Early Life and Ministry Bruno Benfey was born on April 7, 1891 (other sources – September 4 1891), in Rösrath, Germany, into a third-generation family of Jewish descent who had become Protestants. From 1909, Benfey studied theology in Göttingen and Berlin, preparing for pastoral ministry. He began serving the church as a vicar in Hanover in 1913 and continued as a hospital chaplain in Düsseldorf (1916), youth chaplain in Witten and Dortmund (1918), and later as pastor in Schlüsselburg and Mulsum (1921). In 1927, he assumed the pastorate at St. Mary’s Parish in Göttingen.
Antisemitism and Church Conflict Though ordained and faithful in ministry, Benfey’s Jewish heritage became a source of persecution. Tensions emerged in 1927 when he was appointed to Göttingen, but opposition intensified in 1935 after he criticized fellow pastor Heinrich Runte, an SA officer (the paramilitary organisation under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party of Germany). Runte and others fuelled anti-Jewish sentiments, leading to defamation, threats, and graffiti declaring “Away with Benfey! We don’t want a Jewish pastor.”
The church council exploited this controversy and pressured Regional Bishop Marahrens, eventually banning Benfey from ministry on April 16, 1936. In the face of mounting threats, including mob protests and Gestapo interference, Benfey remained steadfast. On November 8, 1936, protestors pasted signs on the church and assaulted attendees, including children. When he refused to cancel a Repentance Day service, he was arrested in his cassock and later expelled from Hildesheim.
Despite significant support from his congregation and legal advice from Eberhard Hagemann, the church hierarchy capitulated to Nazi-aligned forces. On June 1, 1937, Benfey was forcibly retired. His courage and unwavering service were met with silence or hostility from much of the institutional church.
Exile and Ministry in the Netherlands
In August 1937, Benfey resumed ministry in Wernigerode, and by January 1939, he had fled Nazi Germany with his second wife, theologian Sophie Kunert, and their daughter. Settling in the Netherlands, he served German-Jewish refugees under the Protestant Relief Committee and later the Dutch Hervormde Kerk.
During WWII, Benfey ministered under dire conditions in refugee camps such as Sluis and Westerbork. Though mistrusted by some Dutch church leaders due to his German background and accused by fellow refugees of collaborating with authorities, he remained committed. The Nazis designated him the sole pastoral contact permitted inside Westerbork, making him a “Vertrauensmann” who straddled painful tensions between trust and isolation.
Post-war Rejection and Legacy After the war, Benfey faced renewed rejection. Anti-German sentiment led to his expulsion from the Netherlands, and the Dutch church dismissed him. When he attempted to return to his earlier parish in Göttingen, those who had enforced his retirement still held power and resisted his return. Only under pressure from political authorities was he allowed back on October 1, 1946.
Benfey retired in 1962 and died later that year on June 28, during a church retreat in St. Stephan, Switzerland. He was buried in Göttingen’s city cemetery, largely forgotten by the institutions he had served.
Timeline
- 1891 – Born on April 7 in Rösrath, Germany.
- 1927 – Ordained as Lutheran pastor in Göttingen.
- 1933 – Targeted by Nazi “German Christians.”
- 1936 – Banned from ministry in Göttingen.
- 1937 – Forcibly retired by the Hanoverian church.
- 1938 – Arrested during Kristallnacht; briefly imprisoned in Buchenwald.
- 1939 – Emigrated to the Netherlands.
- 1940–1945 – Pastoral ministry in exile under Nazi occupation.
- 1946 – Returned to Germany; resumed ministry in Göttingen.
- 1962 – Died on June 28 in Switzerland.
Bruno Benfey’s grave in Gottingen cemetery lies in quiet testimony to a life poured out in faith, service, and suffering.
Reflection Bruno Benfey’s life embodies the fraught intersection of Jewish identity and Christian faith in Nazi-era Europe. A man of courage, compassion, and conviction, he ministered to the persecuted even while persecuted himself. He became a scapegoat of both antisemitic ideology and ecclesiastical cowardice. Yet his legacy endures as a sobering reminder of the cost of faithfulness, and the long shadows cast by prejudice—even within the Church.
Here is a trilingual prayer (English, Hebrew, and transliterated Hebrew) honouring Bruno Benfey’s legacy and asking for courage, faith, and reconciliation:
Prayer for Courage, Witness, and Reconciliation
English
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
God of our ancestors and of our redemption—
We thank You for the life and witness of Your servant, Bruno Benfey,
who stood firm in the face of hatred,
who loved Your people in their suffering,
and who bore the name of Yeshua with courage and compassion.
Strengthen us, O Lord, to walk in his footsteps.
Give us boldness to confront evil, even when we stand alone.
Give us love that crosses boundaries, even when misunderstood.
Give us grace to proclaim Yeshua the Messiah with gentleness and truth.
Forgive us, Lord, for our silence when we should have spoken,
for our fear when we should have acted,
and for our pride when we should have repented.
Pour out Your Spirit upon Jewish disciples of Yeshua in this generation.
Let us be ministers of reconciliation, witnesses of truth, and bearers of light in dark places.
In Yeshua the Messiah’s holy name,
Amen.
Hebrew (עברית)
אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם, יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב,
אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי גְּאֻלָּתֵנוּ—
אֲנַחְנוּ מוֹדִים לְךָ עַל חַיָּיו וְעֵדוּתוֹ שֶׁל עַבְדְּךָ, בְּרוּנוֹ בַּנְפִי,
שֶׁעָמַד אֵיתָן מוּל הַשִּׂנְאָה,
שֶׁאָהַב אֶת עַמְּךָ בְּתוֹךְ סִבְלָם,
וְשֶׁנָּשָׂא אֶת שְׁמוֹ שֶׁל יֵשׁוּעַ בְּאֹמֶץ וּבְחֶמְלָה.
חַזֵּק אוֹתָנוּ, אֲדֹנָי, לָלֶכֶת בְּעִקְבוֹתָיו.
תֵּן לָנוּ אֹמֶץ לַעֲמוֹד נֶגֶד הָרֶשַׁע, אַף כִּי נִהְיֶה לְבַד.
תֵּן לָנוּ אַהֲבָה שֶׁחוֹצָה גְּבוּלוֹת, גַּם כְּשֶׁאֵין מֵבִינִים אוֹתָנוּ.
תֵּן לָנוּ חֶסֶד לְהַכְרִיז עַל יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ בְּעֲנָוָה וּבֶאֱמֶת.
סְלַח לָנוּ, יְיָ, עַל שְׁתִיקָתֵנוּ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיִינוּ צְרִיכִים לְדַבֵּר,
עַל פַּחֲדֵנוּ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיִינוּ צְרִיכִים לִפְעוֹל,
וְעַל גַּאֲוָתֵנוּ בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיִינוּ צְרִיכִים לָשׁוּב בִּתְשׁוּבָה.
שְׁפוֹךְ רוּחֲךָ עַל תַּלְמִידֵי יֵשׁוּעַ הַיְּהוּדִים בַּדּוֹר הַזֶּה.
הֲפֹךְ אוֹתָנוּ לִמְשָׁרְתֵי פִּיּוּס,
לְעֵדִים שֶׁל אֱמֶת,
וּלְנוֹשְׂאֵי אוֹר בִּמְקוֹמוֹת שֶׁל חֹשֶךְ.
בְּשֵׁם יֵשׁוּעַ הַמָּשִׁיחַ הַקָּדוֹשׁ,
אָמֵן.
Transliterated Hebrew
Elohei Avraham, Yitzchak v’Yaakov,
Elohei avoteinu v’Elohei ge’ulatenu—
Anachnu modim Lekha al chayav v’eiduto shel avdekha, Bruno Benfey,
She’amad eitan mul hasin’ah,
She’ahav et amkha b’toch sivlam,
U’nesa et shmo shel Yeshua b’ometz u’vachamalá.
Chazek otanu, Adonai, lalechet b’ikarav.
Ten lanu ometz lehit’yatzev mul hara, af k’she’anachnu levad.
Ten lanu ahavah shechotzeh gevulot, af k’she’ein mevini’im otanu.
Ten lanu chesed lehachriz et Yeshua HaMashiach b’adinut u’v’emet.
Selach lanu, Adonai, al sh’tikatenu k’shehayinu tzirichim ledaber,
Al pachdeinu k’shehayinu tzirichim lif’ol,
V’al ga’avateinu k’shehayinu tzirichim lashuv bit’shuvah.
Shefoch et Ruchkha al talmidei Yeshua haYehudim bador hazeh.
Aseh otanu meshartim shel pius,
Eidim shel emet,
V’nos’ei or bim’komot shel choshech.
B’shem Yeshua HaMashiach hakadosh,
Amen.
Sources: from Joop Akker, 1. Enigszins gewijzigde tekst van de voordracht op zaterdagmiddag 11 april 1998 voor de Nederlandse vereniging van Jesjoea Hammasjiach belijdende Joden Hadderech gehouden in het conferentieoord Woudschoten te Zeist- Driebergen. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/f616483x13b0db5ela72o/Bruno-Benfey-biografie-040425.docx?rlkey=or28usrwi7soh6hxcvtp5z1nu&dl=0
Ludwig, Hartmut and Eberhard Röhm, eds., with Jörg Thierfelder. 2014. Evangelisch getauft—als “Juden” verfolgt: Theologen jüdischer Herkunft in der Zeit des Nationalsozialismus. Stuttgart: Calwer Verlag. 48-49.
Dutch and German sources:
Zwischen Anpassung, Affinität und Resistenz: Eine historische Studie zu
evangelischen Glaubens- und Gemeinschaftsmissionen in der
Zeit des Nationalsozialismus
(Between accommodation, affinity and resistance:
A historical investigation of German faith missions during the
period of National Socialism)
by
Elmar Spohn
Bruno Benfey appears multiple times throughout the document in the context of his involvement in the Confessing Church and his later actions during the Nazi period. Below is a summary of all the mentions and related details about Bruno Benfey from the document:
- Benfey in Wernigerode:
Benfey was a popular pastor in the Hannover region. Due to pressure from the Nazis, particularly Landesbischof August Marahrens because of Benfey’s Jewish ancestry, he was forced into retirement. Benfey then moved to Wernigerode, where he worked within the Confessing Church until his arrest in November 1938. He was imprisoned during the Kristallnacht pogrom but was later released. Afterward, he emigrated to Holland . - Support and Emigration:
After his release from prison, Benfey’s emigration to Holland was facilitated by various individuals, including a relative of his wife and others who helped him secure passage. His case reflects the broader struggles faced by Jewish Christians during the Nazi regime, where connections within the Church and personal networks played a crucial role in securing safety . - Benfey’s Prison Experience and Emigration:
Benfey’s arrest and subsequent detention were part of a larger wave of persecution against Jews, including Jewish Christians. His imprisonment was directly tied to the nationalistic and anti-Semitic policies of the Nazi regime, but his release and eventual emigration to Holland show the complexities of the situation for Jewish believers who were often caught between Church politics and the escalating anti-Semitic violence . - Relevance to Joachim Müller:
Joachim Müller, a key figure in the Confessing Church, was noted for his efforts to help Jews during the Nazi period. He specifically mentioned his assistance to Benfey, highlighting his support during the pastor’s imprisonment and his role in Benfey’s emigration to Holland. This act of solidarity underlined Müller’s resistance to the Nazi regime’s policies and his commitment to Christian unity, regardless of racial or ethnic identity .
Benfey’s actions and experiences reflect the resistance of Christian leaders within the Confessing Church against the ideological and political pressures of Nazi Germany, particularly in relation to the treatment of Jewish Christians. His involvement in the Confessing Church and his subsequent challenges under the Nazi regime emphasize the importance of individual and collective resistance to racial and religious persecution.
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