---
title: "1 Trade Unionists Quotes By Martin Niemoller"
description: "1 Trade Unionists quotes by Martin Niemoller. Plus more from Martin Niemoller and more Trade Unionists sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/martin-niemoller-20587_because_then-they-came-for-the-trade-unionists-a_156657.jpg"
---

> [Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/then-they-came-for-the-trade-unionists-and-i-did-not-speak-out/)

[Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/martin-niemoller-20587_because_then-they-came-for-the-trade-unionists-a_156657.jpg)

## More by Martin Niemoller

> [If you can laugh at yourself, you are going to be fine. If you allow others to laugh with you, you will be great.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/if-you-can-laugh-at-yourself-you-are-going-to-be-fine-if-you-allow/)

[Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/)

> [A man doesn't realize how much he can stand until he is put to the test. You can stand far more than you think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/a-man-doesn-t-realize-how-much-he-can-stand-until-he-is-put-to-the/)

[Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/)

> [One thing is clear, the president of North Vietnam is not a fanatic. He is a very strong and determined man, but capable of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/one-thing-is-clear-the-president-of-north-vietnam-is-not-a-fanatic-he/)

[Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/)

> [Then they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a socialist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/then-they-came-for-the-socialists-and-i-did-not-speak-out-because-i/)

[Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/)

> [Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/then-they-came-for-the-trade-unionists-and-i-did-not-speak-out/)

[Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/)

> [What should we do? We have no wish to interrupt the destroyer's work of saving lives... But war is war and the people being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/what-should-we-do-we-have-no-wish-to-interrupt-the-destroyer-s-work/)

[Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/)

> [For politicians truth and falsehood are unimportant. So I never could become a politician - not even a church politician.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/for-politicians-truth-and-falsehood-are-unimportant-so-i-never-could/)

[Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/)

> [First they came for the Jews, but I did nothing because I'm not a Jew. Then they came for the socialists, but I did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/first-they-came-for-the-jews-but-i-did-nothing-because-i-m-not-a-jew/)

[Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/)

> [I have never concealed the fact and said it before the court in 1938 that I came from an anti-Semitic past and tradition... I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/i-have-never-concealed-the-fact-and-said-it-before-the-court-in-1938/)

[Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/)

> [It took me a long time to understand that God is not the enemy of my enemies. God is not even the enemy of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/it-took-me-a-long-time-to-understand-that-god-is-not-the-enemy-of-my/)

[Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/)

> [We had been frightened of atomic weapons since 1945. In those days I became convinced - and remain convinced now - that, after Hitler,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/we-had-been-frightened-of-atomic-weapons-since-1945-in-those-days-i/)

[Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/)

> [Ask the first man you meet what he means by defending freedom, and he'll tell you privately he means defending the standard of living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/ask-the-first-man-you-meet-what-he-means-by-defending-freedom-and-he/)

[Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/)

> [Then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak out for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/then-they-came-for-me-and-there-was-no-one-left-to-speak-out-for-me/)

[Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/)

> [More than fifty-five years ago my father told me, "The Bible does not belong on the shelf but in your hand, under your eye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/more-than-fifty-five-years-ago-my-father-told-me-the-bible-does-not/)

[Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/)

> [That which does not kill you will ultimately make you stronger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/that-which-does-not-kill-you-will-ultimately-make-you-stronger/)

[Martin Niemoller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-niemoller/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "ItemList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade-unionists/martin-niemoller/#itemlist",
            "name": "1 Trade Unionists Quotes By Martin Niemoller",
            "numberOfItems": 1,
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "item": {
                        "@type": "Quotation",
                        "text": "Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist.",
                        "creator": {
                            "@type": "Person",
                            "name": "Martin Niemoller"
                        },
                        "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-niemoller/then-they-came-for-the-trade-unionists-and-i-did-not-speak-out/",
                        "image": {
                            "@type": "ImageObject",
                            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/martin-niemoller-20587_because_then-they-came-for-the-trade-unionists-a_156657.jpg",
                            "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/martin-niemoller-20587_because_then-they-came-for-the-trade-unionists-a_156657.jpg",
                            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/martin-niemoller-20587_because_then-they-came-for-the-trade-unionists-a_156657.jpg",
                            "width": 1080,
                            "height": 1080,
                            "caption": "“Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist.” — Martin Niemoller",
                            "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                            "creator": {
                                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "CollectionPage",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade-unionists/martin-niemoller/#webpage",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade-unionists/martin-niemoller/",
            "name": "Trade Unionists Quotes by Martin Niemoller",
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "mainEntity": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade-unionists/martin-niemoller/#itemlist"
            },
            "primaryImageOfPage": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/099/martin-niemoller-20587_because_then-they-came-for-the-trade-unionists-a_156657.jpg"
            },
            "description": "1 Trade Unionists quotes by Martin Niemoller. Plus more from Martin Niemoller and more Trade Unionists sayings from other authors.",
            "breadcrumb": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade-unionists/martin-niemoller/#breadcrumb"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade-unionists/martin-niemoller/#breadcrumb",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Topics",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/categories/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Trade Unionists",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade-unionists/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 5,
                    "name": "Martin Niemoller",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade-unionists/martin-niemoller/"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```