German Christians

German Christians, Ludwig Müller and the German Evangelical Church
Pastor and theologian Ludwig Müller founded the German Christians (Deutsche Christen) in the 1920's, led the German Christians, and joined the Nazi Party in 1931. The Nazi Party gained power during 1933 in Germany. Müller had studied theology at the universities of Halle and Bonn. He was ordained in 1908, became a parish priest in Rödinghausen and was a Navy chaplain in Wilhelmshaven during World War I.

The Protestant churches of the various German federal states merged to form the German Evangelical Church (German: Deutsche Evangelische Kirche), and the German Christian candidate, Ludwig Müller, became leader of the church. The German Evangelical Church contained nearly 30 regional churches (Landeskirchen). Most of Germany's 40 million Protestants were members of this church.

The German Christians supported the Nazis, antisemitism and Martin Luther. The flag used by them pictured both the swastika and the Christian cross symbols.

The Institute for the Study and Elimination of Jewish Influence on German Church Life
The Institute for the Study and Elimination of Jewish Influence on German Church Life was a establishment by German Protestant churches during the Third Reich. It was set up in Eisenach under Protestant theologian and antisemitic, Walter Grundmann.