Nazi culture Flashcards
Who was Paul Josef Goebbels?
1922 joined NSDAP (National Socialist German Workers’ Party) and was attracted to Gregor Strasser’s radical wing
–> 1925 demanded Hitler to be expelled
With Hitler, he increased his influence & power, known as Gauleiter of Berlin
1927 founded paper Der Angriff
1928 became party’s propoganda chief & 1930 elected into Reichstag
Characteristics of Goebbels
powerful public speaker & a powerful man (still considered himself Hitler’s servant)
march 1933- joined Cabinet as head of RMVP (Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda)
used media (radio and film) to influence citizens and gain popularity
–> spread Nazi & anti-semetic views (Kristallnacht)
RMVP
Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda
created in March 1933
–> comprehensively supervised and regulated the culture and mass media of Nazi Germany
–> MAJOR focus on Hitler himself (glorified as a heroic and infallible leader= cult of personality)
Controlled content of press through state-controlled Press agency ( Deutsches Nachrichtenbüro)
–> held daily press conferences and issued detailed directives on content (e.g. length and position of articles)
Reich culture chamber
founded by Goebbels on Sept 22nd 1933
RKK ( Reichskulturkammer) made membership mandatory for those who were active in any cultural field/ engaged heavily in censorship
–> deemed racially or politically undesirable= banned from membership and working (particular attention was given to new media, radio and films
Problem regarding the Reichskulturkammer? RKK
locating and organising all professionals required to join chamber
–> to unite them in an organisation in conformity & with new principles
–> all former associations were discontinued without exception & each member was obligated to become a member of the RKK without fail
Josef Goebbels and radio
he believed radio to be the most modern and crucial instrument for influencing the masses
–> extremely useful in terms of indoctrination
Josef Goebbels and film
Goebbels loved films, believing that they were entertainment AND the best form of propaganda (thought they could work on the subconscious)
–>he disagreed with hitler about having more directly political films
–> blatantly rejected political films
NEWSPAPERS AND PRESS before 1933
decentralised with little to no government effect
–> Article 118: “Every German has the right, within limits of general law, to express his opinion freely by word, in writing, in print, in picture form or in any other way… censorship is forbidden”
–> many criticisms were allowed to be published
Control of Newspapers and press after 1933
When Hitler took control in 1933, less than 3% of the 4700 newspapers were actually controlled by Nazi’s (rest remained independent unrestricted publishers)
–> Those in charge of publishing had to sign up with the Reich Association of German Press (RKK)
outlawed political party papers were seized and destroyed (state could seize plants and equipment at any time)
–> Those on registrar HAD to be Volksgenneson people (registrar is Reichpressekammer)
Control of Newspapers and press: Clause 14
everything that calculated to weaken the strength of the Reich abroad or at home, the resolution of the community, German defence, culture or the economy, or to injure religious sensibilities of others, as well as everything offensive to the honour or dignity of a German were expected to be excluded by publishers
Volksgenneson, Publishers, Journalists, Editors
title of journalist was changed to be more German (Schriftleiter)
–> only those who had proof of their Aryan lineage were allowed to work
–> Schriftleiter had to take a year of professional training (essentially stopped free lance journalism)
Schristleitergesetz
Editors law Oct 4th 1933 and put into effect Jan 1st 1934
Control of press
state controller Deutsches Nachrichtenbüro (only way journalists could receive info so more limitation)
failure to follow instructions/ ulterior motives = concentration camps
Nazi’s aimed to restrict interpretations and access to alternative news sources (banning risked people becoming curious so normalcy was maintained)
smaller newspapers were oven permission to post soft news
Nazi ownership of press
lucrative and definite insurance of full nazi control over news distributed
used holding companies to disguise new ownership (publishing house Franz Eher created huge empire to drive competition out)
purchased newspapers at below market prices - especially bankrupting companies
independent and non political printed media was allowed through self censorship or publishing of approved topics
ullstein and moser
Ullstein was biggest publishing house company in 1933 - German officials forced the Ullstein Family’ registration and to sell their company assets (Vossice Zeitung)
Misse family published a large number of liberal newspapers including the Berlin Tageblatt
statistics about Newspapers
1939- 69% of newspapers were owned by Nazi’s
This jumped to 88% in 1944
Most newspapers retained their original names even after take over
Pre Nazi films
Films during Weimar Germany showed greater freedom of speech and expression
-Women in film industry were an example of Weimar’s liberal and open-mind attitude towards sexuality, drug and alcohol consumption
examples include: Metropolis, Blue Angel and Asphalt
Purpose of films in Nazis
not explicitly used for propaganda purposes (mainly relaxation)
–> partly due to export sales and high sales of films
–> films were categorised into genres by the Reich Film chamber and any movies that did not fit into categories (e.g. american films) were banned
Fritz Hippler
German film maker who ran film department in Propaganda ministry of Nazi Germany
–> director of Der Ewige Jude (pseudo-documentary including scenes of jews shot in Warsaw and Lodz Ghettos, promoting anti-semitism throughout Germany
Effectiveness of Film propaganda
2 purposes:
1. portray nazis as liberators and heros that saved and restored Germany
2. Porudce derogatory films about miorities with the running themes of anti-semitism
–> did not explicitly imply these ideas through films, serving as hidden meanings
Radios: What were the People’s Receiver
Volksempfänger aka peoples receiver was a cheap type of radio that sold for 76 marks
–> expansion of larger radio towers meant radio broadcasts were introduced to villages
–> 1933: 7 million sets of PR had been made and by 1939: 70% of households owned one
How was radio used effectively
used to transmit Hitler’s key speeches
–> large speaker put in every street to make sure people could hear the message
–> 1935: 56/70 million people tuned in to listen to Hitlers speeches
Radios spread Nazism around, convincing the people that it was an acceptable political idea
Architecture in NaziS
Nazis used collsal buildings which towered over everyone, asserting the regime’s dominance over them
e.g. the Pavilion
Germania: rebuilding center of Berlin as a world capital
Architecture: examples
German Pavilion: Speer designed it to represent bullwark against communism
–> made of only German materials (100,000 tonnes)
–> 65 metres tall
Zeppenlinfield Grandstand
–> 30 km complex around nUREMBERG
–> fit for 500,000 people
Effectiveness of architecture?
vast size of buildings showed impressiveness of regime (absolute authority)
What were the rallies?
used to unite all people within Germany, being carefully organised
–> combination of uniforms, disciplined mass movements, stirring music, flags and symbols created a powerful feeling of belonging
2 purposes:
1. Present the orderly ideologically aligned Volksgemeinschaft
2. to stage Hitler as the Fuhrer, leader who the community is unanimously obedient to
Nuremberg rallies
1933-1938 Rallies held annualy ay Nuremberg
–> involved hundreds of thousands of Nazis
–> marches of soldiers carrying flags and drums + speeches by Hitler and other leading Nazis
How effective were Nazi meetings and rallies?
propaganda aimed to show german people the power of their country udner Nazi rule
–> Nuremberg rallies reinforced Nazi ideology to people within Germany as well as other countries
–> appealing to German people who had always wanted a strong and empowering leadership to rebuild Germany
