Der pädagogisch-theologische Ansatz des Pfarrer Werner Sylten

Werner Sylten was born on August 9, 1893, in Hergiswyl (Switzerland). His father converted from Judaism to Christianity before his marriage. From 1913 to 1920, Werner studied Protestant theology. He was influenced by liberal theology and developed a strong social consciousness. In 1925, he became the director of the girls' home in Bad Köstritz, which he modernized using progressive educational methods. After the Nazis came to power, he became a member of the Confessing Church and faced severe conflicts with the church leadership, which cost him his position in Bad Köstritz in 1936. He was unable to secure another pastoral position. From May 1936 to March 1938, he worked in the office of the Confessing Church in Gotha. Starting in December 1938, Werner Sylten worked in the office of Heinrich Grüber in Berlin, where he advocated for saving the lives of Christians persecuted for their race. In 1941, he was arrested and deported to Dachau concentration camp in May 1941, from where he was taken to Schloss Hartheim near Linz on August 12, 1942, to be gassed shortly after his arrival. The publisher of this work is the Diaconal Support Foundation 'Werner Sylten' Bad Köstritz.