On January 27, the world will mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day, a symbolic date to commemorate the victims of Nazism. Murderous Nazi terror targeted millions for reasons of biology, nationality, or political ideology. But it is a lesser known fact that the Nazis’ victims included thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses, who suffered for their Christian faith.

Jehovah’s Witnesses, also then known as Bible Students, were “the only group in the Third Reich to be persecuted on the basis of their religious beliefs alone,” says Professor Robert Gerwarth. The Nazi regime branded Witnesses “enemies of the State,” according to historian Christine King, because of “their very public refusal to accept even the smallest elements of [Nazism], which didn’t fit their faith and their beliefs.”

On religious grounds, the politically neutral Witnesses refused to give the “Heil Hitler” salute, take part in racist and violent acts, or join the German army. Moreover, “in their literature they publicly identified the evils of the regime, including what was happening to the Jews,” stated King.

Witnesses were among the first sent to concentration camps, where they bore a unique uniform symbol—the purple triangle. Of about 35,000 Witnesses in Nazi-occupied Europe, more than one-third suffered direct persecution. Most were arrested and imprisoned. Hundreds of their children were taken to Nazi homes or reformatories. About 4,200 Witnesses went to Nazi concentration camps. Leading authority Detlef Garbe wrote: “The declared intention of the NS [Nazi] rulers was to completely eliminate the Bible Students from German history.” An estimated 1,600 Witnesses died, 370 by execution.

The Nazis sought to break Witnesses’ religious convictions by offering them freedom in exchange for a pledge of obedience. The standard Erklärung (issued beginning in 1938) required the signee to renounce his or her faith, denounce other Witnesses to the police, fully submit to the Nazi government, and defend the “Fatherland” with weapon in hand. Prison and camp officials often used torture and privation to induce Witnesses to sign. According to Garbe, “extremely low numbers” of Witnesses recanted their faith.

Geneviève de Gaulle, a niece of General Charles de Gaulle and member of the French Resistance, said of female Witness prisoners in Ravensbrück concentration camp: “What I admired a lot in them was that they could have left at any time just by signing a renunciation of their faith. . . . Ultimately, these women, who appeared to be so weak and worn out, were stronger than the SS, who had power and all the means at their disposal. They had their strength, and it was their willpower that no one could beat.”

The failure of Nazi coercion in the case of Jehovah’s Witnesses contrasts with widespread societal conformity to Nazi aims before and during the Holocaust. The nonviolent resistance of ordinary people to racism, extreme nationalism, and violence merits thoughtful reflection on this International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

More information about Jehovah’s Witnesses during the Holocaust can be found on jw.org:
https://www.jw.org/en/jehovahs-witnesses/faq/jw-holocaust-facts-concentration-camps/
https://www.jw.org/en/bible-teachings/questions/why-did-the-holocaust-happen/
https://www.jw.org/en/news/releases/by-region/germany/remembrance-brandenburg-liberation/
https://www.jw.org/en/news/jw/region/italy/risiera-di-san-sabba-trieste-concentration-camp/
https://www.jw.org/en/news/releases/by-region/poland/auschwitz-concentration-camps-liberation/
https://www.jw.org/en/news/releases/by-region/hungary/holocaust-memorial-honors-jehovahs-witnesses/

In support of patient-centered care, Jehovah’s Witnesses are working with healthcare professionals and hospitals throughout the country to provide information about nonblood clinical strategies that are acceptable to the beliefs of their patients.
Also called Hospital Liaison Committees (HLCs), Jehovah’s Witnesses have formed an international network of trained volunteers who offer assistance to Witness patients, their families and physicians for quality healthcare without the use of blood.
Worldwide, there are about 1,700 HLCs in 110 countries who interact and collaborate with physicians, and hospital personnel. In the Philippines, there are 22 HLCs composed of 283 Christian ministers from across the country. In October, the Hospital Information Services of Jehovah’s Witnesses completed virtual training for the six HLCs in the Mindanao region. Prior to the pandemic, training for HLCs in Luzon and the Visayas regions was also held.
The HLC members make full use of their training to support Witness patients who have personally decided to receive medical care that is compatible with their Bible-based belief to avoid blood.—Acts 15:28, 29.
“Jehovah’s Witnesses value life and do whatever is reasonable in order to prolong it. They seek out quality healthcare and accept the vast majority of medical treatments. We highly appreciate countless physicians and medical staffers who understand and respect deeply-held personal beliefs of their patients,” said Leynard Rodulfa, Philippines Spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The HLCs also provide access to relevant peer-reviewed medical journals, and facilitate physician-to-physician consultations. Presentations for the medical community are being held to enhance understanding about the religious and ethical beliefs of Witnesses on medical therapy without the use of blood. The presentations also include information on advanced medical procedures based on scientifically accepted alternatives to blood.
Some non-Witness physicians and patients prefer nonblood medical care. Patients who undergo bloodless medical treatment often benefit from fewer infections and faster recovery.
“I would like to learn more about alternatives because we know that the safest transfusion is still the one not given. In our official consent form, we do acknowledge and respect the rights of every patient to receive or refuse blood transfusion,” said Dr. Reynette Christine Ligaray who attended one of the HLC presentations in Cebu City.
The HLCs are available 24 hours a day to healthcare professionals who are treating Witness patients. Medical information for clinicians about complex medical and surgical procedures performed successfully without the use of blood can be found on jw.org/en/medical-library.