Johannes Volkers

Johannes Georg Heinrich Volkers (born October 5, 1878 in Oldenbrok ; † June 25, 1944 in Oldenburg ) was a Lutheran theologian and regional bishop .

Life

Volkers as a young theology student and fraternity member ( Uttenruthia Erlangen ) in the summer semester of 1898

Volkers was born in Oldenbrok in 1878 as the son of a pastor. Until his Abitur in 1897, he attended high school in Oldenburg . He studied theology in Bonn , Erlangen and Berlin and passed the exam in 1904.

After working as a pastor in Minsen , Jade and Ganderkesee , he was entrusted on January 23, 1934 with the performance of the services of a spiritual member of the upper church council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Oldenburg . On March 20, 1934 he was appointed Oberkirchenrat , at the same time he assumed the function of President of the Oberkirchenrat. After being appointed provost on June 25, 1934, he was introduced to the office of regional bishop on August 21, 1934.

Volkers, who was committed to Lutheranism, hoped for a renewal of the church from the German-Christian movement. Although he resigned from the German Christian Movement after being elected bishop, he remained dependent on the National Socialist-ruled regional church committee and was isolated from the pastorate. As a theologian, he believed: “We preach the gospel. We leave the remaining questions confidently to Adolf Hitler's leadership ”.

In 1939 he was one of the founders of the anti-Semitic Eisenach Institute to research and eliminate the Jewish influence on German church life .

He only agreed to the " truce " with the Confessing Church after the outbreak of the Second World War .

literature

Reinhard Rittner: Volkers, Johannes. In: Hans Friedl u. a. (Ed.): Biographical manual for the history of the state of Oldenburg . Edited on behalf of the Oldenburg landscape. Isensee, Oldenburg 1992, ISBN 3-89442-135-5 , pp. 770-771 ( online ).

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b Quote from Ernst Klee : Lexicon of persons on the Third Reich . Who was what before and after 1945 . Second updated edition. Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Frankfurt / M. 2005, ISBN 978-3-596-16048-8 , p. 644.

personal data
SURNAME	Volkers, Johannes
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Volkers, Johannes Georg Heinrich (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Lutheran theologian and regional bishop
DATE OF BIRTH	October 5, 1878
PLACE OF BIRTH	Oldenbrok
DATE OF DEATH	June 25, 1944
Place of death	Oldenburg

[Klee-1] Quote from Ernst Klee : Lexicon of persons on the Third Reich . Who was what before and after 1945 . Second updated edition. Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Frankfurt / M. 2005, ISBN 978-3-596-16048-8 , p. 644.