Nazi control of culture and the arts Flashcards
Which organisation, created in September 1933, controlled art, architecture, literature, music, theatre and film in Germany?
The Reich Chamber of Culture
What (German) name was given to ensuring that cultural activities in Germany were consistent with Nazi ideas?
Gleichschaltung
What did all painters and sculptors in Nazi Germany have to join?
The Reich Chamber of Visual Arts
How many artists were accepted into the Reich Chamber of Visual Arts?
42,000
What happened to artists who were refused membership of the Reich Chamber of Visual Arts?
They were forbidden to teach, produce or sell art
How many paintings and sculptures were removed from art galleries in 1936?
Over 12,000
Why did the Gestapo make surprise visits to artists’ studios?
To ensure that rules about art were not being broken
What did the Nazis do to encourage their preferred art?
Hold competitions with large prizes for the winners
What did the Nazis dislike about Weimar architecture?
It was too ‘modernist’ and ‘futuristic’
Which architect, a personal favourite of Hitler, designed many major Nazi buildings?
Albert Speer
What were Albert Speer’s two major architecture projects in 1930s Germany?
1) The parade ground for the Nazi rallies in Nuremberg in 1934
2) The new Chancellery (offices of the Chancellor) in Berlin in 1938
Why was Nazi architecture huge?
To give the impression of power and permanence
What features did Speer use from ancient Rome and Greece in his architecture and why?
Domes, arches and pillars
To make the buildings seem grand and historic
What was used to decorate buildings in the 1930s to demonstrate the power of the Nazi Party?
Massive Nazi flags
Why did the Nazis ban jazz music?
It was seen as the work of Black people - and therefore inferior
Why was the work of the composer Felix Mendelssohn banned by the Nazis?
He was partly Jewish
Why did the Nazis favour the music of Richard Wagner?
He wrote music about heroic and powerful Germans from the past
Apart from the music of Wagner, which other composers did the Nazis favour?
Beethoven
Bach
How was Richard Wagner’s music used at Dachau concentration camp?
To ‘re-educate’ political prisoners by exposing them to ‘national music’
Who gave approval for the publication of new books under the Nazis?
The Chamber of Culture
On what grounds would existing books be censored under the Nazis?
They contained ideas/views that the Nazis didn’t like
How many authors were officially banned under the Nazis?
2,500
Under the Nazis, what happened to millions of books from universities and public libraries?
They were burned on huge, public bonfires
How many books were burned by students in Berlin in May 1933?
20,000
Give two examples of authors the Nazis banned (and of whose books the Nazis encouraged burning)
Sigmund Freud
Albert Einstein
How many people were in cinema audiences in Germany across the year 1933?
250 million
Under the Nazis, what preceded films shown in cinemas?
A 45-minute official newsreel publicising Germany’s achievements
Under the Nazis, what did film-makers have to send to Goebbels for approval?
Plot details of every new film
How many films did the Nazis themselves make?
1,300
What was the plot line of Hitlerjunge Quex (1933)?
A young member of the Nazi Party is killed by communists
What was the name of the propaganda cartoon made by Goebbels for cinemas?
Hansi the Canary
How was Hansi the Canary similar to Hitler?
He had a lick of hair across his forehead
What happened to Hansi the Canary in the film?
He was pestered by villainous black crows with stereotypical Jewish features
