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

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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.


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Germany
(Logo in German)
An LDS meetinghouse in Annaberg-Buchholz, Germany
AreaEurope Central
Members39,975 (2023)[1]
Stakes14
Wards102
Branches48
Total Congregations[2]150
Missions3
Temples
  • 2 Operating
  • 1 Announced
  • 3 Total
FamilySearch Centers97[3]

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

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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)

1840s-1900 First missionaries and persecution

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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

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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 19377, 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

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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

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

Stake Organized Mission Temple
Berlin Germany 10 Sep 1961 Germany Berlin Freiberg Germany
Dortmund Germany 19 Sep 1976 Germany Hamburg Frankfurt Germany
Dresden Germany 29 Aug 1982 Germany Berlin Freiberg Germany
Düsseldorf Germany 4 Jun 1972 Germany Hamburg Frankfurt Germany
Frankfurt Germany 12 Sep 1976 Germany Frankfurt Frankfurt Germany
Friedrichsdorf Germany 22 Jun 2014 Germany Frankfurt Frankfurt Germany
Hamburg Germany 1961 Germany Hamburg Frankfurt Germany
Hannover Germany 12 Jun 1977 Germany Hamburg Frankfurt Germany
Heidelberg Germany 12 Nov 1961 Germany Frankfurt Frankfurt Germany
Kaiserslautern Germany 3 Nov 1968 Germany Frankfurt Frankfurt Germany
Leipzig Germany 3 Jun 1984 Germany Berlin Freiberg Germany
Munich Germany 23 Oct 1977 Alpine German-Speaking Frankfurt Germany
Nürnberg Germany 20 March 1994 Germany Frankfurt Frankfurt Germany
St Gallen Switzerland* 6 May 2007 Alpine German-Speaking Bern Switzerland
Stuttgart Germany 26 Oct 1961 Germany Frankfurt Frankfurt Germany
Zürich Switzerland* 29 Oct 1961 Alpine German-Speaking Bern Switzerland
  • *Stake centered outside of Germany with congregations in Germany.

Missions

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Temples

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class=notpageimage|
Temples in Germany
Red = Operating
Yellow = Announced
Blue = Under Construction
Black = Closed for Renovations
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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]
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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
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Location:
Announced: 		Hamburg, Germany
2 April 2023 by Russell M. Nelson[26][27]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "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. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b 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. ^ a b c 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
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