Culture
Bormann's memo under a Jewish font – ordering a ban on Jewish fonts In 19th century Germany, most printing presses used two font families: Antiqua and Fraktur. Both were ornate, old-style typefaces that replicated calligraphic handwriting. Design historian Steven Heller talks about how he unearthed the Nazi Party's official design and branding guidebook, which sets rules for virtually every flag and insignia Hitler used. Design historian Steven Heller talks about how he unearthed the Nazi Party's official design and branding guidebook, which sets rules for virtually every flag and insignia Hitler used.
- Typography, Philosophy and the Nazi Question. By John Holbo on November 10, 2009. My colleague Axel Gelfert just launched a bold book review-type literary thing, The Berlin Review of Books. And he kindly invited me to review a big fat book, Jan Tschichold: Master Typographer: His Life, Work and Legacy amazon, for his grand opening.
- The fonts presented on this website are their authors' property, and are either freeware, shareware, demo versions or public domain. The licence mentioned above the download button is just an indication.
The Nazis made extensive use of propaganda to cement their reign of terror. An illustrated book looks at the psychological manipulation behind Nazi poster art.
'Jud Süss' was an anti-Semitic film produced under the Nazis
'Is propaganda, as we understand it, not also a form of art?' asked Joseph Goebbels, Nazi Propaganda Minister, in June 1935. The question may have been rhetorical, but at the time, the Nazis had already been in power for almost two-and-a-half years.
They had long laid the foundations for their reign of terror that would culminate in World War II and the Holocaust. It was a regime based on intimidation, murder and control that would not end until 1945.
Nazi propaganda images served far more purposes than only being election campaign posters — as seen here
Propaganda posters as weapons of war
Nazi Typography Painting
Adolf Hitler didn't lose any time in getting the military ready for war, and he made sure that civilians would toe the line, too. While the troops were equipped with new tanks, airplanes and submarines, the people on the home front were fed endless newsreels in movie theaters, heard a deluge broadcasts on the radio, and saw propaganda posters wherever they turned.
Sylke Wunderlich examines the significance of these posters in her book Propaganda of Terror, which features more than 200 illustrations and focuses on art and ideology.
'I think the artistic style of the posters contributed greatly to the fact that they were so successful in influencing the masses,' Wunderlich told DW, adding that she means they were 'successful' in the sense of Nazi politics.
She highlights that the Nazis had never shied away from copying the most effective Socialist and Communist strategies, even well before the Nazi party had risen to power in 1933. In terms of their style and iconography, posters and placards depicting the likeness of Adolf Hitler could have easily been a product of the revolutionary left — if they had instead shown a picture of Rosa Luxemburg or Karl Liebknecht instead.
The 'Volksempfänger,' or radio receiver, was Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels' (pictured in the center) preferred method of mass communication
The 'modern' aesthetic of the Nazi regime
The posters were designed by staunch Nazi supporters, including graphic artist and architect Ludwig Hohlwein. His propaganda posters were so successful that after World War II, Hohlwein was banned from working for many years.
But there were also some Bauhaus students involved in the designs, such as Herbert Bayer, who made posters for the Nazi regime before migrating to the United States in 1938. Wunderlich argues, however, that accusations saying that Bayer had allowed himself to be roped in by the Nazis — even if only for a while — are somewhat unfounded. She says these allegations do not take into account the fact that freelance graphic artists had to make a living and survive under the Nazi regime, too.
Wunderlich says that perhaps they were even deliberately approached by the Propaganda Ministry 'for their modernity.' The Nazis wanted to set themselves apart from the Weimar Republic and its style. They wanted to present themselves as a nation 'that is modern, that is new and that is different.'
Wunderlich argues that this is exactly why there is no contradiction between the modern appearance of these posters' motifs and the racist ideology at the heart of the Third Reich: The images employed photographic collages, clear lettering and pictorial language — 'definitely something people that appealed to people at the time.'
Many forms of art and culture, including Jazz music, were regarded as 'degenerate art' by the Nazis — and ridiculed as such
Mouths to feed, posters to design
Herbert Bayer, whose Bauhaus teachers included Johannes Itten, Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky, eventually did fall out of favor, however. Some of his works ended up in the 1937 Degenerate Art exhibition, finally giving the artist — who had always considered himself to be apolitical — a good reason to turn his back on Germany. Bayer's case is an extreme example of the contradictions of the Nazi regime's cultural policy, as well a poster designers' opportunistic behavior.
Sylke Wunderlich says that poster art at the time was considered to be a 'quite spectacular' medium outside of Germany as well. It was seen as 'very modern and constructive.' The National Socialists used the pictorial language of poster art to seduce and incite the masses against Jews and Bolsheviks from the beginning, and later against all opponents of the war.
The picture-perfect facade of the aesthetically pleasing images continued to fuel Nazi support for years. It only began to crack much later, when the National Socialists started to lose in battle.
Leni Riefenstahl's films on the 1936 Olympic Games made her the Nazis' go-to propaganda filmmaker
The Nazis' cultural ambassador
After the invasion of Poland in September 1939, the Nazis' propaganda machine continued to run smoothly — until the defeat in Stalingrad in early 1943. Photographer and director Leni Riefenstahl played a central part in helping the Nazi regime maintain a good image.
Her films of the Nuremberg Reich Party Congresses and of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin were advertised boldly beyond the borders of the Third Reich. This was done with so much finesse that even foreign countries were fooled by the Nazis' veneer: Riefenstahl's ambivalent masterpieces were awarded many prizes, including a first prize at the Venice Film Festival and a gold medal from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The seeds of mass seduction were sown particularly well with her films Triumph of the Will and Festival of Beauty, which embodied technical and aesthetic perfection.
Marketing for the films used the Nazis' preferred film poster style. Modern art was used 'to convey this terrible, dictatorial state with a beautiful, modern, clean appearance,' says Wunderlich. Their strategy clearly worked, 'or else the crowds would not have fallen for this policy,' says the art historian.
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
Degenerate art
Modern art works whose style, artist or subject did not meet with the approval of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialists were labeled 'degenerate art.' From 1937, the Nazis confiscated such works from German museums. In a traveling exhibition, 'degenerate art' was held up for public ridicule. Here we see Reich Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels and Hitler at the original exhibition in Munich.
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
Hitler's art
Hitler had an affinity for Romanticism and 19th century painting and preferred peaceful country scenes. His private collection included works by Cranach, Tintoretto and Bordone. Like his role models Ludwig I. A smugglers song rudyard kipling analysis. of Bavaria and Frederick the Great, Hitler wanted to manage his own art exhibition at retirement, to be shown in the city of Linz on the River Danube in the 'Führer Museum.'
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
The confiscations
The National Socialists were not the first to persecute avant-garde artists, but they took it a step further by banning their works from museums. In 1937, the authorities had over 20,000 art works removed from 101 state-owned German museums. Anything that the Nazis didn't consider edifying to the German people was carted off.
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
Hitler's national style
Abstract art had no place in Hitler's 'national style,' as grew clear when the 'Great German Art Exhibition' put traditional landscape, historical and nude paintings by artists including Fritz Erler, Hermann Gradl and Franz Xaver Stahl on display in Munich on July 18, 1937. The closer the depicted subject to the actual model was, the more beautiful it was in the eyes of the Führer.
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
What was considered degenerate
Even those in Hitler's inner circle were highly unsure which artists he approved of. The 1937 'Great German Art Exhibition' and the simultaneous 'Degerate Art' exhibition in Munich's Court Garden Arcades brought some clarity. Unwelcome were creative artists of the modern period including Max Beckmann, Otto Dix, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Max Pechstein.
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
Degenerate art on tour
In the 'Degerate Art' exhibition, 650 confiscated artworks from 32 German museums were on display, the exhibits equated with sketches by mentally handicapped persons and shown together with photos of crippled persons. The intention: to provoke revulsion and aversion among visitors. Over two million visitors saw the exhibition on its tour of various cities.
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
Legal foundation
The 'Degenerate Artworks Confiscation Law' of May 31, 1938 retroactively legalized their unremunerated acquisition by the state. The law remained valid in the postwar years, the allies determining that it had simply been a redistribution of state property. Unlike stolen artworks, pieces that the Nazis labled 'degenerate' and had removed from museums can be freely traded today.
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
The 'degenerate art' trade
The confiscated art was taken to storage facilities in Berlin and at Schönhausen Palace. Many works were sold by Hitler's four art merchants: Bernhard A. Böhmer, Karl Buchholz, Hildebrand Gurlitt and Ferdinand Möller. On March 20, 1939 the Berlin fire department burned approximately 5,000 unsold artifacts, calling it an 'exercise.'
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
Art hub Switzerland
125 works were earmarked for an auction in Switzerland. A commission charged by Hermann Göring and others with liquefying the 'degenerate' art products estimated the minimum bidding prices and commissioned the Fischer Gallery in Lucerne to carry out the auction. Taking place on June 30, 1939, it met with eager interest worldwide.
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
Much 'degenerate art' in the Gurlitt collection
Over 21,000 works of 'degenerate art' were confiscated. Estimates on the number subsequently sold differ; sources estimate 6,000 to 10,000. Others were destroyed or disappeared. Hundreds of artworks believed lost turned up in Cornelius Gurlitt's collection — and reignited the discussion.
Targeting youth
'One people, one Reich, one leader!' was the motto projected on many of the posters that cemented the personality cult around Adolf Hitler. But Hitler was rarely seen alone in the pictures — he typically had an audience of children and young people. Few escaped the Nazis' demand for total subjugation to their misguided cause. Boys were expected to join the Hitler Youth (HJ) and girls joined the League of German Girls (Bund Deutscher Mädel, BDM).
Children and Hitler: a typical combination in Nazi poster art
At face value, many of the propaganda posters of the Nazi era were quite harmless; some even reflected great artistic talent. It isn't difficult to imagine why they would be enticing to so many. Indeed, thanks in part to its propaganda art, the Nazi state could rely on the support of the majority of Germans — at least for as long as there were no bombs falling on Berlin and on other German cities.
A divisive exhibition
For years after the war, it was next to impossible to address many aspects of the Nazi dictatorship, including the finer points — like the aesthetic language of the regime's propaganda posters.
In 2012, 67 years after the end of World War II, an exhibition on Nazi poster art at the Munich Stadtmuseum triggered heated debates. The left-leaning Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper said that the images shown at the exhibition, titled 'Typography of Terror - Posters in Munich from 1933 to 1945,' depicted 'nothing but propaganda.' For many, the iconography of Nazi posters remains a controversial topic, to say the least.
Critics of the Munich exhibition accused its curators of providing insufficient context for the posters. Visitors were left alone with the pictures '[i]n the hope that … their ludicrous nature would just expose itself.'
Thomas Weidner, who was the head of the department of graphics and painting at the Munich Stadtmuseum at the time, said that the descriptions of the posters did provide context but conceded that 'exhibitions on National Socialism are always a delicate topic.'
Sylke Wunderlich stresses that Nazi posters have to be studied and examined without prejudice
Glorification of Nazi propaganda?
Wunderlich, too, has drawn ire for her unabashed approach of dealing with Nazi posters in the book, which was published in German and English. But the Berlin-based art historian stresses that she has no influence on the fact that right-wing extremists might take pleasure in her analysis.
Yet the author certainly cannot be accused of trivializing the Nazi aesthetic — quite the contrary. If anyone were to buy her book in search of the glorification of Nazi propaganda, they will certainly regret their purchase: it is a revealing analysis of the dangers behind the poster art of the Nazi era.
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
Hitler's favorite director
Leni Riefenstahl was among the Nazi filmmakers who tried to redeem their reputations after 1945. She was responsible for filming the Nazi party's massive rallies and was an integral part of the propaganda machine. Anti-Semitism was inseparable from the party's ideology.
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
Retelling history with anti-Semitic twist
'Jud Süss,' one of the Nazis' most famous propaganda films, which is restricted today, was directed by Viet Harlan in 1940. Harlan tells the historical tale of 18th-century German-Jewish banker Joseph Süss Oppenheimer and places it in the context of anti-Semitic Nazi propaganda. 'Jud Süss' was seen by millions of Germans when it was first released.
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
Mixing anti-Semitism with 'art'
In Harlan's film, anti-Semitic prejudices are underlined by the plot and the way the characters are portrayed. The writer Ralph Giordano said, 'Jud Süss' was the 'most mean-spirited, cruel and refined form of 'artistic anti-Semitism.' Michael Töteberg wrote, 'The film openly mobilizes sexual fears and aggression and instrumentalizes them for anti-Semitic incitement.'
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
'The devil's director'
His biographer once called Veit Harlan 'the devil's director,' due to his unabashed service to Nazi ideology. Harlan had 'qualified' himself to make 'Jud Süss' after making his own films with anti-Semitic tendencies in the 1930s. After 1945, the director was able to continue working after going on trial and serving a temporary occupational ban.
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
Dealing with propaganda films - in film
Much was written and said about Viet Harlan and his anti-Semitic film 'Jud Süss' after the war. At least one response to Harlan's work was uttered in film form. Director Oskar Roehler dealt with the origin and effect of the propaganda film in his melodramatic, controversial film 'Jud Suss: Rise and Fall' (2010).
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
Joseph Goebbels pulled the strings
The Nazis were quick to recognize that cinema could have a powerful effect in swaying the people. Joseph Goebbels and his Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda used the medium to promote their ideologies, including anti-Semitism. Besides feature films like 'Jud Süss,' cultural and educational films were also made.
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
A so-called documentary
Another Nazi-made anti-Semitic film was 'The Eternal Jew,' released just a few months after 'Jud Süss' in 1940. The film, made by Fritz Hippler, shows well-known Jewish artists, scenes from the Warsaw Ghetto and images of Jewish religious practices, combining them in a deceitful manner with excerpts from Hitler's speeches and SS marches. The propaganda work was billed as a documentary.
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
Devil in the details
Most of the propaganda films the Nazis made between 1933 and 1945 used smaller doses of anti-Semitism and were not as overt as 'Jud Süss.' Some films were even toned down during production. The historical film 'Bismarck' (1940) was originally planned as a much more aggressive anti-Semitic propaganda film.
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
Anti-Semitism from the perspective of Charlie Chaplin
During the war, Hollywood produced a number of anti-Nazi films that condemned anti-Semitism. Charlie Chaplin humorously portrayed Hitler in 'The Great Dictator' in 1940. After the war, Chaplin said he would have acted differently, had he been aware of the extent of the Nazis' extermination policy against the Jews.
This article has been translated from German by Dagmar Breitenbach
DW recommends
He Nazism Is characterized by being the party of the working class founded by Adolf Hitler after World War I finalized.
It was an ultranationalist political movement that did not place its faith in the liberal-democratic ideal of the time. Nazism was characterized by revenge for the humiliation that Germany had had to undergo during the treaty of Versailles.
As its name suggests, the Nazi Party presented itself initially as the nationalist response to international socialism.
In this way, it attracted the attention of those who did not believe in the resurgence of the German government after the catastrophe resulting from World War I (Hickey, 2013).
Weimar's constitution in 1919 endorsed the development of a complete democracy, but the government that appeared during this time was unable to counteract the burden of the difficult situation resulting from the outcome of World War I.
The lack of satisfaction with the parliamentary institutions led to the creation of the Nazi Party with Adolf Hitler as its leader from 1933.
One of the most important features of the Nazi Party was its ability to transform the structure of the German state in a relatively short time.
In this way, the New Reichstag (the lower house of parliament) passed in 1933 an'Enabling Act'in order to end the stress of the state and nation.
By means of this act, all the power of the country was transferred to Hitler, who initiated to the Nazi era in all Germany.
Main Features of the Nazi Party
The Nazi Party commanded by Hitler had the following characteristics:
1 - Totalitarian
Nazi Typography Quotes
The entire German State was included by the Nazi Party. The subordination of the individual to the omnipotent state was manifested in many ways.
Freedom of expression and grouping were abolished, and all media that could shape public opinion - press, theater, film, radio, schools and universities - were under complete control of the state. Also, all political parties and guilds were dissolved.
Cultural and social life was controlled and supervised by the state. In October 1933, a Reich Culture Chamber was established, under the supervision and control of Dr. Goebbels, who was to look after all the cultural aspects of life.
In relation to economic life, the Minister of Economy was designated as the one in charge of ensuring the well-being of Germany's economy, being able to carry out any action that he considered necessary to maintain that welfare (History, 2014).
2 - A State with a Single Party
Nazi Germany was a one-party state. Only the National Socialist Party was legally recognized.
The Nazi party was endorsed by law as the one in charge of protecting the ideals of the German State. Its emblem (the swastika) was the emblem of the state and its leader was the head of state.
Numerous powers were transferred to party organizations, such as the right of municipal councilors to congregate, selection of jurors and members of the boards of educational institutions, background investigation of individuals, and access to any Matter of the state.
3 - Purity of Race
The Nazi state was a popular state claiming to be descended from the Nordic race. This is how he claimed that the family of the Germans belonged to the Nordic family, who had been responsible for achieving the greatest achievements in the annals of history.
For this reason, the state considered that the nation should keep its racial record flawless and glorious, with a single race that was pure and preserved without being contaminated by inferior races, such as the Jewish.
Thus, Nazi Germany not only snatched the belongings of the Jews living inside their territory, but also subjected them to a brutal persecution (ideology, 2017).
4 - A Responsible Single Leader
The Nazi state was based on the principle that there was only one leader responsible - directly or indirectly - for the life and behavior of all individuals in the state. This supreme leader was Adolf Hitler.
The leader's actions and decisions were not subject to any scrutiny or criticism, as they were assumed to be correct.
Democracy and any talk about a state in which the people had power was a self-deception, since all the power of the state belonged to a single leader.
Therefore, his will was considered as law. Those who opposed the leader's will were forced to obey it, otherwise they would be thrown into concentration camps (Mondal, 2016).
5 - The Nazi Economy
In order to improve the Nazi economy, the finance minister had the objective of making Germany a self-sufficient country (Autarchy).
The Autobahn (German motorway system) created jobs for those who were unemployed, with the aim of creating new avenues. Also, new weapons and vehicle factories were opened.
Some jobs in the military were created for those without jobs. The Jews were arrested and so many workplaces were open for those who were unemployed, mainly as teachers or doctors.
6 - State of Terror
Hitler's initial goal was to establish a totalitarian dictatorship in Germany, with himself as supreme leader. In order to achieve this, the opposition had to be eliminated, and people had to respond freely to their indications.
This was achieved through a policy of a State of Terror, element that became an icon of Nazi Germany.
Under the orders of Heinrich Himmler, the paramilitary group Schutzstaffel or SS was formed, committed to controlling internal state security, carrying out tasks such as monitoring concentration camps or destroying Sturmabteilung or SA (a Nazi paramilitary organization Which went against Hitler's ideals).
7 - Fields of Concentration and Jewish Extermination
The Nazi Party created concentration camps, controlled by the SS to contain and exterminate'enemy'prisoners (national minorities, Jews, communists and traitors).
Some prisoners would be employed as slave labor or executed. In 1935 the laws of Nuremberg were introduced to segregate and persecute the Jews, making them insecure even in their own homes.
The Wannsee conference for its part introduced the idea of a Final Solution to eliminate all Jews at the same time.
This event was the cusp of Nazi terror against the Jews, as the worst and most terrifying case of persecution and xenophobia recorded in history. This is probably one of the most remarkable features of Nazi Germany.
8 - Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of psychological manipulation. It is the promotion of specific ideas through the use of repetition.
In Germany, from the year 1933 until the year 1945, Goebbels was the minister of the propaganda. He felt a deep hatred for the Jews and was an enthusiast of his persecution.
The newspaper Der Stümer was quite popular at the time and promoted the hatred for the Jews, for this reason it was the favorite newspaper of Hitler.
On the other hand, the swastika was used on the Nazi flag and by 1935 this became the flag of Germany.
At Nuremberg meetings thousands of people had to shout'Sieg Heil'in unison and people were forced to say'Heil Hitler'as they passed by other people on the street.
Radio, books and films promoted hatred for the Jews and the greatness of Hitler and Nazism. Synthesia download. In this way, the propaganda contributed to the modification of the beliefs of the people against Nazism and the Jews.
9 - Anti-Semitism
One of the most well-known features of the Nazi state in Germany is anti-Semitism. At first there was not a lot of attention paid to this issue, since Hitler needed the majority of people in Germany to vote for him. However, with the passage of time, brutality against the Jews increased considerably.
Anti-Semitism became an extreme form of racism and hatred for a race of people. In 1933 there was a boycott of Jewish stores. Hitler blamed the Jews of the Versailles Treaty and the country's economic problems, such as the economic depression. Thamarai kannangal song free download mp3.
All Jews were revoked from government offices and professional duties. In 1934, Jews were excluded from public places, including parks and swimming pools. All this was due to Hitler's will to preserve the purity of the Aryan Race (Mgina, 2014).
Herbert Bayer, whose Bauhaus teachers included Johannes Itten, Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky, eventually did fall out of favor, however. Some of his works ended up in the 1937 Degenerate Art exhibition, finally giving the artist — who had always considered himself to be apolitical — a good reason to turn his back on Germany. Bayer's case is an extreme example of the contradictions of the Nazi regime's cultural policy, as well a poster designers' opportunistic behavior.
Sylke Wunderlich says that poster art at the time was considered to be a 'quite spectacular' medium outside of Germany as well. It was seen as 'very modern and constructive.' The National Socialists used the pictorial language of poster art to seduce and incite the masses against Jews and Bolsheviks from the beginning, and later against all opponents of the war.
The picture-perfect facade of the aesthetically pleasing images continued to fuel Nazi support for years. It only began to crack much later, when the National Socialists started to lose in battle.
Leni Riefenstahl's films on the 1936 Olympic Games made her the Nazis' go-to propaganda filmmaker
The Nazis' cultural ambassador
After the invasion of Poland in September 1939, the Nazis' propaganda machine continued to run smoothly — until the defeat in Stalingrad in early 1943. Photographer and director Leni Riefenstahl played a central part in helping the Nazi regime maintain a good image.
Her films of the Nuremberg Reich Party Congresses and of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin were advertised boldly beyond the borders of the Third Reich. This was done with so much finesse that even foreign countries were fooled by the Nazis' veneer: Riefenstahl's ambivalent masterpieces were awarded many prizes, including a first prize at the Venice Film Festival and a gold medal from the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
The seeds of mass seduction were sown particularly well with her films Triumph of the Will and Festival of Beauty, which embodied technical and aesthetic perfection.
Marketing for the films used the Nazis' preferred film poster style. Modern art was used 'to convey this terrible, dictatorial state with a beautiful, modern, clean appearance,' says Wunderlich. Their strategy clearly worked, 'or else the crowds would not have fallen for this policy,' says the art historian.
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
Degenerate art
Modern art works whose style, artist or subject did not meet with the approval of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialists were labeled 'degenerate art.' From 1937, the Nazis confiscated such works from German museums. In a traveling exhibition, 'degenerate art' was held up for public ridicule. Here we see Reich Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels and Hitler at the original exhibition in Munich.
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
Hitler's art
Hitler had an affinity for Romanticism and 19th century painting and preferred peaceful country scenes. His private collection included works by Cranach, Tintoretto and Bordone. Like his role models Ludwig I. A smugglers song rudyard kipling analysis. of Bavaria and Frederick the Great, Hitler wanted to manage his own art exhibition at retirement, to be shown in the city of Linz on the River Danube in the 'Führer Museum.'
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
The confiscations
The National Socialists were not the first to persecute avant-garde artists, but they took it a step further by banning their works from museums. In 1937, the authorities had over 20,000 art works removed from 101 state-owned German museums. Anything that the Nazis didn't consider edifying to the German people was carted off.
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
Hitler's national style
Abstract art had no place in Hitler's 'national style,' as grew clear when the 'Great German Art Exhibition' put traditional landscape, historical and nude paintings by artists including Fritz Erler, Hermann Gradl and Franz Xaver Stahl on display in Munich on July 18, 1937. The closer the depicted subject to the actual model was, the more beautiful it was in the eyes of the Führer.
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
What was considered degenerate
Even those in Hitler's inner circle were highly unsure which artists he approved of. The 1937 'Great German Art Exhibition' and the simultaneous 'Degerate Art' exhibition in Munich's Court Garden Arcades brought some clarity. Unwelcome were creative artists of the modern period including Max Beckmann, Otto Dix, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Max Pechstein.
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
Degenerate art on tour
In the 'Degerate Art' exhibition, 650 confiscated artworks from 32 German museums were on display, the exhibits equated with sketches by mentally handicapped persons and shown together with photos of crippled persons. The intention: to provoke revulsion and aversion among visitors. Over two million visitors saw the exhibition on its tour of various cities.
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
Legal foundation
The 'Degenerate Artworks Confiscation Law' of May 31, 1938 retroactively legalized their unremunerated acquisition by the state. The law remained valid in the postwar years, the allies determining that it had simply been a redistribution of state property. Unlike stolen artworks, pieces that the Nazis labled 'degenerate' and had removed from museums can be freely traded today.
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
The 'degenerate art' trade
The confiscated art was taken to storage facilities in Berlin and at Schönhausen Palace. Many works were sold by Hitler's four art merchants: Bernhard A. Böhmer, Karl Buchholz, Hildebrand Gurlitt and Ferdinand Möller. On March 20, 1939 the Berlin fire department burned approximately 5,000 unsold artifacts, calling it an 'exercise.'
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
Art hub Switzerland
125 works were earmarked for an auction in Switzerland. A commission charged by Hermann Göring and others with liquefying the 'degenerate' art products estimated the minimum bidding prices and commissioned the Fischer Gallery in Lucerne to carry out the auction. Taking place on June 30, 1939, it met with eager interest worldwide.
How Hitler and the Nazis defamed art
Much 'degenerate art' in the Gurlitt collection
Over 21,000 works of 'degenerate art' were confiscated. Estimates on the number subsequently sold differ; sources estimate 6,000 to 10,000. Others were destroyed or disappeared. Hundreds of artworks believed lost turned up in Cornelius Gurlitt's collection — and reignited the discussion.
Targeting youth
'One people, one Reich, one leader!' was the motto projected on many of the posters that cemented the personality cult around Adolf Hitler. But Hitler was rarely seen alone in the pictures — he typically had an audience of children and young people. Few escaped the Nazis' demand for total subjugation to their misguided cause. Boys were expected to join the Hitler Youth (HJ) and girls joined the League of German Girls (Bund Deutscher Mädel, BDM).
Children and Hitler: a typical combination in Nazi poster art
At face value, many of the propaganda posters of the Nazi era were quite harmless; some even reflected great artistic talent. It isn't difficult to imagine why they would be enticing to so many. Indeed, thanks in part to its propaganda art, the Nazi state could rely on the support of the majority of Germans — at least for as long as there were no bombs falling on Berlin and on other German cities.
A divisive exhibition
For years after the war, it was next to impossible to address many aspects of the Nazi dictatorship, including the finer points — like the aesthetic language of the regime's propaganda posters.
In 2012, 67 years after the end of World War II, an exhibition on Nazi poster art at the Munich Stadtmuseum triggered heated debates. The left-leaning Süddeutsche Zeitung newspaper said that the images shown at the exhibition, titled 'Typography of Terror - Posters in Munich from 1933 to 1945,' depicted 'nothing but propaganda.' For many, the iconography of Nazi posters remains a controversial topic, to say the least.
Critics of the Munich exhibition accused its curators of providing insufficient context for the posters. Visitors were left alone with the pictures '[i]n the hope that … their ludicrous nature would just expose itself.'
Thomas Weidner, who was the head of the department of graphics and painting at the Munich Stadtmuseum at the time, said that the descriptions of the posters did provide context but conceded that 'exhibitions on National Socialism are always a delicate topic.'
Sylke Wunderlich stresses that Nazi posters have to be studied and examined without prejudice
Glorification of Nazi propaganda?
Wunderlich, too, has drawn ire for her unabashed approach of dealing with Nazi posters in the book, which was published in German and English. But the Berlin-based art historian stresses that she has no influence on the fact that right-wing extremists might take pleasure in her analysis.
Yet the author certainly cannot be accused of trivializing the Nazi aesthetic — quite the contrary. If anyone were to buy her book in search of the glorification of Nazi propaganda, they will certainly regret their purchase: it is a revealing analysis of the dangers behind the poster art of the Nazi era.
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
Hitler's favorite director
Leni Riefenstahl was among the Nazi filmmakers who tried to redeem their reputations after 1945. She was responsible for filming the Nazi party's massive rallies and was an integral part of the propaganda machine. Anti-Semitism was inseparable from the party's ideology.
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
Retelling history with anti-Semitic twist
'Jud Süss,' one of the Nazis' most famous propaganda films, which is restricted today, was directed by Viet Harlan in 1940. Harlan tells the historical tale of 18th-century German-Jewish banker Joseph Süss Oppenheimer and places it in the context of anti-Semitic Nazi propaganda. 'Jud Süss' was seen by millions of Germans when it was first released.
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
Mixing anti-Semitism with 'art'
In Harlan's film, anti-Semitic prejudices are underlined by the plot and the way the characters are portrayed. The writer Ralph Giordano said, 'Jud Süss' was the 'most mean-spirited, cruel and refined form of 'artistic anti-Semitism.' Michael Töteberg wrote, 'The film openly mobilizes sexual fears and aggression and instrumentalizes them for anti-Semitic incitement.'
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
'The devil's director'
His biographer once called Veit Harlan 'the devil's director,' due to his unabashed service to Nazi ideology. Harlan had 'qualified' himself to make 'Jud Süss' after making his own films with anti-Semitic tendencies in the 1930s. After 1945, the director was able to continue working after going on trial and serving a temporary occupational ban.
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
Dealing with propaganda films - in film
Much was written and said about Viet Harlan and his anti-Semitic film 'Jud Süss' after the war. At least one response to Harlan's work was uttered in film form. Director Oskar Roehler dealt with the origin and effect of the propaganda film in his melodramatic, controversial film 'Jud Suss: Rise and Fall' (2010).
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
Joseph Goebbels pulled the strings
The Nazis were quick to recognize that cinema could have a powerful effect in swaying the people. Joseph Goebbels and his Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda used the medium to promote their ideologies, including anti-Semitism. Besides feature films like 'Jud Süss,' cultural and educational films were also made.
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
A so-called documentary
Another Nazi-made anti-Semitic film was 'The Eternal Jew,' released just a few months after 'Jud Süss' in 1940. The film, made by Fritz Hippler, shows well-known Jewish artists, scenes from the Warsaw Ghetto and images of Jewish religious practices, combining them in a deceitful manner with excerpts from Hitler's speeches and SS marches. The propaganda work was billed as a documentary.
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
Devil in the details
Most of the propaganda films the Nazis made between 1933 and 1945 used smaller doses of anti-Semitism and were not as overt as 'Jud Süss.' Some films were even toned down during production. The historical film 'Bismarck' (1940) was originally planned as a much more aggressive anti-Semitic propaganda film.
How the Nazis promoted anti-Semitism through film
Anti-Semitism from the perspective of Charlie Chaplin
During the war, Hollywood produced a number of anti-Nazi films that condemned anti-Semitism. Charlie Chaplin humorously portrayed Hitler in 'The Great Dictator' in 1940. After the war, Chaplin said he would have acted differently, had he been aware of the extent of the Nazis' extermination policy against the Jews.
This article has been translated from German by Dagmar Breitenbach
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He Nazism Is characterized by being the party of the working class founded by Adolf Hitler after World War I finalized.
It was an ultranationalist political movement that did not place its faith in the liberal-democratic ideal of the time. Nazism was characterized by revenge for the humiliation that Germany had had to undergo during the treaty of Versailles.
As its name suggests, the Nazi Party presented itself initially as the nationalist response to international socialism.
In this way, it attracted the attention of those who did not believe in the resurgence of the German government after the catastrophe resulting from World War I (Hickey, 2013).
Weimar's constitution in 1919 endorsed the development of a complete democracy, but the government that appeared during this time was unable to counteract the burden of the difficult situation resulting from the outcome of World War I.
The lack of satisfaction with the parliamentary institutions led to the creation of the Nazi Party with Adolf Hitler as its leader from 1933.
One of the most important features of the Nazi Party was its ability to transform the structure of the German state in a relatively short time.
In this way, the New Reichstag (the lower house of parliament) passed in 1933 an'Enabling Act'in order to end the stress of the state and nation.
By means of this act, all the power of the country was transferred to Hitler, who initiated to the Nazi era in all Germany.
Main Features of the Nazi Party
The Nazi Party commanded by Hitler had the following characteristics:
1 - Totalitarian
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The entire German State was included by the Nazi Party. The subordination of the individual to the omnipotent state was manifested in many ways.
Freedom of expression and grouping were abolished, and all media that could shape public opinion - press, theater, film, radio, schools and universities - were under complete control of the state. Also, all political parties and guilds were dissolved.
Cultural and social life was controlled and supervised by the state. In October 1933, a Reich Culture Chamber was established, under the supervision and control of Dr. Goebbels, who was to look after all the cultural aspects of life.
In relation to economic life, the Minister of Economy was designated as the one in charge of ensuring the well-being of Germany's economy, being able to carry out any action that he considered necessary to maintain that welfare (History, 2014).
2 - A State with a Single Party
Nazi Germany was a one-party state. Only the National Socialist Party was legally recognized.
The Nazi party was endorsed by law as the one in charge of protecting the ideals of the German State. Its emblem (the swastika) was the emblem of the state and its leader was the head of state.
Numerous powers were transferred to party organizations, such as the right of municipal councilors to congregate, selection of jurors and members of the boards of educational institutions, background investigation of individuals, and access to any Matter of the state.
3 - Purity of Race
The Nazi state was a popular state claiming to be descended from the Nordic race. This is how he claimed that the family of the Germans belonged to the Nordic family, who had been responsible for achieving the greatest achievements in the annals of history.
For this reason, the state considered that the nation should keep its racial record flawless and glorious, with a single race that was pure and preserved without being contaminated by inferior races, such as the Jewish.
Thus, Nazi Germany not only snatched the belongings of the Jews living inside their territory, but also subjected them to a brutal persecution (ideology, 2017).
4 - A Responsible Single Leader
The Nazi state was based on the principle that there was only one leader responsible - directly or indirectly - for the life and behavior of all individuals in the state. This supreme leader was Adolf Hitler.
The leader's actions and decisions were not subject to any scrutiny or criticism, as they were assumed to be correct.
Democracy and any talk about a state in which the people had power was a self-deception, since all the power of the state belonged to a single leader.
Therefore, his will was considered as law. Those who opposed the leader's will were forced to obey it, otherwise they would be thrown into concentration camps (Mondal, 2016).
5 - The Nazi Economy
In order to improve the Nazi economy, the finance minister had the objective of making Germany a self-sufficient country (Autarchy).
The Autobahn (German motorway system) created jobs for those who were unemployed, with the aim of creating new avenues. Also, new weapons and vehicle factories were opened.
Some jobs in the military were created for those without jobs. The Jews were arrested and so many workplaces were open for those who were unemployed, mainly as teachers or doctors.
6 - State of Terror
Hitler's initial goal was to establish a totalitarian dictatorship in Germany, with himself as supreme leader. In order to achieve this, the opposition had to be eliminated, and people had to respond freely to their indications.
This was achieved through a policy of a State of Terror, element that became an icon of Nazi Germany.
Under the orders of Heinrich Himmler, the paramilitary group Schutzstaffel or SS was formed, committed to controlling internal state security, carrying out tasks such as monitoring concentration camps or destroying Sturmabteilung or SA (a Nazi paramilitary organization Which went against Hitler's ideals).
7 - Fields of Concentration and Jewish Extermination
The Nazi Party created concentration camps, controlled by the SS to contain and exterminate'enemy'prisoners (national minorities, Jews, communists and traitors).
Some prisoners would be employed as slave labor or executed. In 1935 the laws of Nuremberg were introduced to segregate and persecute the Jews, making them insecure even in their own homes.
The Wannsee conference for its part introduced the idea of a Final Solution to eliminate all Jews at the same time.
This event was the cusp of Nazi terror against the Jews, as the worst and most terrifying case of persecution and xenophobia recorded in history. This is probably one of the most remarkable features of Nazi Germany.
8 - Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of psychological manipulation. It is the promotion of specific ideas through the use of repetition.
In Germany, from the year 1933 until the year 1945, Goebbels was the minister of the propaganda. He felt a deep hatred for the Jews and was an enthusiast of his persecution.
The newspaper Der Stümer was quite popular at the time and promoted the hatred for the Jews, for this reason it was the favorite newspaper of Hitler.
On the other hand, the swastika was used on the Nazi flag and by 1935 this became the flag of Germany.
At Nuremberg meetings thousands of people had to shout'Sieg Heil'in unison and people were forced to say'Heil Hitler'as they passed by other people on the street.
Radio, books and films promoted hatred for the Jews and the greatness of Hitler and Nazism. Synthesia download. In this way, the propaganda contributed to the modification of the beliefs of the people against Nazism and the Jews.
9 - Anti-Semitism
One of the most well-known features of the Nazi state in Germany is anti-Semitism. At first there was not a lot of attention paid to this issue, since Hitler needed the majority of people in Germany to vote for him. However, with the passage of time, brutality against the Jews increased considerably.
Anti-Semitism became an extreme form of racism and hatred for a race of people. In 1933 there was a boycott of Jewish stores. Hitler blamed the Jews of the Versailles Treaty and the country's economic problems, such as the economic depression. Thamarai kannangal song free download mp3.
All Jews were revoked from government offices and professional duties. In 1934, Jews were excluded from public places, including parks and swimming pools. All this was due to Hitler's will to preserve the purity of the Aryan Race (Mgina, 2014).
10 - Foreign Policy
Hitler's main goal was to destroy the Treaty of Versailles. He also wanted more living space and the union of all German-speaking countries. In this way, Hitler disarmed the treaty by invading Rhineland.
On the other hand, Hitler and Mussolini (both sanctioned by the League of Nations) formed the Axis of Rome and Berlin in 1936.
This was later strengthened by the Steel Pact in 1939, during the Munich conference, where other leaders tried to calm Hitler's hopes, but he finally got Sudetes and the rest of Czechoslovakia.
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At this time, Hitler was unstoppable and invasions continued, involving other republics like France, Poland and the British Isles.
References
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- Hickey, P. (November 23, 2013). Patrickhickey1 . Retrieved from'What were the main characteristics of the Nazi State 1933-1939?: patrickhickey1.wordpress.com.
- History, A. (2014). Alpha History . Retrieved from the NAZI IDEOLOGY: alphahistory.com.
- Ideology, N. (2017). Key elements of the Nazi ideology . Obtained from Nazi Ideology: nazism.ne.
- Mgina, E. (April 2014). Top 5 Resources . Obtained from FEATURES AND CAUSES OF NAZISM: top5resources.blogspot.com.br.
- Mondal, P. (2016). com . Obtained from 4 Important Features Characterized by Nazi Regime: yourarticlelibrary.com.