Covenant of Religious Socialists of Germany
Encyclopedia
The Covenant of Religious Socialists of Germany (Bund der Religiösen Sozialistinnen und Sozialisten Deutschlands, BRSD) is an organization of German Protestants who are working for a socialist society. It was founded in 1926 and was banned during the Nazi era (1933–1945), but reconstituted itself again, after the war.
.
was marginialized because of the Cold War
, but was able to revitalize itself after 1968. Today, the BRSD is a member of the Attac
network, of Oikocredit
, Kairos Europa, and the International League of Religious Socialists
.
Goals
The goals of the BRSD are the separation of church and state, the democratization of the church, the political neutrality of the church, non-denominational schools, an end of the chaplaincy and for the church to work for peace and international understanding.Nazi Resistance
The BRSD positioned itself squarely against National Socialism. It referred to Nazism as "pre-Christian, heathen destructive power' and criticized the ideological glorification of violence by the Nazis. As with other socialist organizations, the Federation was banned once the Nazis seized power, however, various members of the organization formed resistance groups, such as Erich Kürschner in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
After 1945
After the Second World War, the BRSD was re-founded. The group in the Soviet occupation zone disintegrated after 1946. The organization in West GermanyWest Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
was marginialized because of the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, but was able to revitalize itself after 1968. Today, the BRSD is a member of the Attac
Association pour la Taxation des Transactions pour l'Aide aux Citoyens
The Association pour la taxation des transactions financières et pour l'action citoyenne is an activist organization originally created for promoting the establishment of a tax on foreign exchange transactions.-Background:Originally a single-issue movement demanding the...
network, of Oikocredit
Oikocredit
Oikocredit is a cooperative society that offers loans or investment capital for microfinance institutions, cooperatives and small and medium-sized enterprises in developing countries. It is one of the world's largest private financiers of the microfinance sector...
, Kairos Europa, and the International League of Religious Socialists
International League of Religious Socialists
The International League of Religious Socialists is an umbrella organization of religious socialist movements in political parties throughout the world. Founded in the 1920s, it has member groups in 21 countries totalling 200,000 members...
.
External links
- Official website
- Ulrich Peter. History of the BRSD