Kurt Gerstein, the sixth of seven children of a Prussian middle-class family, was born on the 11 August 1905 in Münster, then part of the German Empire.
Kurt’s mother died when he was young, and his father Ludwig was a harsh authoritarian figure and ardent nationalist who instilled an unwavering patriotism in his children. Ludwig, a former Prussian officer, proudly proclaimed that in his family's genealogical tree there was only Aryan blood and exhorted generations to "preserve the purity of the German race!”
Although an exceptionally bright child, Kurt was a less than ideal student. He skipped classes, ignored his schoolwork, and was even known as a prankster. Despite his flawed scholastic record, he went on to study mining engineering at the universities of Marburg, Aachen, and Berlin, earning his degree in 1931. While studying at Marburg, Gerstein mirrored his father’s chauvinistic attitudes and at his father's request joined Corps Teutonia Marburg, one of Germany’s most ultra-nationalistic fraternities.
Although not exceptionally pious as a boy, Gerstein began to read the Bible while studying at university. His efforts were likely in response to the drinking and carousing he observed among his fellow fraternity members. At Marburg he became active in Christian student and youth movements, supporting the Christian education of young men.
Adolf Hitler and his Nazi Party came into power in January 1933. Initially, Gerstein felt it was his patriotic duty to support the Nazis and his strong nationalist sentiments drove him to join the Nazi Party in May 1933.
In the following year, Kurt gravitated towards the Confessing Church. This movement opposed the effort to unify the German Protestant churches into a single, pro-Nazi establishment. Despite his father’s disapproval, Gerstein became dedicated to the movement. It was through his involvement with the church that he first came into conflict with the Nazi regime. As the preachings of the Confessing Church failed to square with Nazi doctrine, the German state gradually impinged upon the church and its organizations. Gerstein felt that he had to choose between defending his church and supporting his nation and he chose his church.
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Негізгі бет BRUTAL Death of Kurt Gerstein - A Good German Who Joined the SS to Tell the Truth about the NAZIS
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