Paul Schneider: Witness of Buchenwald

by Rudolf Wentorf, Craig L. Nessan (Foreword), Daniel Bloesch (Translator)

Paul Schneider (1897-1939) was a German Reformed pastor, father of six, and part of the Bekennende Kirche during World War II. Schneider's unequivocal opposition to the quickly ascending Nazi regime led to his imprisonment, torture and eventual execution at the hands of the Gestapo on July 18, 1939. Until now, Pastor Schneider's story has remained less accessible to English-speaking audiences. This authoritative biography of Paul Schneider by Rudolf Wentorf appears here for the first time in an unabridged English translation by Daniel Bloesch.

Genres: Biography

404 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2008

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone should read this book. Most people are familiar with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and rightly so. While Bonhoeffer gave his life standing up for the faith in making big decisions, Schneider was the first Christian martyr in Nazi Germany because of his "small" decisions.
"The Preacher of Buchenwald" needs to be heard by every Christian. He can show us how we can remain faithful to the faith in big and small ways.

[Robert Conder · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is interesting to read about the pastors who stood up against the Nazi government. Paul Schneider was one of those. He was dedicated to his faith. Very good book and recommended to those interested in history and to learn about those who took a stand for their faith in God.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

A moving account of this man's courage at the beginning of evil. He died--1st to be martyred by Hitler's machine in 1939 by lethal injection.

[Relstuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first two thirds of the book was a bit slow and contained the text of some of Pastor Paul Schneider's sermons and records of minor conflicts with members of the congregation. These issues become more important later as the Gestapo use Paul's words against him. This history illustrates how the government pressured and then forced the church to be silent about their racial policies and how the German government did their best to limit the influence of Christianity on the German people while they tried to supplant Christianity with their own form of Christianized racist nationalism that was not based on the scripture.

Paul would not go along with these efforts. He was harassed. Detained for a few weeks, released, banned from going back to his church, disobeyed the ban, arrested and then sent to a concentration camp. At Buchenwald he was beaten, tortured, tempted to recant his position on National Socialism, but for two years remained steadfast. Witness testimony was that the doctor in the camp killed him with an overdose. The Pastor was one of many unsuspecting victims killed this way. Recalcitrant prisoners had their food spiked with a cardiac depressant and were subsequently "treated" with a stimulant that would be given to them in overdose amounts to kill them. Then they would put on their medical records that they died of a heart condition.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

An inspiring chronicle of a man who stood alone against the stranglehold that was National Socialist influence on the German populace in the 1930s. The boldness and clarity of Schneider stands as stark contrast to the spinelessness of his clerical contemporaries who abandoned Christian principle to curry favor with the hyper-nationalists. Of all those who bore the reproach of the Nazis due to their faithfulness to their convictions, Schneider had the distinction of being the first Christian pastor to die at their hands. The majority of the text of this book is correspondence and journal entries from Schneider and those associated with this story. At times this makes for cumbersome reading - it would have been helpful to have a more explained narrative in places. Nevertheless, to read these words makes for a riveting, personal account, especially in the most dramatic moments. It is a well-researched labor of love for this great man. This book was passed along by a friend and I am most grateful to have been its recipient.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good biographies are not too hard to come by, but a great biography is rare indeed. This is one of the best. Though probably lesser known than Bonhoeffer, I found his life to be more steadfast and encouraging (not to lessen the impact of Bonhoeffer and his testimony of faith in Christ). Though Schneider was a pastor this is a must read for any follower of Christ.