Dietrich Bonhoeffer and the Abwehr in WWII

by TJB74

I am making a small podcast about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Lutheran Pastor who was a domestic influential critic of the Nazi's and ended up being executed at Flossenberg, two weeks before liberation

The draft link is below.... but the one thing I can't get straight in my mind is his role with the Abwehr - It seems that he visited Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Switzerland under the guise of legitimate intelligence activities for the Abwehr. However, in May 1942, he met Anglican Bishop George Bell of Chichester, through him feelers were sent to British Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden. However, the British government ignored these, as it had all other approaches from the German resistance.

I feel I need to add a bit more analysis before the podcast goes out .... can anyone help me - specifically - how reliable is that take on things? Did the British Government really resist all approaches from the Abwehr? Were there any more socially inspired Christian leaders who were able to use ecumenical networks to smuggle intelligence out of Germany?

The draft link to the pod is https://www.buzzsprout.com/1226960/8224345-apr-8-bonhoeffer-sentenced-to-death-by-nazis.mp3?blob_id=37206401&download=true

EdHistory101

Hi there - we're happy to approve your question related to your creative project, and we are happy for people to answer. However, we should warn you that many flairs have become reluctant to answer questions for aspiring novelists and the like, based on past experience: some people working on creative projects have a tendency to try to pump historians for trivia while ignoring the bigger points they were making, while others have a tendency to argue with historians when the historical reality does not line up with what's needed for a particular scene or characterization. Please respect the answers of people who have generously given you their time, even if it's not always what you want to hear.

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