Kwami Affair

The so-called Kwami affair was triggered by the Nazi Gauleiter of Weser -Ems and Prime Minister of the Free State of Oldenburg, Carl Röver when he tried to prevent the preaching of the Ghanaian Pastor Robert Kwami on September 20, 1932 in St. Lambert Church in Oldenburg.

Lecture tour

Robert Kwami was invited to Germany in the summer of 1932 as a representative of the Ghanaian Ewe Church at the invitation of the North German Missionary Society for a lecture tour in which, inter alia, donations should be collected to support the young Church in the former German colony of Togo. In the time of global economic crisis, donations from Germany were recently fallen sharply. 60 lectures were planned, but due to the great public interest finally almost 150 presentations were conducted in 82 locations in lip, East Frisia, the county of Bentheim and the Oldenburg region.

Conflict between the Nazis and the Church

Im already ruled by the Nazis Oldenburg Council of Churches, the North German Mission decided to ask the St. Lamberti Church for the presentation by Pastor Robert Kwami available. Immediately rushed the reigning Gauleiter of Weser -Ems and since June 16, 1932 Prime Minister of the Free State of Oldenburg, Carl Röver, with racist tirades against Kwami and the planned for September 20, 1932 event. The Nazi party called the Oldenburg State Department to stop the appearance of the African pastor. In a letter from the Deputy Gauleiter George Joel and the Head of the Department of Education of the NSDAP Oldenburg, Jens Müller, the Ministry has been asked " to prevent such a disgrace to civilization and challenge the Nazi oldenburgischen Ministry immediately. "

The church referred the matter to the Oberkirchenrat Heinrich Tilemann further, the publicly stated that he had " never hesitated, to allow certified Christian personalities that come from the heathen world come among us to speak. " Röver, known for his verbal failures, attacked the Churches on then, described the decision as " stupidity " or " frivolity " that had to be actually punished by imprisonment. In a public speech on September 16, 1932 Röver threatened: "With the people who dare to make the Negro with the whites to a level that they would very clearly speak fracture in the Third Reich, and there comes a day when they would speak of the day when the Negro in Oldenburg spoke as one day of deepest shame. " the North German Mission cared for these public hate speech to Kwamis security.

Wide public through Open Letter

Thereupon the Oldenburg Pastor Erich Hoyer turned in an open letter he sent to 35 regional newspapers, outraged at the current Prime Minister of Oldenburg and protested against the public attacks. As the initiator of the event, Pastor Hoyer saw a personal attack: " I urge you to [ ... ], to take back the words that contain a threat of safety and life of a dutifully acting oldenburgischen citizen with the clear expression of regret. " Even on regional music take over the letter, so that the affair is known throughout Germany. Even Dutch and English newspapers report the case. Churches Buck turned to Mayor Dr. Goerlitz and asked for fear of riots and harassment by police protection.

Lecture Kwamis

Despite the public threats by the ruling National Socialists the event on September 20, 1932 was performed. Robert Kwami, who not only spoke fluent German, but also had the German nationality, held in the afternoon from a well-attended Sunday school. In the evening he spoke before with approximately 2000 visitors completely crowded church, " The Blessings of Missionary Work in Eweland in West Africa ". Numerous other community members waited outside the church to award Kwami courage and wish him a safe journey home. In the church Kwami asked in his speech strongly about not subside in the missionary work, and continue to be faithful to the Christian faith.

Trial after Vortragsveransataltung

As Röver not withdrew his threats, the senior church filed a lawsuit. Suddenly, the official Transcript of Remarks Roevers had disappeared, the witnesses caused problems and the part of the Oldenburg State Department has intervened massively in the judicial investigation of the events. Finally, the method end of December 1932 has been set as part of a Christmas amnesty. So the Kwami affair ended under the first National Socialist state government in Oldenburg, who had not only Germany, but also ensured in the international press sensation, just a few weeks before the rise of Adolf Hitler.

The General preacher club, the professional organization of clergy, regretted the interference of the NSDAP in ecclesiastical matters " deeply " and put in response to a series of theses on Christianity and race theory before that found nationwide attention. The energetic resistance of the Oldenburg church leaders against the accusations of the National Socialist state government had consequences, especially for Oberkirchenrat Tilemann. Reigning since 1920 leader of the Oldenburgische church was beset by the takeover of power in the Empire of the Nazis so that he submitted his resignation in mid-January 1934.

Today's evaluation of the affair

" " For the North German Mission, headquartered in Bremen is the affair more than one episode in history, " says the current Secretary General Hannes Menke. The affair had the then leaders made ​​aware of how important it is critical to read the Bible and interpreted. As a result, the mission has clearly distanced itself from the so-called German Christians. " A vibrant Church knows that she has to make a charge for human rights and democracy critical voice. " "