The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Germany

Last updated

Flag of Germany.svg
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Germany
LDS Church logo - deu.png
(Logo in German)
Kirche LDS Annaberg.jpg
An LDS meetinghouse in Annaberg-Buchholz, Germany
Area Europe Central
Members 39,975 (2023) [1]
Stakes 14
Wards 102
Branches 48
Total Congregations [2] 150
Missions 3
Temples
  • 2 Operating
  • 1 Announced
  • 3 Total
FamilySearch Centers 97 [3]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Germany refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and its members in Germany.

Contents

The LDS Church reported 39,748 members in 2022. In 2010, nationwide active membership was estimated between 9,000 and 11,000, or 25-30% of total church membership. [4]

History

Membership in Germany
YearMembership
1930 11,828
1940 13,481
1950 15,530
1960 16,656
1970 22,247
1980 28,496
1989* 32,000
1999 36,303
2009 37,539
2019 39,724
2022 39,748
1989 membership was published as a rounded number.
Source: Windall J. Ashton; Jim M. Wall (eds.), Deseret News, various years, Church Almanac Country Information: Germany https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/facts-and-statistics/country/germany
Koenigsberg Sunday School (1902) Juvenile Instructor (1902) (14595453919).jpg
Koenigsberg Sunday School (1902)

1840s-1900 First missionaries and persecution

The first German to be converted to the LDS Church was an immigrant to the USA named Jakob Zundel in 1836. [5]

Although one British Mormon convert had briefly worked in Germany, the first official of the church to arrive in Germany was Orson Hyde on 27 June 1841 as part of his journey to Palestine. He was delayed in Frankfurt by a visa problem and began to learn German. When he returned to Germany on his trip back from Palestine, he was in Regensburg from January to August 1842 and wrote "Ein Ruf aus der Wüste" ("A Cry out of the Wilderness") while there. It was published in Frankfurt and was the first LDS Church publication in the German language. [5]

The first converts were baptized in Germany in 1851. Brigham Young sent Daniel Carn to establish the first German mission in 1852, which he did in Hamburg. Carn also oversaw the publication of a German-language version of the Book of Mormon which was published in Hamburg on 25 May 1852. He was eventually banished from Hamburg, then a sovereign state, due to his attempts to convert Germans to Mormonism but he continued to proselytise Germans in the then-Danish territory of Schleswig-Holstein. [5]

Most early converts emigrated to the United States, depleting the local population of Latter-day Saints. In 1853, Prussia banned Mormonism and in 1854 the short-lived Hamburg branch was dissolved, with the German Mission closed in 1855. [6] The church's involvement in Germany resumed in 1860 (under the auspices of various iterations of the Swiss Mission until the German Mission was reopened in 1898 [6] ) but was limited due to persecution and the arrests of missionaries. [7] Following German unification in 1871 some local areas of Germany became less restrictive towards missionary work and, in 1875, Joseph F. Smith declared that missionary work should recommence in Germany regardless of any opposition. [8] This enabled a gradual increase in baptisms, with there being 280 LDS Church members in Germany in 1880 and conversions would average 300 a year over the next two decades. [9]

1900-1945 Membership Growth and the Second World War

With increasing numbers of members, persecution began to increase as well[ citation needed ] (in 1903 Prussia and Mecklenburg both banished missionaries from their kingdoms [10] ) and in 1904 the German Mission was again closed and large scale missionary work wouldn't return until after World War I. [11]

In the first half of the 20th century, Germany had more converts to Mormonism than any other non-English speaking country. [12] By 1925 there were 6,125 members in the German-Austrian Mission, and 5,305 members in the Swiss-German Mission. The first German LDS meeting house was built in 1929 in Selbongen, East Prussia (now Zełwągi in Poland). [13] [14]

As of 1939, 13,402 Mormons lived in the West German (including Austria as of November 1938) and East German Missions. [15] After Adolf Hitler's rise to power, no Mormon congregation was stopped from worshipping during the Nazi Government of 1933 to 1945 and few individual Mormons were persecuted (and only for transgressions that any German of the time would have been punished for). [16] American Mormon missionaries' views of the government during the 1930s varied. While praising Hitler's oratory skill and approving of his unifying a politically divided country, they saw arrests of dissidents, enforcement of Nazi eugenics, and widespread fear of the regime. [17] In 1933 Oliver H. Budge, mission president of the German-Austrian Mission, told the Gestapo that the church was politically neutral and obeyed the law; his successor Roy A. Welker again did so in 1934, citing the 12th Article of Faith. While visiting Germany in 1937, church president Heber J. Grant urged members to avoid politics and focus on their faith. [18]

Nazi officials nonetheless classified the church as a sekte  [ de ] to investigate for sedition. The Gestapo warned the church in 1936 against anti-Nazi sentiment among members. Some missionaries were arrested, pamphlets were confiscated, and the Nazi Propaganda Ministry banned the Articles of Faith. The church hoped that accepting a request of missionaries coaching the Germany men's national basketball team at the 1936 Berlin Olympics would improve relations. The government nonetheless seriously considered banning the church, but did not because of Mormonism's international connections. A 1938 Gestapo report for Nazi leader Alfred Rosenberg concluded that because of Mormon principles of "glorification of Judaism" and belief in modern-day prophets and revelations, "the doctrine of the Mormons is incompatible with the National Socialist worldview". [18]

Gestapo agents silently attended services, likely investigating neighbors' complaints of seditious activities, but no punishment came to the church. Speakers avoided criticizing the government or, after the German declaration of war against the United States, emphasizing the church's relationship with that country. The government ordered the church to avoid preaching about "Jewish" topics like "Zion" and "Israel", so leaders told members to not sing hymns with such words. [15]

The Nuremberg Laws increased access to and interest in genealogical records, and some saw the monthly eintopf as similar to Fast Sunday, but mandatory Hitler Youth membership ended most Mormon auxiliary organizations for young people. [17] German Mormons "categorically refuse to use" the Nazi salute, according to the Gestapo, and the Rosenberg report found that the majority of Mormons showed "no interest in political events and current affairs". About 5% of church members—half the rate of the general population—joined the Nazi Party, [18] required of state employees. [15] A few church members openly opposed the regime—Helmuth Hübener ended up being beheaded for anti-Nazi activities [19] and his friend Karl-Heinz Schnibbe spent five years in a camp for his part [20] —but their actions were motivated by BBC news reports of German defeats, not by LDS teachings. Hübener was the youngest opponent of Nazi Germany to be sentenced to death by the infamous Special People's Court (Volksgerichtshof) and executed. [21]

At least 996 members were killed during World War II, including more than 400 adult men, about 10% of priesthood holders. [15]

1946-2020s Cold War and the 21st Century

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a German Aviator, became an Apostle for the LDS Church in 2004. Dieter F. Uchtdorf3.jpg
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a German Aviator, became an Apostle for the LDS Church in 2004.

Following World War II, then Apostle Ezra Taft Benson arrived in Europe to organise aid for church members. He visited Germany many times, saw the terrible conditions people were living in and arranged aid shipments to offer some relief. [22]

During the Cold War, members of the church in Germany found themselves divided among two nations. Members continued to maintain contact with the church in the west. In the fall of 1961 three stakes were created in Berlin (Germany's first), Stuttgart and Hamburg. In 1982, the Freiberg German Democratic Republic Stake was created. On June 19, 1985, the Freiberg GDR Temple was dedicated. It is the only temple to have been constructed in what was a communist bloc country. In 1987, the Frankfurt, West Germany Temple was dedicated. [1] [23]

Stakes

As of June 2023, the following stakes had congregations in Germany: [24]

StakeOrganizedMissionTemple
Berlin Germany10 Sep 1961Germany BerlinFreiberg Germany
Dortmund Germany19 Sep 1976Germany HamburgFrankfurt Germany
Dresden Germany29 Aug 1982Germany BerlinFreiberg Germany
Düsseldorf Germany4 Jun 1972Germany HamburgFrankfurt Germany
Frankfurt Germany12 Sep 1976Germany FrankfurtFrankfurt Germany
Friedrichsdorf Germany22 Jun 2014Germany FrankfurtFrankfurt Germany
Hamburg Germany1961Germany HamburgFrankfurt Germany
Hannover Germany12 Jun 1977Germany HamburgFrankfurt Germany
Heidelberg Germany12 Nov 1961Germany FrankfurtFrankfurt Germany
Kaiserslautern Germany3 Nov 1968Germany FrankfurtFrankfurt Germany
Leipzig Germany3 Jun 1984Germany BerlinFreiberg Germany
Munich Germany23 Oct 1977Alpine German-SpeakingFrankfurt Germany
Nürnberg Germany20 March 1994Germany FrankfurtFrankfurt Germany
St Gallen Switzerland*6 May 2007Alpine German-SpeakingBern Switzerland
Stuttgart Germany26 Oct 1961Germany FrankfurtFrankfurt Germany
Zürich Switzerland*29 Oct 1961Alpine German-SpeakingBern Switzerland

Missions

Temples

Germany adm location map.svg
ButtonRed.svg
ButtonRed.svg
ButtonYellow.svg
class=notpageimage|
Temples in Germany
Red = Operating
Yellow = Announced
Blue = Under Construction
Black = Closed for Renovations
Freiberg Tempel.JPG
edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Dedicated:
Rededicated:
Size:
Style:
Notes:		 Freiberg, Germany
9 October 1982 by Spencer W. Kimball
23 April 1983 by Thomas S. Monson
29 June 1985 by Gordon B. Hinckley
7 September 2002 by Gordon B. Hinckley
21,500 sq ft (2,000 m2) on a 3.58-acre (1.45 ha) site
Modern, single-spire design with German influence and use of Gothic-style arches - designed by Emil B. Fetzer and Rolf Metzner
Originally without an angel Moroni statue, one was installed as part of the 2001–2002 renovations. It is the only temple ever to have been located behind the Iron Curtain. [25]
Eingang Frankfurt Tempel 2005 08 26.JPG
edit
Location:
Announced:
Groundbreaking:
Dedicated:
Rededicated:
Size:
Style:		 Friedrichsdorf, Germany
1 April 1981 by Spencer W. Kimball
1 July 1985 by Gordon B. Hinckley
28 August 1987 by Ezra Taft Benson
20 October 2019 by Dieter F. Uchtdorf
32,895 sq ft (3,056.0 m2) on a 5.6-acre (2.3 ha) site
Modern, detached single-spire design - designed by Church A&E Services and Borchers-Metzner-Kramer
 edit
Location:
Announced:		 Hamburg, Germany
2 April 2023 by Russell M. Nelson [26] [27]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latter Day Saint movement</span> Religious movement

The Latter Day Saint movement is the collection of independent church groups that trace their origins to a Christian Restorationist movement founded by Joseph Smith in the late 1820s.

This is a timeline of major events in Mormonism in the 20th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Karl-Heinz Schnibbe</span>

Karl-Heinz Schnibbe was a German Resistance to Nazism member during World War II who, as a 17-year-old growing up in Nazi Germany in 1941, was an accomplice in a plan by three German teenagers, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), to distribute information to the citizens of Germany on the evils of the Nazi regime during World War II. Led by 16-year-old Helmuth Hübener, the three boys created, posted and distributed cards and pamphlets denouncing Hitler and the Nazi Party. They were eventually caught by the Gestapo and, after repeated beatings, were convicted and sentenced. Hübener was executed, the youngest person to be sentenced to death for opposing the Third Reich, and Schnibbe was sentenced to five years in a labor camp. After the war and his release from a Soviet POW camp, Schnibbe emigrated to the United States in 1952, living in the Salt Lake City, Utah area until his death on May 9, 2010.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ghana</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was introduced to Ghana, West Africa, in 1962. It was officially organized in 1978, following announcement of the revelation on priesthood. As of 2022, the LDS Church reported 101,924 members in 353 congregations in Ghana, making it the second largest body of LDS Church members in Africa, behind Nigeria. In 2021, Ghana ranked as having the third most LDS Church members per capita in Africa, behind Cape Verde and Sierra Leone.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Norway</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Norway is a restorationist free church. There are more than 4,500 members in Norway. A temple to be built in Oslo was announced on April 4, 2021 by church president Russell M. Nelson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Japan</span> Church in Japan

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established in Japan in 1901 when the church's first missionaries arrived on August 12. Among them was Heber J. Grant, who was then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve and later became the church's 7th president. Horace S. Ensign, Louis A. Kelsch, and Alma O. Taylor accompanied Grant. The LDS Church's first baptism in Japan was on March 8, 1902, when Grant baptized Hajime Nakazawa, a former Kannushi. The Book of Mormon was translated three times. The first translation, which took over six years, was completed by Taylor in 1909. It was then recommended that the Book of Mormon be translated into bunshō, a more elegant literary style, which was done by Chōkō Ikuta in 1909, shortly before it was published and distributed. The third translation in 1957 was done by Tatsui Sato. In 1995, the Book of Mormon was translated again into a more colloquial style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Brazil</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established in Brazil in 1926 with the opening of the South American Mission. Missionary work was focused on small German immigrant colonies in South Brazil. The LDS Church was forced to expand missionary work to Brazilians and Portuguese speakers when non-Portuguese languages were banned in public meetings in 1938. The Brazil Mission was opened on February 9, 1935, with Rulon S. Howells as mission president. The first Portuguese translation of the Book of Mormon was published in 1939.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in South Africa</span>

Three missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints started proselyting to white English-speaking people in Cape Town in 1853. Most converts from this time emigrated to the United States. The mission was closed in 1865, but reopened in 1903.The South African government limited the amount of missionaries allowed to enter the country in 1921 and in 1955. Starting around 1930, a man had to trace his genealogy out of Africa to be eligible for the priesthood, since black people were not permitted to be ordained. In 1954 when church president David O. McKay visited South Africa, he removed the requirement for genealogical research for a man to be ordained, stipulating only that "there is no evidence of his having Negro blood in his veins".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Italy</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in Italy since 1850.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ireland</span> Presence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Ireland

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in the island of Ireland since at least 1840, when the Elder John Taylor first preached in Newry. He and other missionaries converted a number of Irish people, forming a branch in Hillsborough, County Down. Many of the converted Irish saints emigrated in order to escape poverty, as well as to live in majority Latter Day Saint communities. Missionary efforts continued in the 1850s, and a small branch was established in Dublin, but many members emigrated to Utah or lost interest in the church. In 1867, the Irish mission was placed in the care of the British mission. A new branch was formed in Belfast in 1884 and a Dublin branch was reestablished in 1900. All of this occurred despite anti-Mormon disturbances by local Irish people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Scotland</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Scotland is the Scottish branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wales</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wales refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Netherlands</span> Presence of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Netherlands

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was first brought to the Netherlands in 1841, with the first congregation officially established in 1862 in Amsterdam. A mission to the Netherlands was organized in 1864, and the Dutch translation of the Book of Mormon was published in 1890. Membership grew in the 20th century despite challenges posed by World War I, the Great Depression, and the German invasion of the Netherlands during World War II; approximately 14,000 people were baptized into the Church during its first 100 years in the Netherlands. The Dutch government officially recognized the Church in 1955. The Netherlands Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established in 1961, becoming the first stake established on the European continent. The Hague Netherlands Temple was completed in 2002.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Isle of Man</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Isle of Man refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Isle of Man. As of 31 December 2022, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reported 281 members in one congregation, the Douglas Ward, in the Isle of Man. In 2019, the Isle of Man had the 2nd most LDS Church members per capita in Europe, behind Portugal. Despite their small numbers, Manx Mormons have a heritage going back over a hundred and fifty years, which is obscured by their tendency to emigrate to the US and by the LDS Church administering the Isle of Man as part of England, when it is not actually part of the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pacific Islanders and Mormonism</span>

Pacific Islanders have a particular place in the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its first non-English-speaking mission was in the region in 1844, less than twenty years after the church's founding, and there are currently six temples among the Pacific Island regions of Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia. In 2015 the Latter-day Saint population in the area was increasing in percentage and absolute numbers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Czech Republic</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Czech Republic refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in the Czech Republic. At year-end 1989, there were less than 100 members in the Czech Republic. In 2022, there were 2,643 members in 12 congregations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outline of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints</span> Overview of and topical guide to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

The following outline is provided as an overview of and a topical guide to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Iceland</span>

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Iceland refers to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members in Iceland. Missionary efforts of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began in 1851 with the baptisms of two native Icelanders visiting Denmark. They returned to Iceland to share the gospel. Missionary work has continued since then, although there were no permanent missionaries in Iceland from 1914 to 1974. As of December 31, 2022, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had 382 members in Iceland, divided into three congregations. There is also one Family History Center. On January 22, 2023, a Spanish language branch was created in Reykjavík bringing the number of congregation to four.

References

  1. 1 2 "Facts and Statistics: Statistics by Country: Germany", Newsroom, LDS Church, 31 December 2022, retrieved 1 June 2023
  2. ↑ Excludes groups meeting separate from wards and branches
  3. ↑ Germany Family History Centers, familysearch.org, retrieved August 29, 2022
  4. ↑ "International Resources for Latter-day Saints". Cumorah.com.
  5. 1 2 3 Scharffs, Gilbert W. (2002). "Das Buch Mormon: The German Translation of the Book of Mormon". Journal of Book of Mormon Studies. 11 (1): 35–39. doi:10.5406/jbookmormstud.11.1.0035. S2CID   254215978 . Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  6. 1 2 Jones, ZACHARY R. (2011). "MORMONS AND GERMAN UNIFICATION". Journal of Mormon History. 37 (4): 136. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  7. ↑ Jones, ZACHARY R. (2011). "MORMONS AND GERMAN UNIFICATION". Journal of Mormon History. 37 (4): 138–139. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  8. ↑ Jones, ZACHARY R. (2011). "MORMONS AND GERMAN UNIFICATION". Journal of Mormon History. 37 (4): 142–146. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  9. ↑ Jones, ZACHARY R. (2011). "MORMONS AND GERMAN UNIFICATION". Journal of Mormon History. 37 (4): 148. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  10. ↑ Mehr, Kahlile (1992). "Enduring Believers". Journal of Mormon History. 18 (2): 113. Retrieved 8 December 2020.
  11. ↑ Jones, ZACHARY R. (2011). "MORMONS AND GERMAN UNIFICATION". Journal of Mormon History. 37 (4): 149. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
  12. ↑ Kuehne, Raymond (2007). Mormons As Citizens Of A Communist State. Salt Lake City: The University of Utah Press. p. 1. ISBN   978-0-87480-993-0.
  13. ↑ Minert, Roger P. (2009). In Harm's Way: East German Latter-day Saints in World War II. Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  14. ↑ Taylor, Scott (Sep 13, 2010). "LDS Church in Poland has had long, hard journey". Deseret News. Archived from the original on November 30, 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Minert, Roger P. (Fall 2010). "German and Austrian Latter-day Saints in World War II: An Analysis of the Casualties and Losses". Mormon Historical Studies. 11 (2): 1–21.
  16. ↑ Nelson, David Conley (2015). Moroni and the Swastika: Mormons in Nazi Germany. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 4. ISBN   978-0-8061-4668-3.
  17. 1 2 Embry, Jessie L. (2003). "Deliverer or Oppressor: Missionaries' Views of Hitler during the 1930". In Cannon, Donald Q.; Top, Brent L. (eds.). Regional Studies in Latter-day Saint Church History: Europe. Provo UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University. pp. 47–63.
  18. 1 2 3 Coates, Josh; Smoot, Stephen (2024-11-13). "Newly published Nazi archives reveal the regime's disdain for the Church of Jesus Christ". Deseret News. Retrieved 2024-11-14.
  19. ↑ Holmes & Keele (1995), p. 241.
  20. ↑ Holmes, Brian R.; Keele, Alan F. (1995). When truth was treason: German youth against Hitler. Urbana, Ill.: University of Illinois. ISBN   0-252-06498-4.
  21. ↑ Beuys, Barbara (1987). Vergeßt uns nicht - Menschen im Widerstand 1933-1945 (in German). Berlin: Rowohlt Verlag. ISBN   3498005111.
  22. ↑ Bergera, Gary James (2008). "-Ezra Taft Benson's 1946 Mission to Europe". Journal of Mormon History. 34 (2): 73–112. Retrieved 6 December 2020.
  23. ↑ "Country information: Germany", Church News Online Almanac, Deseret News, January 29, 2010, retrieved 2012-10-18
  24. ↑ "PF Maps", LDS Church
  25. ↑ "Freiberg Germany Temple to Be Rededicated" (Press release). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 16 August 2002. Retrieved 29 September 2006.
  26. ↑ Full summary of Sunday’s LDS General Conference: Nelson urges members to be peacemakers, announces 15 new temples, Salt Lake Tribune, 2 April 2023
  27. ↑ "The Church of Jesus Christ Will Build 15 New Houses of the Lord", Newsroom, LDS Church, 2 April 2023
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.