Colonia Dignidad

Show Name: Massari Files 

Episode Title: Colonia Dignidad

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Introduce the name of the show, episode title, and hosts of the podcast

In today’s episode, we will talk about x,y, and z (x,y, and z are typically your segment titles

Welcome to the The Massari Files: The Dark Truths podcast with your hosts Sophia Acerenza and Lilla Antal. In this episode called Colonia Dignidad”... we will talk about the history and importance of the cult “Colonia Dignidad”, We will explain how it started, what it turned into, and what has come of it. Grab your snacks, sit back, and listen to the grueling tale of the cult led by Paul Schäfer Schneider.

Segment 1: How did it start?

The leader of the cult was Paul Shafer Schneider 

Schneider grew up in Nazi Germany. He was brought up under Nazi ideology and later on in his life became a Christian Minister. 

Working as an independent preacher, Schäfer formed a community in Gronau dedicated to working with at-risk children. 

Most of Schneider’s teachings came from a fascination from William Branham who was one of the founders of the post-World War II healing revival as an American Preacher. Branham’s teachings were quote “a totalitarian, misogynistic and apocalyptic message, perfect to brainwash all those who were willing to follow him.” 

Schneider went around preaching and ended up with loyal followers who he would then help him set up an orphanage. 

He was then charged with sexually abusing two young boys and fled. Schäfer fled the children's home in Siegburg, West Germany with some of his followers to the Middle East to relocate his congregation. He came into contact with the Chilean ambassador to Germany, who invited him to Chile this is where he then started his cult “Colonia Dignidad” 

Segment 2: What was it?

Taught Nazi ideologies to impressionable young people

Believed in “racial purity”

Children and people of Chilean background were the main targets

Schafer said that CD was a philanthropic project and built a hospital where the locals (Chileans) could get free medical care ← used as a ploy to “adopt” young Chilean boys from poor economic backgrounds (parents did not have $$ to contact lawyers to dispute adoption/say they didn’t consent.) hospital was used for kidnapping.

REPHRASED: Children were forced into the cult when they would go to the public clinic, while they were in the clinic’s care, Schäfer would have lawyers draft up adoption papers, and as many Chilean families did not have the funding to dispute their children’s adoption, they would have to let them go to the sect and not many adult members joined willingly.

Open for decades after becoming active near the end of WWII

Child abuse, human rights violations, child molestation

Segment 3: How does it affect us today?

When more information on the teachings and increased public awareness of the activities of Colonia Dignidad following testimony by former victims led to the issuing of a warrant for Schäfer's arrest. Living underground for eight years, he spent the last five years of his life in prison in Chile. He was killed in 2010 in a prison hospital. 

They have ben word of hosting a memorial for the survivers, but many people aren’t sure how they want to be represented. 

Anna Schnellenkamp: "I'm for a memorial, but it has to tell the whole truth. We cannot forget that the first person who spoke out about what was going on was arrested. And we see that the Chilean state is clearly avoiding responsibility for what happened here."