German Christians

Pastor and theologian Ludwig Müller joined the Nazi Party in 1931, founded and led the German Christians. Müller had studied theology at the universities of Halle and Bonn, and was a parish priest in Rödinghausen and 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 in September the German Christian candidate, Ludwig Müller, became leader of the 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.