Respectfully Quoted: A Dictionary of Quotations. 1989.
| NUMBER: | 1749 |
| AUTHOR: | Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) |
| QUOTATION: | When Hitler attacked the Jews … I was not a Jew, therefore, I was not concerned. And when Hitler attacked the Catholics, I was not a Catholic, and therefore, I was not concerned. And when Hitler attacked the unions and the industrialists, I was not a member of the unions and I was not concerned. Then, Hitler attacked me and the Protestant church—and there was nobody left to be concerned. |
| ATTRIBUTION: | Attributed to This statement has not been documented in biographies of Niemöller, nor was it contained in the 1945 Stuttgart Statement of Guilt, but the attribution is widely accepted. |
| SUBJECTS: | Speaking out |