Paul Dieterich

Paul Dieterich, the previous bishop of the evangelical regional church in Württemberg is the nephew of Margarete Schneider, wife of Paul Schneider who was murdered on 18 July 1939 in the concentration camp Buchenwald. Paul Schneider, "The Preacher of Buchenwald" although in constant danger of his life, through appealing to the words of the Bible, from the rows of bunkers in Buchenwald tried to build up and comfort the prisoners there.

Paul Dieterich together with Elsa Ulrika Ross published the greatly expanded well known life story of "The Preacher of Buchenwald," which Margarete Schneider wrote about her husband towards the end of the 1940's. For 40 years he dedicated his time to the "Action Reconciliation Service for Peace" and among other things led the Ulmer House of Encounters-Trinity Church, in which the Jewish – Christian dialogue was also cultivated and in which people from different nations and religions could come and go. In 1991 he founded the Ulm Chernobyl Help Organization for children from highly contaminated regions of Belorussia, to which they could go for recovery or alternatively could benefit from funds used to distribute medications to hospitals throughout White Russia. He was pastor in Aichtal-Grötzingen for 40 years and acted as the Regional bishop in Heilbronn.

The question of how to deal with the entanglement or involvement in the atrocities of the Third Reich and how together through living in forgiveness one can contribute to the healing and reconciliation, were constantly a part of his work. He retired from his work in 2006 however continues to lead an association of help for emergencies and is the spokesperson of the Board of Calwer publishing house, holds lectures and church services here and there and dedicates himself where he is needed most.

Wegworte. Die Wochensprüche des Kirchenjahres ausgelegt, 3. Aufl. Calwer Verlag.
ISBN 978-3-7668-4036-3

Words for the Way-the weekly Proverbs of the church year put out by the Calwer Publishing House.

Margarete Schneider: Paul Schneider der Prediger von Buchenwald, stark erweitert, ergänzt und kommentiert hrg. von Elsa-Ulrike Ross und Paul Dieterich. 3 Aufl., SCH Hännsler.
ISBN 978-3-7751-2274-0

Margarete Schneider: Paul Schneider, the preacher of Buchenwald, strongly expanded, complemented and commented on put out by Elsa Ulrika Ross and Paul Dieterich published by SCH Hännsler.