Paul Schneider: the Pastor of Buchenwald

by Edwin H. Robertson

A free translation of the story told by his widow, with many quotations from his diary and letters, originally published in German unter the title of "Der Prediger von Buchenwald. Das martyrium Paul Schneiders" Lettner-Verlag, Berlin.

127 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1956

About the author

Edwin Hanton Robertson was a minister, theologian, broadcaster, and author. He published dozens of books, mostly related to Biblical studies, but also on the work of German philosopher and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

Robertson began his career as a pastor in London and St. Albans before and after World War II. He then served as the head of religious broadcasting for the BBC. In 1956, he traveled the world as a representative of the United Bible Societies. He then managed the World Association for Christian Communication. In 1971 he returned pastoring in Paddington, then later in Hampstead, where he continued to preach until shortly before his death at the age of ninety-five.

Robertson received an honorary doctorate in divinity from the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Reviews

[Malcolm Dyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

A biography compiled by the widow of Pastor Paul Schneider, a minister in the Evangelical Church in pre-war Germany. A hero of the faith and of the Confessing Church who chose to oppose Hitler and his barbaric policies. Paul was arrested, harried, tortured, incarcerated in Buchenwald Concentration Camp because he stood opposed to the Nazi ideology. Rather than compromise he followed the example of Jesus and became the first Protestant martyr executed by lethal injection by the Nazi regime. This little book details why and how he took his stand against the godless Nazi regime.

[David Campton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A slim volume offering a glimpse of the life and thinking on Paul Schneider, generally recognised as the first martyr of the Confessing Church to die at the hands of the Nazi regime. Compiled originally by Schnieder's widow and translated/editted by Robertson it is obscure when it comes to some of the details of his conflict with the regime and the causes of his ultimate solitary confinement, torture and death, as well as the role he played in inspiring those within Buchenwald with him. It does point to a somewhat complex and uncompromising character, whose opposition to Nazism was largely due to its totalitarian demand of absolute loyalty, which he saw as idolatrous, rather than any solidarity with the Jews or others persecuted by them. Indeed there is little or no recognition of such persecution within the book at all. As such this offers an interesting window on not just Pastor Schneider's life, but perhaps the Confessing Church and the wider German population at the time.