First They Came
This poem was said to have many different variants giving different groups intention. When the author was asked he gave an answer that I copied and typed here. I really hope you enjoy the poem not for which group it mentions or which it leaves out but the fact that it shows how easy we ignore what is happening around us because we believe it does not concern us. We are our brother’s keeper!
In 1976, Niemöller gave the following answer in response to an interview question asking about the origins of the poem.[1] The Martin-Niemöller-Stiftung (“Martin Niemöller Foundation”) considers this the “classical” version of the speech:
There were no minutes or copy of what I said, and it may be that I formulated it differently. But the idea was anyhow: The Communists, we still let that happen calmly; and the trade unions, we also let that happen; and we even let the Social Democrats happen. All of that was not our affair.[8]
