Language:
English
Year of publication:
2003
Titel der Quelle:
Kirchliche Zeitgeschichte
Angaben zur Quelle:
16,1 (2003) 112-126
Keywords:
Jews
;
Judaism Relations
;
Christianity
;
Christianity and other religions Judaism
;
Jews History
;
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
Abstract:
The Estonian Lutheran Church was markedly free of animosity toward Jews and Judaism before 1939. The majority of the populace was also free of antisemitism, despite the existence of minor extremist, nationalist groups. Nevertheless, the Lutheran Church failed to condemn the "Kristallnacht" pogrom in Germany. Neither the anti-Jewish theology of the "German Christians, " nor the Nazi terror against the Jews were reported in the official organ of the Estonian Lutheran Church, "Eesti Kirik." The harsh experience of the Soviet occupation of 1940-41 made the Church view the Nazis as liberators. Some of the clergymen, as well as many other Estonians, regarded the Jews as a group that had benefited from the Soviet occupation, despite the fact that 10% of the Jews had been deported by the Soviets. With all that, the Estonian Church as a whole was not affected by antisemitism and its clergymen did not participate in the Holocaust, despite later Soviet allegations on that point. The only Estonians recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous among the Nations are the Lutheran theologian Uku Masing and his wife.
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