imar ▁Republic ▁era ▁in ▁the ▁form ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁Evangel ical ▁Church ▁Confeder ation , ▁which ▁existed ▁from ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁until ▁ 1 9 3 3 . ▁Ear lier , ▁there ▁had ▁been ▁successful ▁royal ▁efforts ▁at ▁unity ▁in ▁various ▁German ▁states , ▁beginning ▁with ▁Pr uss ia ▁and ▁several ▁minor ▁German ▁states ▁( e . g . ▁Duch y ▁of ▁N ass au ) ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 7 . ▁These ▁un ions ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁un ited ▁and ▁unit ing ▁churches , ▁a ▁new ▁development ▁within ▁Protest ant ism ▁which ▁later ▁spread ▁to ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁world . ▁ ▁When ▁Adolf ▁Hitler ▁came ▁to ▁power ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 3 , ▁his ▁administration ▁tried ▁to ▁re organ ize ▁the ▁old ▁conf eder ation ▁into ▁a ▁un ified ▁German ▁Evangel ical ▁Church ▁as ▁Hitler ▁wanted ▁to ▁use ▁a ▁single ▁Protest ant ▁church ▁to ▁further ▁his ▁own ▁amb itions . ▁This ▁utter ly ▁failed , ▁with ▁the ▁Conf ess ing ▁Church ▁and ▁the ▁German ▁Christians - led ▁Reich sk irche ▁oppos ing ▁each ▁other . ▁Other ▁Protest ant ▁churches ▁aligned ▁themselves ▁with ▁one ▁of ▁these ▁groups , ▁or ▁stayed ▁neutral ▁in ▁this ▁church ▁str ife . ▁ ▁The ▁post war ▁church ▁council ▁issued ▁the ▁Stuttgart ▁Dec laration ▁of ▁Gu ilt ▁on ▁October ▁ 1 9 , ▁ 1 9 4 5 , ▁conf ess ing ▁gu ilt ▁and ▁declaring ▁rem or se ▁for ▁ind ifference ▁and ▁in action ▁of ▁German ▁Protest ants ▁in ▁the ▁face ▁of