The Nazi Persecution of the Christian Churches The “Donovan” Documents Collection
The Nazi Persecution of the Christian Churches The “Donovan” Documents Collection

Summary/Abstract: The Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches suffered persecution in Nazi Germany. The Nazis claimed jurisdiction over all collective and social activities and the party leadership hoped to dechristianize Germany in the long term. The clergy were watched closely, and frequently denounced, arrested and sent to Nazi concentration camps. The Donovan Nuremberg Trials collection consists of nearly 150 bound volumes of Nuremberg trial transcripts and documents from the personal archives of General William J. Donovan (1883-1959). The Donovan papers contain both original statements from defendants in German and typed translations in English prepared by the Allies. The International Military Tribunal addressed four counts: (1) the common plan or conspiracy, (2) crimes against peace, (3) war crimes (including genocide), and (4) crimes against humanity. Donovan played an important part in the International Military Tribunal proceedings in his role as special assistant to the U.S. chief of counsel, Supreme Court justice Robert H. Jackson. A graduate of the Columbia Law School, Donovan earned the Congressional Medal of Honour during World War I. Most importantly, however, he was the founding director of the Office of Strategic Services - the precursor of the Central Intelligence Agency - and offered valuable intelligence to Jackson as the Allies gathered evidence to construct their case against the German war criminals.

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