Dr. Robert Ley, Nazi Labor Front chief who committed suicide in his war criminal cell last night, left a written appeal to the German people to rid themselves of anti-Semitism, emphasizing that Germany suffered defeat because of the Nazi anti-Jewish teachings. The appeal, written in German, reads as follows:
“We have forsaken God, and therefore we were forsaken by God. We put human volition in the place of His godly grace. In anti-Semitism we violated a basic commendment of His creation. Anti-Semitism distorted our outlook, and we made grave errors. It is hard to admit mistakes, but the whole existence of our people is in question; we Nazis must have the courage to rid ourselves of anti-Semitism. We have to declare to the youth that it was a mistake.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.