Kreisau Circle
Encyclopedia
The Kreisau Circle was the name the Nazi Gestapo
gave to a group of German dissidents centered on the Kreisau estate of Helmuth James Graf von Moltke
. The Kreisauer Kreis is celebrated as one of the instances of German opposition to the Nazi regime. The difficulty for all such dissidents was how to reconcile loyalty to Germany with opposition to the Nazis, once the Nazis had subverted the state to such an extent that the two were almost inextricable (Gleichschaltung
).
, Peter Graf Yorck von Wartenburg
and Adam von Trott zu Solz
. The leaders of the Kreisauer Kreis included members of some of the most illustrious names in German history. Helmuth James von Moltke was a great-grandnephew of the famous Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke the Elder
, who led the Prussian army to victory over France in 1870. Peter Yorck von Wartenburg was a direct descendant of the Prussian general of the Napoleonic era who had been instrumental in arranging the defection of the Prussian army from the French side to that of the Sixth Coalition in 1813. General Yorck had been rewarded with title of Count, Graf von Yorck, and was allowed to append the name 'Wartenburg' to his surname as a battle honour (cf. Britain's Viscount Montgomery of Alamein), to become Graf Yorck von Wartenburg (in this case, the first 'von' becomes redundant).
Most members of the group were conservatives from the traditional aristocracy and gentry, but it did include people from a wide variety of backgrounds. They included two Jesuit priests, two Lutheran Pastors, conservatives, liberals, monarchists, landowners, former trade-union leaders, and diplomats. It was united by its abhorrence of Nazism
and its desire to conceive of a new Germany
after the fall of Hitler. The long meetings and discussions at Kreisau developed an image of a society to be based on Christian
values and on small communities, so as to avoid a manipulation of the whole of society like the one Hitler had achieved. Some of them also wanted to restore the German monarchy, as a backup to stop one man gaining so much power in Germany again,
. The circle worked to enlighten the Allied forces, especially the United Kingdom
, to conditions within the Third Reich and the threats and weaknesses of Nazism
. But the circle's main focus was to plan and propose a peacetime government for Germany; they do not ever appear to have made any plans to overthrow the Nazi state. As Moltke wrote to his wife just before his execution "we are to be hanged for thinking together."
. After the failure of this Plot, many members of the Circle were arrested and were executed. These included Trott
but also members who had not been part of the Plot, such as Moltke
, Yorck
and Delp
.
as Helmuth James von Moltke tells the story of the formation of the Kreisau Circle and the arrest, trial and execution of Moltke. The Kreisau Circle resistance group is featured in the 2008 movie Valkyrie
starring Tom Cruise. The movie focuses on a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the height of World War II.
The Kreisau Circle resistance group is featured in Return to Castle Wolfenstein
, 2002 Game Of The Year for PC games, and its sequel, Wolfenstein
, 2009 video game from id software. The games aggrandize the Kreisau Circle to be “an extensive resistance network of paramilitary fighter and informants that aide and abets B.J. in his exploits.”
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
gave to a group of German dissidents centered on the Kreisau estate of Helmuth James Graf von Moltke
Helmuth James Graf von Moltke
Helmuth James Graf von Moltke was a German jurist who, as a draftee in the German Abwehr, acted to subvert German human-rights abuses of people in territories occupied by Germany during World War II and subsequently became a founding member of the Kreisau Circle resistance group, whose members...
. The Kreisauer Kreis is celebrated as one of the instances of German opposition to the Nazi regime. The difficulty for all such dissidents was how to reconcile loyalty to Germany with opposition to the Nazis, once the Nazis had subverted the state to such an extent that the two were almost inextricable (Gleichschaltung
Gleichschaltung
Gleichschaltung , meaning "coordination", "making the same", "bringing into line", is a Nazi term for the process by which the Nazi regime successively established a system of totalitarian control and tight coordination over all aspects of society. The historian Richard J...
).
Membership
The principal members were Helmuth James Graf von MoltkeHelmuth James Graf von Moltke
Helmuth James Graf von Moltke was a German jurist who, as a draftee in the German Abwehr, acted to subvert German human-rights abuses of people in territories occupied by Germany during World War II and subsequently became a founding member of the Kreisau Circle resistance group, whose members...
, Peter Graf Yorck von Wartenburg
Peter Yorck von Wartenburg
Peter Graf Yorck von Wartenburg was a German jurist and a member of the German Resistance against Nazism.-Biography:...
and Adam von Trott zu Solz
Adam von Trott zu Solz
Adam von Trott zu Solz was a German lawyer and diplomat who was involved in the conservative opposition to the Nazi regime, and who played a central part in the 20 July Plot...
. The leaders of the Kreisauer Kreis included members of some of the most illustrious names in German history. Helmuth James von Moltke was a great-grandnephew of the famous Field Marshal Helmuth von Moltke the Elder
Helmuth von Moltke the Elder
Helmuth Karl Bernhard Graf von Moltke was a German Field Marshal. The chief of staff of the Prussian Army for thirty years, he is regarded as one of the great strategists of the latter 19th century, and the creator of a new, more modern method of directing armies in the field...
, who led the Prussian army to victory over France in 1870. Peter Yorck von Wartenburg was a direct descendant of the Prussian general of the Napoleonic era who had been instrumental in arranging the defection of the Prussian army from the French side to that of the Sixth Coalition in 1813. General Yorck had been rewarded with title of Count, Graf von Yorck, and was allowed to append the name 'Wartenburg' to his surname as a battle honour (cf. Britain's Viscount Montgomery of Alamein), to become Graf Yorck von Wartenburg (in this case, the first 'von' becomes redundant).
Most members of the group were conservatives from the traditional aristocracy and gentry, but it did include people from a wide variety of backgrounds. They included two Jesuit priests, two Lutheran Pastors, conservatives, liberals, monarchists, landowners, former trade-union leaders, and diplomats. It was united by its abhorrence of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
and its desire to conceive of a new Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
after the fall of Hitler. The long meetings and discussions at Kreisau developed an image of a society to be based on Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
values and on small communities, so as to avoid a manipulation of the whole of society like the one Hitler had achieved. Some of them also wanted to restore the German monarchy, as a backup to stop one man gaining so much power in Germany again,
Objectives
The Kreisau Circle maintained contact with other groups of resistanceResistance movement
A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to opposing an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign state. It may seek to achieve its objects through either the use of nonviolent resistance or the use of armed force...
. The circle worked to enlighten the Allied forces, especially the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, to conditions within the Third Reich and the threats and weaknesses of Nazism
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
. But the circle's main focus was to plan and propose a peacetime government for Germany; they do not ever appear to have made any plans to overthrow the Nazi state. As Moltke wrote to his wife just before his execution "we are to be hanged for thinking together."
Dissolution
On 19 January 1944 Moltke was arrested and the Kreisau Circle fell into disarray. The focus of some circle members had been turning towards an active political coup, and some participated in the famous failed assassination attempt on the 20th of July 1944July 20 Plot
On 20 July 1944, an attempt was made to assassinate Adolf Hitler, Führer of the Third Reich, inside his Wolf's Lair field headquarters near Rastenburg, East Prussia. The plot was the culmination of the efforts of several groups in the German Resistance to overthrow the Nazi-led German government...
. After the failure of this Plot, many members of the Circle were arrested and were executed. These included Trott
Adam von Trott zu Solz
Adam von Trott zu Solz was a German lawyer and diplomat who was involved in the conservative opposition to the Nazi regime, and who played a central part in the 20 July Plot...
but also members who had not been part of the Plot, such as Moltke
Helmuth James Graf von Moltke
Helmuth James Graf von Moltke was a German jurist who, as a draftee in the German Abwehr, acted to subvert German human-rights abuses of people in territories occupied by Germany during World War II and subsequently became a founding member of the Kreisau Circle resistance group, whose members...
, Yorck
Peter Yorck von Wartenburg
Peter Graf Yorck von Wartenburg was a German jurist and a member of the German Resistance against Nazism.-Biography:...
and Delp
Alfred Delp
Alfred Delp was a German Jesuit priest who was executed for his resistance to the Nazi régime in Germany.- Early life and education :...
.
Multimedia
The 1996 television movie Witness Against Hitler starring James WilbyJames Wilby
James Jonathon Wilby is an English film, television and theatre actor.-Early life and education:He was born in Rangoon, Burma to a corporate executive father...
as Helmuth James von Moltke tells the story of the formation of the Kreisau Circle and the arrest, trial and execution of Moltke. The Kreisau Circle resistance group is featured in the 2008 movie Valkyrie
Valkyrie (film)
Valkyrie is a 2008 American historical thriller film set in Nazi Germany during World War II. The film depicts the 20 July plot in 1944 by German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler and to use the Operation Valkyrie national emergency plan to take control of the country...
starring Tom Cruise. The movie focuses on a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler at the height of World War II.
The Kreisau Circle resistance group is featured in Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Return to Castle Wolfenstein
Return to Castle Wolfenstein is a first person shooter video game published by Activision and originally released on November 19, 2001 for Microsoft Windows. It was made available on Steam on August 3, 2007. The single player game was developed by Gray Matter Interactive and Nerve Software...
, 2002 Game Of The Year for PC games, and its sequel, Wolfenstein
Wolfenstein
- People :* Alfred Wolfenstein , German poet * Eugene Victor Wolfenstein , distinguished social theorist, practicing psychoanalyst and a professor of Political Science at University of California, Los Angeles...
, 2009 video game from id software. The games aggrandize the Kreisau Circle to be “an extensive resistance network of paramilitary fighter and informants that aide and abets B.J. in his exploits.”
External links
- AIM25 archive of Kreisau Circle programmes at the British Library
- "Heroes of the moral resistance against Adolf Hitler", The Times, January 5, 2010 http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/ben_macintyre/article6975831.ece