Early Life and Education
Paul Schneider (August 29, 1897 – July 18, 1939) was a German pastor of the Evangelical Church of the old Prussian Union who became the first Protestant minister to be martyred by the Nazis. He was murdered with a strophanthin injection at the concentration camp of Buchenwald. Schneider’s unwavering faith and commitment to stand up against the Nazi regime, even in the face of persecution and death, serves as an inspiring example for Christians and believers of justice worldwide.
Born in Pferdsfeld near Bad Sobernheim, Germany, Paul Schneider was the second of three sons of Gustav-Adolf Schneider and Elisabeth Schnorr. He had a strong love for his mother and a great respect for his father, who was a pastor and an ardent patriot. After serving in the military during World War I, Schneider studied theology at the universities of Giessen, Marburg, and Tubingen.
In 1925, Schneider was ordained in Hochelheim near Wetzlar. The following year, he married Margarete Dieterich, the daughter of a pastor, and together they had six children. Schneider’s dedication to his faith and family laid a strong foundation for the trials he would later face.
Initial Support and Disillusionment with the Nazis
When Adolf Hitler was named Chancellor of Germany in 1933, Schneider, like many others, initially believed that the new leader would guide the country into a prosperous future. However, it did not take long for Schneider to perceive the true nature of Hitler and the Nazi regime. Schneider could not stand idly by as Nazi leaders ridiculed the morality of the Church, and he began to protest against their attacks in both writing and preaching.
Unfortunately, Schneider received no support from his consistory of the old-Prussian Ecclesiastical Province of the Rhineland. Instead, in an effort to placate Nazi officials, the consistory transferred Schneider to a remote region of Germany.
Opposition to the Nazis and Joining the Confessing Church
In 1934, Schneider and his family moved to Dickenschied, where he became pastor of the Dickenschied and Womrath congregations. That same year, Schneider joined the Confessing Church, a Protestant organization that openly opposed Hitler and the Nazi regime.
Schneider’s conviction and courage were tested on several occasions. At the funeral of a Hitler youth boy, a Nazi official declared that the deceased would now be a member of the heavenly storm of Horst Wessel. Pastor Schneider responded by questioning the existence of such a heavenly storm and asserting that the Lord would bless the boy and take him into his realm. This led to Schneider’s arrest and imprisonment for one week in June 1934.
In March 1935, Schneider was taken into “protective custody” (a Nazi euphemism for arrest without a warrant) for insisting on reading synodal criticism of the government’s policy toward the Church from the pulpit. Despite being summoned for interrogations twelve times during the winter of 1935-1936, Schneider remained steadfast in his opposition to the Nazis.
Arrest, Imprisonment, and Buchenwald
In the spring of 1937, with the support of his presbytery, Schneider began the process of excommunicating parishioners who engaged in conduct that violated congregational discipline due to their allegiance to the Nazi Party. This led to his arrest and subsequent imprisonment in Koblenz for two months. Upon his release, Schneider was warned not to return to the Rhineland, where his home and parish were located.
Schneider knew that returning to his flock would likely result in his imprisonment in a concentration camp. Nevertheless, he found inspiration in the Old Testament story of Judges 5:18, where only the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun responded to Deborah’s call to confront a common enemy. Schneider saw a parallel between this story and the crisis the Church faced in Nazi Germany, and he decided to act in accordance with his conscience and protest.
After spending two months with his wife and a few family members and friends in Baden-Baden and Eschbach, Schneider returned to his congregation for Harvest Thanksgiving (Erntedankfest) on October 3, 1937. He was able to celebrate the occasion with his Dickenschied congregation, but local police arrested him as he traveled to Womrath for an evening worship service.
Schneider was imprisoned in the Buchenwald concentration camp near Weimar on November 27, 1937, just a few months after the camp opened. Despite the harsh conditions and brutal treatment, Schneider remained committed to his faith and continued to care for his fellow inmates.
Acts of Defiance in Buchenwald
While in Buchenwald, Schneider demonstrated remarkable acts of defiance against the Nazis. On one occasion, he refused to remove his beret in honor of Hitler on the Fuhrer’s birthday, April 20, 1938, and to salute the swastika flag. He explained his behavior by saying, “I cannot salute this criminal symbol” and “You can only receive salvation (Heil) from the Lord and not from a human being.”
Schneider was sentenced to solitary confinement, where he continued to preach the good news of the Gospel from the window of his prison cell. He also accused his captors and encouraged his fellow inmates, even climbing to his cell window on Easter Sunday to proclaim, “Comrades, listen to me. This is Pastor Schneider. People are tortured and murdered here. So the Lord says, ‘I am the resurrection and the life!'” His speech was interrupted by his tormentors, but Schneider’s courageous witness left a lasting impact on those who heard him.
Death and Legacy
On July 18, 1939, Schneider was murdered by Erwin Ding-Schuler, who administered a lethal injection of strophanthin in the camp infirmary. Camp officials notified Margarete Schneider of her husband’s death, and she made the long journey to retrieve his body in a sealed coffin. Despite Gestapo surveillance, hundreds of people and around two hundred fellow pastors attended Schneider’s funeral, including many members of the Confessing Church.
Paul Schneider’s life and martyrdom serve as a powerful reminder of the importance of standing up against injustice, even in the face of persecution. His unwavering faith and commitment to the truth, despite the personal cost, continue to inspire Christians and believers of justice worldwide.
Schneider’s legacy lives on in the many memorials that have been erected in his honor. In Weimar, a street and chapel bear his name, and a plaque dedicated to him hangs in the Buchenwald concentration camp. In addition, the Paul Schneider Foundation was established to preserve his memory and promote human rights. The foundation works to raise awareness of Schneider’s story and encourages people of all faiths to stand up against injustice. In recent years, many churches have held special services in remembrance of Schneider on July 18th, the anniversary of his death.
The ultimate legacy of Paul Schneider is one of courage and faith in the face of overwhelming odds. His example continues to inspire believers around the world who are willing to take a stand for what they believe in, no matter what the cost may be
The story of Paul Schneider, the courageous pastor who defied the Nazis, serves as a powerful example of the importance of standing up against evil and tyranny. Despite facing persecution, imprisonment, and ultimately death, Schneider remained committed to his faith and the truth, inspiring countless others with his acts of defiance and courage. His legacy continues to remind us of the importance of speaking out against injustice and upholding our beliefs, even in the face of adversity.
Although Paul Schneider has passed away, his memory and legacy live on. His story is remembered and celebrated in memorials, churches, foundations, and streets that honor his courage and faith. He serves as an example for people of all faiths who are willing to stand up against injustice no matter what the cost may be. Through his story, he continues to inspire others to speak out against evil and tyranny and to remain committed to their beliefs in the face of overwhelming odds. His legacy will continue to be remembered for many generations to come.