The systematic persecution of Jehovah’s Witnesses by the Nazi regime escalated significantly in 1936. Their refusal to serve in the German military, salute the Nazi flag, or participate in nationalistic ceremonies marked them as a threat to the ideology promoted by Adolf Hitler’s government. As a result, the regime initiated mass arrests, with many Witnesses taken from their homes, workplaces, and communities. This marked a significant moment wherein thousands of Jehovah's Witnesses faced state-sponsored oppression, leading to internment in concentration camps, where numerous individuals suffered brutal conditions and harsh treatment.

The concentration camps were rife with violence, and detainees were subjected to hard labor, starvation, and physical abuse. The largest numbers of Jehovah's Witnesses were incarcerated not only in Germany but throughout occupied territories, where the regime sought to eradicate any dissent against its authority. The Witnesses’ determination to adhere to their beliefs amidst such extreme adversity stands as a powerful testament to their faith and conviction.

By this time, the Nazis had already established their consolidation of power, targeting various minority groups through a campaign of persecution, but the severity directed at Jehovah’s Witnesses was particularly stark due to their unique religious stance against swearing allegiance to any secular power. This crackdown not only illustrated the broader context of political repression in Nazi Germany but also set a precedent for the treatment of other groups in subsequent years of the Holocaust.