Mitzscherlich, Birgit: Diktatur und Diaspora. Das Bistum Meißen 1932–1951, Paderborn [u. a.] 2005

Birgit Mitzscherlich: Diktatur und Diaspora. Das Bistum Meißen 1932–1951.

The typical diaspora diocese of Meissen, where the Catholic minority was not deeply anchored in local society, serves as a case study for analyzing the respective peculiarities of Church conflict with National Socialism and the communist dictatorship in the years between 1932 and 1951.

In Saxony, the Catholic Church faced not one but two consecutive challenges from dictatorships: first, the harsh religious policies of Nazi Gauleiter Mutschmann, then the East German SED regime, which made Saxony a model for implementing communist ideological aims.

Given the societal conditions obtaining in Saxony, problems between Church and state played a dominant role. The author does not limit her focus to this level of affairs, however. She also investigates internal Church developments and Meissen's position in relation to other dioceses in Germany. The result is a convincing and comprehensive study. Readers will profit greatly from this highly readable book, a prize-winning dissertation from the University of Leipzig.