Hero for the Jews
Written and Illustrated by Lauren Schroeder
A BOOK by ME - True Stories Written by Kids for Kids
I met Lauren Schroeder, author of this book, at a National History Day (NHD) event in Iowa. I was there as a volunteer to evaluate various student’s work and Lauren’s project caught my eye. I loved supporting NHD who aims to inspire students from grades 6-12 to explore history in a meaningful way. The hope is their project fosters a lifelong interest in the subject while enhancing their academic skills. After a conversation with Lauren, we decided she would write and illustrate a book about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a prominent German theologian and pastor who recognized Adolf Hitler as a dangerous leader whose ideology posed a grave threat to humanity, particularly to the Jewish population. Bonhoeffer was vocal in his opposition to the Nazi regime, using his writings and sermons to encourage others not to support Hitler and to stand against the injustices being perpetrated. By 1939, Bonhoeffer’s commitment to social justice and human rights led him to engage in covert operations to aid those persecuted by the Nazi regime. He worked as a spy, leveraging his connections and resources to help Jewish individuals escape Germany and find safety elsewhere. This dangerous work exemplified his deep moral convictions and willingness to risk his own safety for the sake of others. His courageous actions and steadfast faith led him to become a martyr. He was arrested in 1943 for his involvement in plots against Hitler and was executed in 1945. Yet his legacy continues to inspire those who, like Lauren, seek to stand against injustice and live out their faith in active resistance to oppression.
Deb Bowen
Executive Director, Understanding Works
Hello, I am Lauren Schroeder and I have written a children’s book about Dietrich Bonhoeffer. The Holocaust is a horrific event that the world needs to remember and continue to learn from. I took a ten-minute documentary script, whose original audience was professors and historians, and turned it into a book that elementary students would enjoy reading. Before I began the writing process, I read many picture books and early chapter books to help with the wording. I also worked with my mom and a teacher to help with age-appropriate, colorful, and descriptive language. Working with an illustrator to convey Bonhoeffer in a true sense allowed the smooth integration of words and pictures. This process taught me who I am as a person and what I am able to achieve. Bonhoeffer led by example, and he has inspired me to advocate for those less fortunate and to ensure history won’t repeat itself.
– Author/Illustrator Lauren Schroeder
Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Pastor and Theologian
(Martyred for resisting the Nazis)
Dietrich Bonhoeffer was born on February 4, 1906 in Wroclaw, Poland. Bonhoeffer grew up in a large family with seven siblings. His parents were not religious but did believe in God, which influenced Bonhoeffer later in his life. His entire family was very musical. Many played the piano and sang. Some of his family members were also gifted painters. Dietrich grew up playing the piano and became so good his parents believed he would land a career in music. Although Bonhoeffer did not become a professional musician, he used music to entertain family and friends and even to find comfort when times were tough.
The first tragedy in his life was when his brother Walter was killed in World War I. This devastated Dietrich, and he turned to religion and God to make sense of the world. After graduating from high school, he attended Humboldt University in Berlin. He graduated with a doctorate in theology in 1927. After graduation, he wanted to see how the rest of the world viewed the Gospels. He traveled for a couple years in Spain and the United States. While in the United States, he attended Union Theological Seminary. During his time at the seminary, Bonhoeffer was bothered about how African-Americans were treated in the United States. After that experience, he made up his mind to use the words of God to change the way Germans felt about the Jewish people. When he returned to Germany, he taught at the University of Berlin and was ordained as a priest in 1931.
The Germany that Bonhoeffer grew up in changed dramatically while he was in the United States. Adolf Hitler was elected Chancellor of Germany in 1933. He spoke of hatred for many people, especially the Jewish people. He did not like them and passed many laws to take away the rights of all Jewish people. Dietrich Bonhoeffer knew that Hitler’s words and actions were dangerous.
To protest the Nazi government Bonhoeffer started writing letters and books. His first book that spoke against the Nazi government was, The Church and the Jewish Question. Bonhoeffer pleaded with church leaders to address the Nazi persecution of the Jews. He worked to convince the Church that it had the responsibility to fight against the policies of the Nazi government. With his friend Martin Niemoller, Bonhoeffer questioned the goals of the Nazi-supported, German Christian movement. He became frustrated with how the Lutheran Church of Germany was giving in to Hitler. He helped form the Confessing Church, which was forced to close in 1937. During this time, Bonhoeffer stayed in Germany, but he was not allowed to teach and was labeled as an enemy of the State for speaking out publicly against Adolf Hitler. In response, Bonhoeffer traveled all over Eastern Germany teaching seminary students in secret.
After a while, Bonhoeffer moved to London and preached in a German-speaking Protestant church. Although he was out of the country, his writings were noticed by the Nazi government, and Bonhoeffer’s career and life continued to be in danger.
Bonhoeffer’s friends and family suggested that he stay in London, England or live in New York for his safety. After staying for a short time in both cities, and hearing about the horrors that were occurring in Germany, Bonhoeffer realized that it was a mistake to leave Germany. He could not ask his followers to stand against the Nazi’s if he did not as well.
When he returned to Germany in 1939, Bonhoeffer became a double agent for the Abwehr, a German military organization. This organization had secret information about where Jewish people were being moved. He knew he could use this information to help Jews escape Germany. The Nazi government did not suspect that Bonhoeffer was helping Jews. They assumed he had decided to conform to their rules. It appeared to them that Bonhoeffer was using his gift of writing and speaking to help the Nazi party. It was within the Abwehr that the strongest opposition to Hitler occurred. Bonhoeffer and his brother-in-law became involved with an assassination plot against Hitler. Hitler’s regime was becoming more violent, and the war was not going well for Germany. As a pacifist, Bonhoeffer was opposed to violence, but he also knew that drastic measures needed to be taken to save Germany.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer with his students
On April 5, 1943, Bonhoeffer was arrested and imprisoned at Tegel Prison, accused of plotting against Hitler. When the Abwehr offices were raided by the SS, his name was found on papers with other conspirators. He spent two years in prison, writing letters to friends and family encouraging them to keep fighting. In prison, because he was helped by supportive guards, he wrote his book Ethics, and even his letters were leaked to the public. These letters are some of the most important pieces of work that Bonhoeffer had published.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Tegel prison
He spent a year in Prinz-Albrecht-Strasse prison and a short time in Buchenwald, where he was no longer allowed to write to his friends and family. He was moved to Flossenbürg concentration camp in early 1945.
Bonhoeffer was executed on April 9, 1945 at Flossenbürg concentration camp, just days before the end of the war. It is believed that his last words were: “This is the end–for me the beginning of life.”
It is important to note that Bonhoeffer’s writings and social justice stance have influenced many, many people around the world, including Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
Hero for the Jews
A BOOK by ME, a book series developed by Deb Bowen, empowers students to preserve history by telling the story of unsung heroes in our communities. For the young participants, it’s a guided cross-curricular project that gathers stories of people who do amazing things but have received little or no recognition. Students learn how to publish a picture book that is a primary source document with photographs and a biography.
Since 2003, Deb Bowen has been arranging meetings between students and individuals from the WWII generation. This intergenerational storytelling results in unique storybooks written and illustrated by kids for kids in the A BOOK by ME series. More about Deb Bowen >
