The Kusserow Family Archive—A Precious Heritage

During the Nazi regime, 13 members of the Kusserow family in Germany were harshly persecuted because they were Jehovah’s Witnesses and refused to support the Nazi military effort. A member of the Kusserow family meticulously compiled an archive that documents their experience. It consists of over 1,000 items that include photographs, drawings, pre-execution farewell letters, death penalty pronouncements, and classified Gestapo (German secret state police) reports. A battle over where that archive should rightly be preserved is underway.

This precious archive is currently held by the Bundeswehr Military History Museum in Dresden, Germany. However, the legal entity used by Jehovah’s Witnesses in Germany (Jehovas Zeugen in Deutschland) is, in fact, the legal heir to the archive. As reported by The New York Times, Paul-Gerhard Kusserow, the youngest son in the family, stated: “My brothers died for refusing to participate in military service. I don’t find it proper that this inheritance is stored, of all places, in a military museum.”

As previously reported on jw.org, Jehovah’s Witnesses have made efforts to reach a settlement with the museum. However, if a settlement is not reached, the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe is expected to issue a verdict on June 26, 2026.

To learn more about how the Kusserow family stood firm in their beliefs during the Nazi regime, watch the documentary Purple Triangles.