A Church Divided: German Protestants Confront the Nazi Past

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The completion of this book would not have been possible without the wisdom and generous support of many individuals and organizations. Of the many colleagues and mentors who influenced this project at every stage, Molly Nolan and Stewart Stehlin of New York University, and John S. Conway, professor emeritus at the University of British Columbia, in particular deserve my warm appreciation. From the beginning, their persistent criticisms and gentle persuasion improved the quality of the manuscript. I’m grateful for their unflagging support and enthusiasm for this project—even when I didn’t heed all of their advice. Early drafts of various chapters presented as conference papers also profited from the insightful comments of several scholars and professors, including Doris Bergen, Donald Dietrich, Helga Doblin, Robert Ericksen, Robert Herzstein, Dianne Kirby, Hartmut Lehmann, and Richard Rubenstein. The chapter on Bishop Wurm bene- fited immensely from David Diephouse’s extensive knowledge of Württemberg’s Lutheran bishop. Tony Judt of New York University oªered thoughtful advice during the early stages of this project and assisted me as a junior visiting fellow at the Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen in Vienna in 1995, where he was writing a book while on sabbatical. Of my supportive colleagues at Skidmore College , I wish to especially thank Barry Goldensohn for encouragement and advice on the reorganization of the chapters; Undine Giguere for editing the notes and bibliography; reference librarians Amy Syrell and Marilyn Sheªer for their cheerful willingness to track down obscure German theology texts; and Sarah Rubin for reading and oªering perceptive comments on the final draft. Professor Gerhard Besier of the University of Heidelberg and Jörg Conzelmann of the Karlshöhe Lutheran charity and deacon’s seminary helped me to secure housing in Heidelberg and Karlshöhe Ludwigsburg during an archival research trip in 2001. Lively discussions with the former director of Karlshöhe, Dr. Winfried Fischer , clarified some of the more opaque aspects of the structure and organization of the Protestant Church in Germany. The friendly assistance and recommendations from Professor Michael Brenner of the University of Munich were critical for attaining financial support from a number of institutions, including the Institut für Europäische Geschichte in Mainz, where Professor Heinz Duchhardt and his colleagues provided insightful guidance in fall 2001. The Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) generously supported two research trips to Germany, the first in 1994–95 and the second in conjunction with the Leo Baeck Institute in 2001. I was also fortunate to participate in the scholar-in-residence program through the Faculty Resource Network at New York University in 2002. The NYU history department, whose chair at the time was Molly Nolan, provided a friendly and familiar setting in which to complete the manuscript. Lectures and roundtable discussions at the Remarque Institute for European Studies and the Leo Baeck Institute provided further stimulation during my time as scholar-in-residence at NYU. The opportunity to finish my research in Germany and write the final chapters of the manuscript would not have been possible without the support of Skidmore College , in particular a year-long sabbatical (2001–2002) and financial support from the O‹ce of the Dean of Faculty. The assistance and patience of all the archivists I encountered in Germany was a pleasant surprise. During my first research trip to Germany I spent much of my time at the Evangelisches Zentralarchiv in Berlin, where Friedrich Künzel introduced me to the art of archival research. Peter Honigmann and his staª in Heidelberg at the Zentralarchiv zur Erforschung der Geschichte der Juden in Deutschland were particularly accommodating while the reading room was under construction. Hermann Ehmer and his colleagues at the Landeskirchliches Archiv Stuttgart deserve particular thanks for copying hundreds of pages of documents. I will also remember their warmth and sensitivity in the wake of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Both Holger Bogs at the Evangelische Kirche Hauptarchiv Hessen-Nassau and the late Christoph Freiherr von Brandenstein at the Landeskirchliches Archiv Nürnberg and their staªs were always obliging. Michael Häusler and his assistants at the Archiv des Diakonischen Werkes der EKD in Dahlem provided expert assistance and welcome advice. I also received archival assistance in the United States from Sara Mummert, the reference librarian at the Gettysburg Lutheran Theological Seminary’s A. R. Wentz Library in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where Stewart Herman’s papers are housed and from...