The Jehovah's Witnesses endured intense persecution under the Nazi regime, from 1933 to 1945. Unlike the Jews and others persecuted and killed by virtue of their birth, Jehovah's Witnesses had the opportunity to escape persecution and personal harm by renouncing their religious beliefs. The vast majority refused and throughout their struggle, continued to meet, preach, and distribute literature. In the face of torture, maltreatment in concentration camps, and sometimes execution, this unique group won the respect of many contemporaries. Up until now, little has been known of their particular persecution.

Michel Reynaud is the founder of the French publishing company, Editions Tiresias and a scholar in the field of World War II deportations. Sylvie Graffard is a writer and a scholar who has been working in the study of deportation since 1960. They both live in Paris. Michael Berenbaum, the president of the Survivors of Shoah Visual Foundation, lives in Los Angeles, CA.