The following is the exact text of Martin Niemoller's address to the U.S. Congress. There are as many versions of Mr. Niemoller's address, (some call it a poem) as there are people who quote him.
Here is Martin Niemoller's actual address to the U.S. Congress along with the page in the Congressional Record where it appears.
The exact text of what Martin Niemoller said,
and which appears in the Congressional Record,
October 14, 1968, page 31636 is:
"When Hitler attacked the Jews
I was not a Jew, therefore I was not concerned.
And when Hitler attacked the Catholics,
I was not a Catholic, and therefore, I was not concerned.
And when Hitler attacked the unions and the industrialists,
I was not a member of the unions and I was not concerned.
Then Hitler attacked me and the Protestant church --
and there was nobody left to be concerned."
http://scott.hayes.org/thoughts/niemoller.html
Below you will find several versions of Pastor Niemoller's poem. To the best of my knowledge, the one above is the REAL one. If I am wrong, I would hope someone would correct the information for all of us.
Rayelan
Note from Rayelan:
I have had two TIPS posters on the frontpage for over a month now!
(Updated August 19,2002.)
Just tonight a reader brought it to my attention that the quote which is almost identical to the one by Pastor Martin Niemoller, is NOT correct. Pastor Niemoller did NOT include homosexuals in his poem.
I immediately went to google and did a search. I found MANY different versions of Pastor Niemoller's original poem, and not ONE of them included a reference to homosexuals.
Scroll down to see the many versions of Pastor Niemoller's famous poem d(aka address to congress):
Niemoller's Poem
A poem by Pastor Martin Niemoller, Berlin, 1939.
Niemoller was a pastor in the German Confessing Church
who spent eight and one-half years in a Nazi concentration camp.
First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out--
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the communists
and I did not speak out--
because I was not a communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out--
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me--
and there was no one left to speak out for me.
Who was Martin Niemoller and why should you care?
In Germany they came first for the Communists
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me--
and by that time no one was left to speak up.
Martin Niemoller 1892-1984.
http://internet.ggu.edu/university_library/if/Niemoller.html
First they came for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up,
because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn't speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.
by Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945
http://www.hoboes.com/html/FireBlade/Politics/niemoller.shtml
Resistance on Christian Principle
First they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out - because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists,
and I did not speak out -because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I did not speak out -because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak for me!
-Pastor Niemoller
http://hometown.aol.com/baronvanc/christia.htm
Martin Niemoller Poem
They came for the Communists,
and I didn't object -
For I wasn't a Communist;
They came for the Socialists,
and I didn't object -
For I wasn't a Socialist;
They came for the labor leaders,
and I didn't object -
For I wasn't a labor leader;
They came for the Jews,
and I didn't object -
For I wasn't a Jew;
Then they came for me -
And there was no one left to object.
Martin Niemoller, German Protestant Pastor, 1892-1984 http://www.remember.org/witness/links.let.niem.html
He penned the moving and oft quoted poem,
In Germany, they first came for the communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Catholic.
Then they came for me --
and by that time there was nobody left to speak up.
-Martin Niemoller
http://www.jesus21.com/poppydixon/poetry/niemoller.html
