Abstract
In Then They Came for Me, historian Matthew Hockenos explores this broader transformation in Niemöller's life, illustrating in captivating detail how this German pastor left behind the nationalism and militarism that had led him to support Hitler and instead "beat swords into plowshares" as he became one of the most passionate promoters of peace and justice in the Cold War. [...]Hockenos uncovers new material on how Americans perceived Niemöller both before and after the Second World War. Through portraying his postwar transformation, it also captures "the challenges and limits" of one Protestant pastor's efforts to atone for his mistakes and pursue a prophetic path of peace and reconciliation.