Inspiration

[UriA702]

<p>Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten,
habe ich geschwiegen;
ich war ja kein Kommunist.</p>

<p>Als sie die Sozialdemokraten einsperrten,
habe ich geschwiegen;
ich war ja kein Sozialdemokrat.</p>

<p>Als sie die Gewerkschafter holten,
habe ich nicht protestiert;
ich war ja kein Gewerkschafter.</p>

<p>Als sie die Juden holten,
habe ich geschwiegen;
ich war ja kein Jude.</p>

<p>Als sie mich holten,
gab es keinen mehr, der protestieren konnt</p>

[corranged]

<p>I’m posting the English, for those of us who can’t read German. There are several different and accepted translations. Here are two:</p>

<p>Engraved at the New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston…

They came first for the Communists,
and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist.</p>

<pre><code>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.

</code></pre>

<p>Engraved at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in DC…

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out -
because I was not a Socialist.</p>

<pre><code>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.

</code></pre>

<p>There are some other versions floating around, too. The first is the one I’m most familiar with, but it doesn’t appear to be the same as the German version posted. There are variations that include other verses, too, but the above two seem pretty standard–the Catholic verse is seen in a number of versions of the quotation.</p>

[UriA702]

<p>Thanks. You forgot the original version</p>

<p>

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.</p>

<p>When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.</p>

<p>When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.</p>

<p>When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn’t a Jew.</p>

<p>When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

</p>

[corranged]

<p>Well, I looked online briefly, and it doesn’t sound as if there’s actually an “original” version. There are lots of variations floating around, and there’s no agreement on a true or correct version of the poem.</p>

[UriA702]

<p>Well, the original version is the German context. I merely translated it. The versions posted at various sights are not a direct translation of the original poem. But thank you so much for posting.</p>

[corranged]

<p>I meant there doesn’t seem to be a definite German version. I looked first on Wikipedia, and other sites seem to confirm.</p>

<p>[First</a> they came… - Wikipedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_they_came]First”>First they came ... - Wikipedia)</p>

[emeraldkity4]

<p>yes there it does seem to be open to interpretation
[Niemöller</a>, origin of famous quotation “First they came for the Communists…”](<a href=“http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/niem.htm]Niemöller”>Niemöller, origin of famous quotation "First they came for the Communists...")</p>