Persecution of Catholics since outbreak of war

The files contain information on the treatment of Catholics since the outbreak of war. The assembly ban put in place by the Nazis also affected activities of the Church but did not include the mass itself. Furthermore, newspapers and magazines for the purpose of the Church were prohibited. Among the organizations banned was the “Frauenhilfswerk fuer Priesterberufe” which at the time had around 50000 members and aimed at supporting priests in different ways. Among the persecuted were also numerous priests who were put into concentration camps which consequently led to the closure of various churches.