Paganism and Procreation:

An Examination of Heinrich Himmlers Eulogy for Reinhard Heydrich

Instructor: Dr. Kristin Semmens Student: Dave Schofield (V00691634) Class: History 373 - A01 Word Count: 1249

Date: May 26th, 2010

The following primary source analysis will examine a speech by Heinrich Himmler, Reichsfhrer-SS, in Berlin on June 9th 1942. Himmler delivered his speech at the funeral of Reinhard Heydrich, the assassinated SS-Obergruppenfhrer.1 After accounting for the context in which the speech takes place, I will show that Himmlers speech intended to legitimize the Nazi partys rule by delegitimizing and attacking Christianity and by weaving Nazi beliefs with what were likely some of his own controversial beliefs about the supernatural. In addition, I will argue that the funeral was used as an opportunity to increase the Germanic peoples birth rate to assure the survival of the Aryan race during a time of war. Heydrichs funeral is said to have taken place in Berlin but more concise details about where Himmler gave his speech are lacking. Furthermore, who his audience is is unclear; one publisher of the primary source only notes that the speech was addressed to the top of SS leadership2 while another states more generally that the speech was given at Heydrich's funeral.3 One non-academic source claims that Hitler was also at the funeral, as were Heydrichs wife and children.4 Thus, I am uncertain how public or private the speech was. Because these details are vague, analyzing and contextualizing the speech is problematic. This speech takes place during the middle of World War II, and six years after the
1 German History in Documents and Images, Volume 7. Nazi Germany, 1933-1945. Heinrich Himmler on Christianity and Religion (June 9, 1942), German History in Documents and Images, germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/pdf/eng/English83.PDF (accessed May 25th, 2010). 2 Jeremy Noakes and Geoffrey Pridham, eds., Nazism, 1919-1945, Vol. 2: State, Economy and Society 1933-1939 (Exeter: University of Exeter Press, 2000), 303. 3 German History in Documents and Images, Volume 7. Nazi Germany, 1933-1945. Heinrich Himmler on Christianity and Religion (June 9, 1942), German History in Documents and Images, germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/pdf/eng/English83.PDF. 4 Callum MacDonald, The Killing of Reinhard Heydrich: The SS "Butcher" of Prague (Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 1998), 3. http://books.google.ca/books? id=idNQLCHiO7cC&printsec=frontcover&dq =heydrich+butcher+of+prague&hl=en&ei=bv8S6qCH5KONqax0N4H&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&re snum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false (accessed May 25th, 2010). Also available in print. 2

Kirchenaustritt (leaving the church) movement began in the NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers Party). Those who left their church were officially called Gottglubige, believers in God. Himmler, who had developed what could be called neo-pagan beliefs, was among those who left the Catholic Church in 1936.5 Many SS members, including Heydrich, chose the same direction as Himmler. It has been reported that between 1937 and 1938, the number of Gottglubigen SS members increased from 18.7% to 25.7%.6 Because top SS leaders reportedly attended the funeral, there may have been many there who were receptive to the neopagan and volkisch-racial view on the destiny of the German Reich that Himmler put forward. Himmler has been identified as a proponent of a racial mystical paganism who "believed that the spiritual regeneration of the nation would come from [a] genuine Nordic-Germanic religion."7 Steigmann-Gall asserts that even though many leaders in the NSDAP did not share Himmlers religious views,8 he nonetheless advocated for the creation of a new religion under the Reich.9 Himmler points to his support for a new religion in this speech, linking Nazi racial ideas and goals with the belief in God (Wralda) and, thus, legitimizing the rule of the Nazi party using non-Christian religious beliefs. Himmler argues that it is necessary to have a proper understanding of one's relationship to Wralda and the world if the German people are going to understand how they are "woven into [the] cycle." The right belief about the supernatural was important to understanding the mission of the Nordic-Germanic people to rule the earth. In the speech Himmler attacks Christianity while simultaneously advocating a new

5 Richard Steigmann-Gall, The Holy Reich: Nazi Conceptions of Christianity, 1919-1945 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), 219. 6 Ibid., 221. 7 German History in Documents and Images, Volume 7. Nazi Germany, 1933-1945. Heinrich Himmler on Christianity and Religion (June 9, 1942), German History in Documents and Images, germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/pdf/eng/English83.PDF. 8 Richard Steigmann-Gall, The Holy Reich: Nazi Conceptions of Christianity, 1919-1945 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), 129. 9 Ibid., 139.

religious worldview that is, as argued by Himmler, aligned with the goals of the NSDAP. Himmler's reference to Christianity as a "plague" and his call for a "new scale of values" suggests that Himmler wants a Christian-free German Reich. This speech may be used to support the view of scholars who claim Himmler wanted to purge society of Christian institutions and ethics in order to create a pure Aryan state.10 It may be worth noting that not all other Nazis shared Himmler's hostility to Christianity. There was diversity and debate amongst the Nazi elite regarding the role of religion in the party.11 Furthermore, while Himmler may have seen the war as an opportunity to disempower the church, in particular the Roman Catholic Church, others in the party believed it should not be weakened because that could create disunity at home and, thus, threaten the war effort.12 Therefore, this speech is not indicative of the Nazi partys view at this time, but instead could be interpreted as Himmler arguing against those who wanted to avoid attacking Christian institutions. It is unclear why Himmler or the NSDAP used a funeral as a moment to degrade Christianity or Christian institutions. The purpose may be clearer if the entire speech was available for analysis. However, understanding that Himmler and Heydrich were both Gottglubige and two of the most extreme anti-clericals in the NSDAP13 may shed light on the speech. Possibly, Himmler, who according to a non-academic source gave a eulogy describing the life and work of Heydrich,14 wanted to encourage a stronger attack on Christian institutions

10 Jackson J. Spielvogel, and David Redles, Hitler and Nazi Germany: A History (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2010), 108. 11 Richard Steigmann-Gall, The Holy Reich: Nazi Conceptions of Christianity, 1919-1945 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), 236. 12 E. D. R. Harrison, "The Nazi Dissolution of the Monasteries: A Case Study," The English Historical Review 109.431 (1994): 325. 13 Richard Steigmann-Gall, The Holy Reich: Nazi Conceptions of Christianity, 1919-1945 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), 133. 14 Callum MacDonald, The Killing of Reinhard Heydrich, 3.

and used memories of Heydrich's work against Christianity15 as a source of inspiration. The same non-academic source claims that Himmler's funeral speech included a description of Heydrich as "an ideal always to be emulated."16 Thus, Himmler may have been arguing that Heydrichs work against Christianity needed to be continued. Understanding the religious nature of the funeral could also provide greater insight into Himmlers anti-Christian rhetoric. A number of sources suggest the possibility that Nazi elites funerals, particularly the Gottglubige, were not conducted according to Christian tradition.17 Heydrich may have requested a funeral in accordance with the Oldest Aryan burial procedure at which no cleric shall officiate as another SS leader had in his Last Will.18 If Heydrich did receive an "Aryan burial," understanding the ritual aspects and symbols used in the burial could help provide insight into Himmler's speech. The rituals may have been conducted in a way that was intended to undermine Christian institutions or the Christian worldview, and Himmlers speech may have been building on the rituals. A further analysis of the speech shows that Himmler, or perhaps the NSDAP, used Heydrichs funeral as an opportunity to encourage military members and their families to have children to establish the foundation for the German Reich and ensure the survival of the Aryan race. According to Himmler, what they do must be justified vis--vis the [the ancestors]; there was a moral obligation to bear children and create the foundation for the blond race to rule the earth. Though a funeral may seem like a strange time to promote procreation, it was a time when members of the SS could reflect on their own mortality. Himmler or the NSDAP thus may
15 For example of Heydrichs anti-Christian activities see, Richard Steigmann-Gall, The Holy Reich: Nazi Conceptions of Christianity, 1919-1945 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003), 133. 16 Heinrich Himmler, quoted in Callum MacDonald, The Killing of Reinhard Heydrich, 3. 17 See, for example, Spielvogel and Redles, Hitler and Nazi Germany, 108. The authors mention how Himmler created different rituals (e.g. baptisms and marriages) and symbols for the SS. 18 Quoted in Manfred Wolfson, "Constraint and Choice in the SS Leadership," The Western Political Quarterly 18.3 (1965): 559.

have used the moment to persuade them to act "responsibly" toward the Reich and have children before their possible early deaths. That Himmler did have such a motivation is supported by his 1943 speech, in which he established a link between death and procreation. He stated that German families of the elite Nazi Reich must always be able to lose two or three sons in battle without jeopardizing the breed.19 As the NSDAP took a number of measures to increase the birth rate prior to this speech, one can also view its exhortation to have children as part of its continued attempt to achieve their goal of increasing the birth rate amongst members of the German population that were viewed as fit to have children. Increasing the birth rate may have been considered even more important during the war due to the number of Aryan men who died in combat. It has been shown that Himmlers speech offers insight into religious and biological goals of Himmler and the NSDAP at the time of the speech. The analysis of this source could have been deeper if it were not for space restrictions. A deeper examination may take a more thorough look at Himmlers religious beliefs, SS rituals, and Himmlers activities against Christianity.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

19 Heinrich Himmler, quoted in Wolfson, "Constraint and Choice in the SS Leadership," 559.

Harrison, E. D. R. "The Nazi Dissolution of the Monasteries: A Case Study." The English Historical Review 109.431 (1994): 323-55. German History in Documents and Images. Volume 7. Nazi Germany, 1933-1945. Heinrich Himmler on Christianity and Religion (June 9, 1942). German History in Documents and Images, germanhistorydocs.ghi-dc.org/pdf/eng/English83.PDF (accessed May 25th, 2010). MacDonald, Callum. The Killing of Reinhard Heydrich: The SS "Butcher" of Prague. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 1998. http://books.google.ca/books?id=idNQLCHiO7c C&printsec=frontcover&dq=heydrich+butcher+of+prague&hl=en&ei=-bv8S6qCH5KON qax0N4H&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CC4Q6AEwAA#v=onepa ge&q&f=false (accessed May 25th, 2010). Also available in print form. Noakes, Jeremy and Geoffrey Pridham, eds.. Nazism, 1919-1945, Vol. 2: State, Economy and Society 1933-1939. Exeter: University of Exeter Press, 2000. Spielvogel, Jackson J. and David Redles. Hitler and Nazi Germany: A History. New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2010. Steigmann-Gall, Richard. The Holy Reich: Nazi Conceptions of Christianity, 1919-1945. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. Wolfson, Manfred. "Constraint and Choice in the SS Leadership." The Western Political Quarterly 18.3 (1965): 551-68.