Kai Höss, pastor at Stuttgart’s Bible Church, delivers sermons on salvation and forgiveness. His congregation includes the English-speaking international community and U.S. military personnel.

He is the grandson of Rudolf Höss, the Auschwitz commandant responsible for the deaths of approximately 1.1 million people, mostly Jews.

Höss discussed contemporary antisemitism and his faith’s reconciliation with his family history in an interview.

Raised in a non-religious household, his grandmother’s faith was a formative influence, though he initially found it unusual.

After a career in the hospitality industry, marked by a high-flying lifestyle, a medical complication led to a life-changing encounter with the Bible in a hospital.

His conversion in 1989 profoundly altered his life, leading him to openly address his family’s past and share his testimony.

Learning about his grandfather’s role in the Holocaust during his youth caused deep shame, prompting him to keep it secret.

His Christian faith motivated him to confront his family’s legacy, finding acceptance from a Jewish military officer whose family perished at Auschwitz.

He seeks to use his story to promote reconciliation and address the impact of his grandfather’s actions.

Höss addresses antisemitism by linking past and present, illustrating how social Darwinism fueled Nazi ideology.

He highlights the misuse of evolutionary theory to justify racial superiority, resulting in the persecution of marginalized groups.

His presentations incorporate modern examples like TikTok, cautioning against uncritical acceptance of biased online content.

He comments on the emotional responses driving anti-Israel protests on college campuses, noting a lack of historical understanding.

He cites Georgetown law student Julia Wax’s observation of a hostile campus environment for Jewish students, echoing fears among students.

Höss observes that many protestors lack deep understanding, motivated more by emotion and simplistic narratives than reasoned analysis.

He emphasizes the danger of translating hateful ideologies into violent actions, highlighting the dehumanization inherent in such acts.

He recounts a reconciliation with his father and a meeting with Holocaust survivor Anita Lasker-Wallfisch during the filming of the HBO documentary, “The Commandant’s Shadow.”

He plans to speak at a Freiburg synagogue in January during the 80th anniversary commemoration of Auschwitz’s liberation.