consequence, the bishops of the Catholic Diaspora Church in the GDR accepted Grotewohl′s offer to have talks, and they reached some partial alleviations in GDR parish life. The popular uprising on 16th and 17th June 1953 did not question the loyalty to the state which the leaders of the Church in the GDR had traditionally shown, but they connected this loyalty with the restoration of the rule of law, above all in matters concerning church and religion. In this context the national reunification played a comparatively secondary role. At the same time bishops in West Germany campaigned for donations to meet the material needs of the people in the GDR. The self-assertion of the Church, the fundamental protest against the breach of the rule of law, and the support of those in need corresponded with the way the bishops defined themselves. With the room for manoeuvre being limited by the political structures, there were no real alternatives for the leaders of the Catholic Diaspora Church at the margin of the popular revolt.
Vierteljahrshefte für Zeitgeschichte, Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag
Print ISSN: 0042-5702
Volume: 54, 02/2006
Pages: 269 - 298