Hanns Kerrl facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Hanns Kerrl
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Reichsminister of Church Affairs | |
| In office 16 July 1935 – 14 December 1941 |
|
| Leader | Adolf Hitler |
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Hermann Muhs |
| Reichsminister without Portfolio | |
| In office 17 June 1934 – 16 July 1935 |
|
| Chief of the Reich Office for Spatial planning | |
| In office June 1935 – 14 December 1941 |
|
| Preceded by | Office established |
| Succeeded by | Hermann Muhs |
| Prussian Minister of Justice | |
| In office 23 March 1932 – 17 June 1934 |
|
| Preceded by | Heinrich Hölsche |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| First Deputy President of the Reichstag | |
| In office 12 December 1933 – 14 December 1941 |
|
| Preceded by | Thomas Esser |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| President of the Landtag of Prussia | |
| In office 24 May 1932 – 14 October 1934 |
|
| Vice President | Wolfgang von Kries Josef Baum Hoff Heinrich Haake |
| Preceded by | Ernst Wittmaack |
| Succeeded by | Office abolished |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 11 December 1887 Fallersleben |
| Died | 15 December 1941 (aged 54) |
| Resting place | Waldfriedhof Dahlem |
| Political party | Nazi Party |
| Cabinet | Hitler Cabinet |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  German Empire |
| Branch/service |  Imperial German Army |
| Rank | Leutnant |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
| Awards | Iron Cross, 1st and 2nd class |
Hanns Kerrl (born December 11, 1887 – died December 14, 1941) was a German Nazi politician. He held several important roles during the Nazi era. His most well-known job was as the Minister for Church Affairs, starting in July 1935. He also served as the President of the Prussian Landtag (a regional parliament) from 1932 to 1933.
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
Hanns Kerrl was born in Fallersleben, Germany. His family was Protestant, and his father worked as a headmaster.
During the First World War, Kerrl served in the German Army. He was a Leutnant, which is a military rank similar to a lieutenant. For his service, he received the Iron Cross, both 1st and 2nd Class.
After the war, in 1923, he joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP). He quickly became involved in local politics. He was also a member of the Sturmabteilung (SA), which was a Nazi paramilitary group. He eventually reached the rank of SA-Obergruppenführer.
Beginning His Nazi Political Career
After joining the Nazi Party in 1923, Kerrl helped start and lead a local group in Peine, near Hanover. In 1928, he became the leader of the Peine District within the party.
In the same year (1928), he was elected to the Landtag of Prussia. This was a regional parliament. He became the head of the Nazi group within this parliament. On May 24, 1932, after the Nazis won many seats, he became the President of the assembly. He stayed in this role until the Landtag was closed down in October 1933. This happened as the Nazis took more control over Germany's states.
After the Nazis came to power, Kerrl was appointed as the Reich Commissioner for the Prussian Ministry of Justice in March 1933. In April, he became the Minister of Justice for Prussia. He held this position until June 1934. In this role, he made rules that prevented Jewish notaries and lawyers from working in Prussia.
In September 1933, he became a member of the Prussian State Council. He also joined the Academy for German Law. In November 1933, Kerrl was elected to the Reichstag, which was the national parliament. On December 12, he was named the First Deputy President of the Reichstag, working under Hermann Göring. He kept this job until his death. In June 1934, Kerrl joined the national government as a minister without a specific department.
Becoming Minister of Church Affairs
On July 16, 1935, Hanns Kerrl was given a new and very important job. He was appointed Reichsminister of the new Reich Ministry for Church Affairs. This ministry was created to deal with religious matters in Germany.
Kerrl's job was complicated. On one hand, he was supposed to act as a go-between for Nazi leaders who disliked Christianity (like Heinrich Himmler) and the churches themselves. He also had to emphasize the religious side of Nazi ideas. On the other hand, his main goal was to bring the churches under Nazi control. This policy was called Gleichschaltung, which meant making everything in society conform to Nazi ideas. Kerrl had to make sure that different Christian groups and their leaders followed the goals set by the Führer, Adolf Hitler. He was appointed after an earlier attempt to unite Protestant churches into one "Reich Church" had failed.
Kerrl was seen as one of the less extreme Nazis. However, in a speech in February 1937, he showed how much the regime disliked the church. He stated that "Positive Christianity is National Socialism." He also said that "True Christianity is represented by the party" and that "the Führer is the herald of a new revelation." He even pressured most Protestant pastors to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler.
Over time, Hitler paid less attention to Kerrl, and Kerrl became less important. He died while still in office on December 14, 1941, at the age of 54. Hermann Muhs took over his position.
The Lindemann House
From 1935 to 1941, Hanns Kerrl lived in a house in Berlin. This house, called the Lindemann Haus, had been built in 1928/29. It was originally owned by a Jewish man named Paul Lindemann. The Nazis forced Lindemann to sell his house in 1935, and Kerrl bought it. This process was part of what was called "Aryanization," where Jewish people were forced to sell their property.
See also
In Spanish: Hanns Kerrl para niños
