First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
This quote is attributed to the prominent German pastor Martin Niemöller.
After World War II, Niemöller openly spoke about his own early complicity
in Nazism and his eventual change of heart. His powerful words about guilt
and responsibility still resonate today.
