German theologian (1888–1972)
Emanuel Hirsch (14 June 1888 in Bentwisch, Province of Brandenburg – 17 July 1972 in Göttingen) was a German Protestant theologian and also a member of the Nazi Party and the Nazi supporting body. He escaped denazification at the end of the war by quitting his professorship, allegedly for health reasons, losing the pension from his University.[1]
Hirsch studied at the Humboldt University of Berlin where his teachers were Karl Holl and Adolf von Harnack. He earned his PhD with the thesis Fichte's Philosophy of Religion in the context of his overall philosophical development (in German: Fichtes Religionsphilosophie im Rahmen der philosophischen Gesamtentwicklung Fichtes). Hirsch was a member of the Wingolf student fraternity.
He was a professor at Göttingen University (1921–1945). Shortly after the Nazi seizure of power he wrote:
No other people of the world has a statesman who is so serious about Christendom; when Adolf Hitler concluded his great speech on May 1st with a prayer everybody could feel the wonderful candor therein.[2]
In 1933 Hirsch signed the Vow of allegiance of the Professors of the German Universities and High-Schools to Adolf Hitler and the National Socialistic State.
Emanuel Hirsch joined the NSDAP[3] in 1937 and also became a Patron Member of the SS and joined the National Socialist People's Welfare.[4] Hirsch was a leader of the German Christians and an advisor of Reich Bishop Ludwig Müller.
