The Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) as a federation of Lutheran, United and Reformed regional churches has been a community since 1945. From its prehistory during the Church struggle to the present day, it has always been shaped by internal conflicts. This volume focuses on the disputes surrounding the Barmen Theological Declaration of 1934, its interpretation and history of impact, the founding of the EKD and the controversy over the parallel founding of the United Evangelical Lutheran Church in Germany (VELKD) 1945-1948. An introductory essay deals in detail with "Basic problems of contemporary church history".