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 y the turn of the century a neo-pagan movement (Neuheidentum) and a new "German" form of Christianity, purged of the original virtues of love, charity and goodwill, was being promoted by various intellectuals and groups within Germany.
This conspired with the historical divisiveness between Catholics and Protestants to dilute any united reactions of moral outrage against the rising tide of totalitarianism and intolerance in the 1930's.  The consequences for Germany and the world were tragic; the Nazis came to power in 1933. Despite many individual acts of heroism, the Protestant and Catholic churches failed to provide any effectively organized mass resistance to Hitler and the National Socialist movement. In fact, the Catholic Church pledged loyalty almost immediately to the new regime when it came into power, and denounced political Catholicism and the Catholic Center Party.
Before his rise to power Hitler had been influenced by the writings of Lanz von Liebenfels in a journal called Ostara. This periodical promulgated concepts of Aryan superiority and cultist beliefs in Teutonic spirits. Hitler developed a deep hatred of Christianity, and it became his intention to replace it with a neo-pagan faith known as "God-believing" once he came to power.
He began systematic efforts to sever the people's attachment to Christianity by de-Christianizing rituals in the Christian calendar, for example, renaming Christmas "the Festival of Light" and forbidding carols and nativity plays in schools.
Poster from 1938-1939 with the slogan 'One people, One Country, One Leader'
According to Jorge Peterson author of the web site about Nazism and the Occult: "The words Christ, angels, shepherds were banned from children's books and replaced by such words as emissaries of nature and the power of the sun... The new Holy day was the summer solstice and was celebrated with fire incantations; this was the new Nordic faith."
In 1933 the Osterraederlauf was to become a focus of Nazi attention. An ancient German past was to be glorified by reassociating the Osterraederlauf with its pagan origins. Using cars with loudspeakers, the Nazis announced that the Raeder were to run again in celebration of the goddess Ostara. The Dechenbrueder were forced to stand by in military uniforms, in support of the Nazi spectacle, and the Raeder were inscribed with slogans in praise of the Reich.
Osterraeder from 1938, bearing the swastika and same rallying slogan 'One people, One Country, One Leader' as on the poster of Hitler above
In 1934 Torchbearers were organized to form a huge blazing swastika on the slopes of the Osterberg while the Raeder ran down the hill.
Swastika on the Osterberg
The Nazis had made an unpopular decision; the people of Luegde, and the Dechenbrueder in particular, were opposed to this de-Christianization of their beloved folk custom.
First they attempted to prevent the Nazis from controlling the Osterraederlauf by having the land-owners of the Osterberg file a property-damage claim. This effort failed.
Members of the banned Catholic Center Party in Luegde conspired to make a more effective protest. August Ruesenberg formulated a plan of resistance. In collusion with Joh. Blome, Joh. Gardeners, Hermann Blome, Otto Krueger and others, stones were bought from a nearby quarry to the top of the Osterberg, a foundation was built and a white cross secretly erected during the night of July 25, 1935, much to the surprise of the local populace. The Nazis denounced this act of defiance. However, the land on which the cross was located was privately owned, and the landlord refused to bow to Nazi pressure. The cross was to remain in place throughout the years the Nazis controlled the Osterraederlauf.
After the war the Dechenbrueder regained control of their folk custom; they purchased the land on which the cross had been erected in order to preserve its presence at the Osterraederlauf. The cross continues to be a shining beacon on the hillside every Easter, and a memorial to the courage of the Luegde citizens who resisted the Nazis.
  
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