Shame of Gaeta
Shame of Gaeta ('Schande von Gaeta') was the name given by the Nazi propaganda to the outcome of an extraterritorial vote during the referendum on the German annexation of Austria (Anschluss) in 1938. In historical literature, the expression is sometimes used with quotation marks. In stark contrast to the overall result, the unhindered vote lead to a strong rejection of the Anschluss.
Environment[edit]
After the Anschluss, Bishop Alois Hudal, the rector of the theological seminary Anima, prepared a solemn "Te Deum"-mass as thanksgiving for this event. The service was planned for the following Easter Sunday on 6 April 1938 in the church Santa Maria dell' Anima. However, the celebration of this mass was prohibited by Pope Pius XI.[1] Hudal was outraged about the interdiction and blamed the "machinators' influence in the Vatican".[2]
It became increasingly clear that Hudal's pro-Anschluss enthusiasm was very isolated in the Vatican. Even more, his contacts to the Curia and especially to Cardinal Secretary Eugenio Pacelli cooled down considerably. Thus, right after the Te Deum incident and in spite of Hudal's explicit plea via Pacelli, the Pope refused to receive a group of German speaking pilgrims in the Vatican.
It was in this difficult environment that Hudal decided to go ahead with the vote in Gaeta, which he had already started to prepare in the wake of the annexation of Austria.
Vote[edit]
On 1 April the vice-rector of the Anima, Heinrich Schneider, sent a list of participants in the plebiscite (largely German and Austrian clerics studying at the theological seminary at the time) to the German embassy with the Holy See.[3]
The seminarians were brought to Gaeta in a special train[4] on 10 April 1938. There the extraterritorial vote took place on board of the German cruiser Admiral Scheer[5] which happened to be in the harbor. Bishop Hudal took also part in the special poll.
Contrary to the general result, the clerics rejected the Anschluss by over 90 percent.[6] The Nazi press called the incident Shame of Gaeta ('Schande von Gaeta') and fit it into its hostile narrative in a period of increasing persecutions of the Catholic Church in Germany.
References[edit]
- ↑ Hudal, Alois C. (1976). Römische Tagebücher - Lebensbeichte eines alten Bischofs (in Deutsch). Graz: Leopold Stocker Verlag. pp. 293–294. ISBN 3-7020-0242-1. Search this book on
- ↑ "6 April 1938". Anima Chronicles (in Deutsch). Search this book on
- ↑ Langer, Markus (1995). Alois Hudal. Bischof zwischen Kreuz und Hakenkreuz. Versuch einer Biographie (in Deutsch). p. 136. Search this book on
- ↑ Graham, Robert A. (1977). "La Questione Religiosa Nella Crisi Dell'Asse". La Civiltà Cattolica. 3041: 447. Retrieved 5 May 2017.
- ↑ "Memorial Postcard: Vote in Gaeta on Board of Admiral Scheer, April 10th, 1938". German Postal History. Retrieved 2017-04-24.
- ↑ Pawlikowska, Anna (2010-06-14). "Watykański agent III Rzeszy" (in polski). Retrieved 5 May 2017.
 | This article about politics in Germany is a stub. You can help EverybodyWiki by expanding it. |
This article "Shame of Gaeta" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical and/or the page Edithistory:Shame of Gaeta. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
