A 24-page memorandum titled "On the Situation of German Non-Aryans" served as a sharp critique of the German Protestant Church’s silence during the 1930s. Authored by Elisabeth Schmitz, the document condemned the persecution of Jews, labeling the adoption of racial ideology as a form of idolatry that directly conflicted with Christian theological integrity.
Academic Foundation
Born in 1893 in Hanau, Schmitz belonged to a generation of women gaining unprecedented access to higher education. She attended the University of Bonn and later the Humboldt University of Berlin, studying history, German, and theology. In 1920, she completed a doctoral dissertation on the Prussian field marshal Edwin von Manteuffel. Her academic rigor earned her a place in Adolf von Harnack’s elite Church History Seminar, where she studied alongside notable theologians such as Karl Barth and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
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Schmitz worked as a secondary school teacher in Berlin, eventually securing a permanent role at the Luisen school in 1929. Following the ascent of the National Socialist government, she refused to integrate Nazi ideology into her curriculum. Her defiance led to a disciplinary transfer in 1935 to Berlin-Lankwitz. On 31 December 1938, spurred by the violence of Kristallnacht, she resigned from her post to avoid serving as a civil servant for a regime that permitted the burning of synagogues. Her early retirement took effect on 1 April 1939.
Church Activism and Resistance
In 1934, she joined the Confessing Church, a movement organized to maintain religious autonomy against state influence. Throughout this period, she engaged in correspondence with leaders like Karl Barth, attempting to force a public stance against the state’s treatment of Jews. In 1935, she produced 200 copies of her memorandum, distributing them to church leaders to demand accountability for the nation's sin. Beyond her writing, she actively sheltered Jewish individuals in her Berlin apartment. After her home was destroyed by bombing, she returned to Hanau and continued providing food and financial support to those in need.
Post-war Recognition
After the war, Schmitz returned to teaching at the Karl Rehbein School in her hometown of Hanau. For many years, her 1935 memorandum was misattributed to another activist, Marga Meusel, due to the filing structure of contemporary church archives. Historical investigation eventually restored her authorship. In 2011, the Commission of Yad Vashem recognized her efforts during the war by awarding her the title of Righteous Among the Nations. She died in 1977 and was buried at the Hanau Main Cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1893, Hanau, Germany
- Died: 1977, Offenbach am Main, Germany
- Academic degree: Dr. phil.
- Member of: Confessing Church
- Resignation date: 31 December 1938
- Award: Righteous Among the Nations (2011)
- Burial site: Hanau Main Cemetery
Questions readers ask
Why was her memorandum attributed to someone else?
The document was found in the same file folder as work by Marga Meusel, leading historians to mistakenly attribute both papers to Meusel for several years.
What specific act led to her resignation?
Schmitz resigned in protest of the Nazi government's policies, particularly following the destruction of synagogues during the 1938 Kristallnacht pogrom.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 2011
- Worked as theologian, teacher and resistance fighter
- Educated at University of Bonn
