SS Documentation on the Suppression of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Nazi Germany (1933–1937) (Irving File 1)

This file is a Nazi SS dossier (1933–1937) documenting the systematic suppression of Jehovah’s Witnesses (then called Bibelforscher) in Germany. It includes police reports, confiscation orders, letters refusing to take the Hitler oath, records of banned literature, and Nazi propaganda framing the Witnesses as state enemies tied to “Jewish-Bolshevism.” It details the efforts to dissolve their organizations, seize publications, monitor secret meetings, and prosecute members for resisting military service and Nazi loyalty pledges.

Disclaimer

This document contains historical material originating from the Nazi regime between 1933 and 1937. It includes content produced by the Sicherheitsdienst (SD) and Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo) relating to the surveillance, persecution, and criminalization of Jehovah’s Witnesses (then known as “Ernste Bibelforscher”) in Germany.

The content reflects antisemitic, authoritarian, and discriminatory ideologies that are wholly condemned. These records were created as part of the Nazi state’s systematic oppression of religious minorities and are preserved solely for the purposes of historical research, education, and documentation of state-sponsored persecution.

⚠️ Warning: This file may contain offensive language, dehumanizing characterizations, and false claims directed at religious or ethnic groups. These do not reflect the views of the publisher, archivist, or reader.

Researchers and readers are urged to approach the material with critical awareness of its context, recognizing the propagandistic nature of many SS and Nazi-produced narratives. Preservation and access are provided to support accurate remembrance, scholarly inquiry, and the defense of human rights and religious freedom.

Condition Note

Condition: Good – Archival Reproduction

This is a high-resolution digital scan of a rare, typewritten SS dossier (c. 1933–1937), preserved in PDF format. The document spans approximately 400 pages and is visually consistent with mid-1930s German bureaucratic records—featuring official Nazi insignias, stamps, typed police reports, circulars, and propaganda materials.

• Legibility: Overall legible with clear typeface on most pages; some faint or blurred areas on select pages due to original typewriter fading or age-related degradation.

• OCR status: OCR text layer is embedded and generally accurate, though minor character misreads may occur in degraded sections.

• Layout: Preserves the original pagination, line breaks, and margin formats of the archival source. No alterations or annotations added.

• Visual elements: Includes original letterheads, rubber stamps, typed signatures, and layout typical of German Reich security apparatus.

• Damage or defects: Some pages exhibit light smudging, darkened edges, or type misalignment—common to wartime carbon copy documents.

This file is suitable for historical research, reference, or archival publication, offering a faithful reproduction of a politically and historically significant Nazi-era file.