Crucifixion
The Decree of the Cross was a decree of the Oldenburg Minister of Churches and Schools, Julius Pauly , of November 4, 1936. This stated that religious symbols such as statues, images and, above all, crosses should be removed from all government buildings and thus also from Catholic denominational schools .
The decree had the following wording:
All public buildings of the state, the municipalities and municipal associations belong to the whole people regardless of the religious creed of the individual people. It is therefore not permissible for public buildings to be consecrated or consecrated by the church. This is particularly pointed out as the occasion arises.
Public administration buildings of the state have not been equipped with denominational symbols - e.g. a crucifix or a Luther picture - from ancient times. This also corresponds to an objective need because the state includes the entire German people. The same aspects must be decisive for all public buildings. School buildings of the state, municipalities and municipal associations are not to be treated differently. The primary school buildings are no exception, because they belong to the whole and not to any particular religious denomination.
Accordingly, we order that in future in buildings of the state, the parishes and parish associations, church or other religious signs of the above or similar characters may no longer be affixed. The existing ones must be removed. A report on what has been done is to be reported by December 15 of this year.
signed Dr. Pauly
As a result of the cross fight , the decree was repealed on November 25th by Gauleiter Carl Röver : “ The order of November 4th, 1936 will be withdrawn in the same way via the officials, mayors, mayors and school councilors. The crosses remain in the Catholic churches, the images of Luther in the Protestant schools. "
Individual evidence
- ^ The occasion was the inauguration of the Bösel elementary school on October 24, 1936.
- ↑ Steinwascher, Gerd, Heuvel, Christine van den: History of Lower Saxony in 111 documents. Wallstein Verlag, Göttingen 2016, ISBN 978-3-8353-4058-9 , pp. 344 .