Pastor Niemoller To Visit Dominion

Chronicle (Levin), 24 June 1949, Page 5

Pastor Niemoller To Visit Dominion

Press Association)

(Per

DUNEDIN, June 23. One of the most heroic tjgures of reeent years, Pastor Martin Niemoller, whose resistance to Jlitler tyranny earned for him nearly six vears in a coneentration eamp, is to pay a visit to Dunedin. The visit will be made on Eunday, Octobcr 30. He will appearhere under the anspiees of the Y.M.O.A. ITig stay in the Dominion is limited to 10 days. Pastor Niemoller was a brilliant suOmarine eommander in the Pirst World War, serving in the Ealtic and Mediterrancan and reeeiving big deeorations. In the chaos which existed in Germany at the end of the war he played his part in quelling the Spartaeist rebellion. ITe then res'ponded to the eall of the Christian Gospel and after training at Munster University, was ordained to the minjstry in 1924, He later beeame pastor of Jesus Christus Lutheran Church in Dahlem. Pastor Niemoller 's ministry was a comparatively peaceful one. until the advent of Hitler. Although a convinced supporter of national socialism so far as the politieal position of Germany was concerned, he resolntely opposed the interference of the >State in the affairs of the Chureh. He was suspended by the Reiehbishop in November 1933 but he carried on with his worlc as usual. He began a pulpit eam- . paign against Hitler 's effort to nazify religion and wrote to the Reiehbishop refusing to reeognise his authority. The supreme moment in the pastor's life came on ,Tuly 1, 193 7. when he was sent for by Ilitler, The Fuhrer warnea him.,not to'defv the decrees of nazism. Niemoller replied: "Not you, Herr Hitler, bnt God is my Fuhrer.'7