Fritz Gerlich was a German historian and journalist who became a prominent opponent of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. Born in Stettin in 1883, he initially worked as an archivist and editor before founding the weekly newspaper Der Gerade Weg (The Straight Path). After converting to Catholicism in 1931, his resistance against national socialism was deeply influenced by the social teachings of the Church. He was arrested by the Nazi regime in 1933 and was later executed at the Dachau concentration camp in 1934.
Life and career
After studying history at the University of Munich, Gerlich worked as an archivist and editor. While he held conservative nationalist views early in his career, he became a fierce critic of Hitler following the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch. Through his newspaper, he attacked both communist and Nazi ideologies, specifically denouncing antisemitism and pseudoscientific racial theories. His commitment to fighting political extremism led to his arrest by the Nazi authorities in March 1933.
Veneration
Because of his courageous opposition to tyranny, Gerlich is recognized as a martyr. The Catholic Church has begun the process for his canonization, and he is currently referred to as a Servant of God. He is commemorated in the Catholic tradition, with his feast day observed on June 30, the anniversary of his death at Dachau.