Gerhard Anschütz

Born in 1867, the Heidelberg professor of constitutional law Gerhard Anschütz was regarded as a leading commentator on the Weimar state constitution. He therefore professed his faith in the Weimar Republic, regarding it as the rightful constitutional state. In 1933, Anschütz observed the National Socialist takeover of power with shock. He applied for early retirement as a professor, withdrawing into private life and never working to the advantage of the new regime. In his only academic paper to appear after 1933, he wrote in favor of autonomy of the church, thus supporting the position of the Confessional Church. Anschütz survived the National Socialist regime and died a highly honored man in Heidelberg in 1948. As a legal scholar, he understood that freedom for the church was the key to resisting the Nazis.