German 272 Final Exam Prep
In April 1936, Das Schwarze Korps published a lengthly article concluding that the Nazi state would refrain from involvement in religious affairs as long as religious representatives refrained from involvement in politics.
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Propoganda and Film in the third Reich
I. What is propaganda? Similarities in propaganda and other types of messaging exist ( jingles, newspaper editorials, marketing etc)- these offer a selective vision of reality and objective truth. They conceal the message to make the message stronger- they are not explicit- in this way they share something with art- art also tries to not be explicit. We always think of propaganda as something distant of us- rarely think of our own messages as propaganda. Propagare (Latin)-> to spread out, distribute • Used by the church to propagate it's populatrity especially during schism • It wasn't until 19th century that the negative idea of propaganda(something that undermines) came about. Propaganda consists of planned attempts to influence by communicative means and with a distinct political goal the opinions attitudes, and behavior target groups • Transmission of idea or values from one person or group to another • It's deliberate- it has intent and purpose • Appeals to emotions rather than to reason in contrast to information o Information that offers alternatives- propaganda offers you what to think broadens the scope • Public activity- to influence public opinions and individuals • Not necessarily false - but it can be used to realize unethical purposes • Generally we distinguish between indirect (hides it's agenda of influence) and direct propaganda o Indirect propaganda can be packaged as presentation of information, or as entertainment • Notoriously difficult to measure the success of Propaganda with any type of accuracy. - because the context in which it's communicated is important; plus individuals have access to more than source- Document 46 by Jewish person who lived in Leibzig- diary- sitting in a pub while a speech of Goebbels was broadcasted and no one was interested in listening. Hitler was fascinated by the study of mass psychology- hypnotizing the masses through mass appeal- it was reflected in all of the get togethers • Gustave Le Bon , Psychology of the Crowd (France, 1895)- Hitler was interested in this book - read it quite carefully- helped him to develop ways to manipulate the masses. • Nazi aim: to transform subjective interpretations of everything around people into objective reality.- main instrument was propaganda- • Joseph Goebbels= chief of propaganda, which he considered to be spiritual influence Some posters from the third Riech • Germany's liberation- eagle swastika as the the sun- the light(1924) • Open the door for freedom ( 1932)- Rathaus- city hall- SA uniform - the heil Hitler- Swastikas hanging from the rathaus • All Germany hears the Fuhrer on the Radio- listening to the huge speaker (Volksempfanger-the peoples receiver=radio) • Europe's victory, your prosperity(1941)- huge fist hitting Stalin in the face • Victory or Bolshevism (Sieg oder Bolischewismus) • Promise of better future; very image based- not a lot of txt; representing the masses(everybody is doing something) Propaganda developed to the point of perfection: cinema, radio broadcasting, speeches give in large stadiums, parades etc. - rally at Berlin Sport palace, 1935. Documen #50- includes many propagatistic suggestion on how to organize commemoration of a fallen hero Some techniques • Used only a few basic constantly repeated points • Introduce simple slogans and familiar stereotypes to awaken familiar .... o Symbols like flags eagles torches etc • It was to be folksy- use familiar representation- to appeal to the less educated social strata • Statements of political rivals were falsified, and compared to common sense Nazi statements • Claims were substituted for Arguments- alternative views were silenced • One thesis would be confronted by one antitheisi : Herrenmensch (master ) vs. Untermensch (subordinate) (black and white, never gray) o Document 41- advice piece- how to give propaganda speech o Document 393- Goebbels speech after defeat of Stalingrad- very well constructed speech to admit defeat and at the same time to unite the people to help conquer the world. • Mass rallies were propbably the most successful implementation of propaganda- unification of Volksgemeinschaft- document 40 theatrical means set out. o Parades, and pageants, group drills, dedications, bonfires, funerals of the martyrs of Nazi revolution o Not addressed at intellectuals, but rather to the masses- appealed to emotions not reason o Grandest spectacles, annual party rallies: always in September and always in Nuremberg. Piece of Triumph of the Will shown(44 and 45 are descriptions of the overwhelming theatricality of performance of the Nuremberg rallies) • Started in 1933-1939- 1939 one was cancelled. o Annual holidays in the Third Reich: • January 30= Hitler's accession to power • February 24= Founding Day of the NSDAP • March 16= National Day of Mourning • April 20= Hitler's Birthday • May1st = National Labor Day • 2nd Sunday in May= Mothers Day • September NSDAP rallies (until 1938) • November Harvest Festical • November 9 = Beer Hall Putsch celebration (1923)- when hitler tried to take over • December 21 = Day of Winter Solstice • Propaganda techniques were used in all forms of techniques especially in the movies-important vehicle for mass suggestion. II. Film Propaganda in the third Reich "We are convinced that film is one of the most modern means that exists for influencing the masses. It is not appropriate for a government simply to allow film to regulate itself"- Speech by Goebbels in 1934 "Propaganda becomes ineffective the moment we are aware of it"- Goebbels - supported indirect propaganda Gleichschaltung= synchronization, coordination of the film industry started in 1933 • Film Chamber= first chamber was the first to be organized as a model for all other chambers in 1933 • Film censorship laws were consolidated in 1934- centralizing the powers and putting it in Goebbels hands- change of law from Weimar republic- wasn't too radical of a change o Censorship was transferred from post to pre production censorship - pre authorization was necessary=positive censorship (very few films censored after they were completed) • Banning of Film criticism in 1936- only film description was allowed without any form of critique • Trend towards centralization after 1936= completely state owned monopoly on everything to do with film What did Goebbels produced: • Very few movement films were produced throughtout the Reich- films about National Socialist martyrs- conversion stories blosh to nazi or triumph of the will • Document 276- Gala premier of the documentary film • Series of anti british anti slav and anti semitic films (including the eternal Jew)- • Vast majority however not overtly political. (about 1100 films~940 not overtly political) • Very few entertainment films make any reference to Nazi anything or Hitler- those symbols were simply absent- Goebbels needed commercial means to make money o Rosenberg thought over political propaganda was a good idea Third reich wasn't a pluralistic society even purely escapist film had a purpose- to make people complacent. Direct propaganda was noth shown in entertainement movies- news reels included propaganda. Shown before screenings etc. • Document number 42- comparison of good and bad poster of weekly propaganda Propaganda ministry also radio broadcast 291-Goebbels short radio podcast Educational Film was also developed to perfection-s cientific themes- providing info for general public- usually provided to places of education Culture film became useful in developing national socialist value- nature, beatu, sports, glorification of competition, cult of technology or group freetime activities. Doccumentary film- subcategory of culture films- only films with strong nazi party orientation. - directly and openly communicating programmatic issues of Nazi party- some document that reviews that. • Themes included= pre military training- party rallies, hitler youth etc. Already in Weimar Republic laws existed to give time for culture and newsreel before an entertainement film- III. The Nazi propaganda film The Eternal Jew (Der ewige Jude, 1940)- considered Culture Film Film about International Jewry (dir. Fritz Hippler) After 1938 some anti-Semitic works were produced - Jew Seuss- powerful Jewish banker who rapes a German girl- one of the biggest features in the third reich Documenting real nature of Jews through real footage (77 and 78 documents- nature of Jews; 90- on east European Jews) Under the same name an exhibition opened 1939 accompanied by a pamphlet/catalogue- intent was to popularize the idea to remove Jews- to remove moral scrupouls- present the Jew as unhuman (281,282- reviews of the film) Idea for film divided by Goebbels in 1938- Typically Jewish activities were filmed in Poland after the first month of Poland. Hitler's own notes on how to improve the film. The final cut was made in late may 1940- but was postponed until after Jeu Seuss success. Goebbels didn't want competition Film opened with festive premire in Berlins largest cinema- in66 cinemas in city of Berlin Shown in conjuction with another documentary Eastern Space= German space; and reels of war victories. No mention of film being anti-semitic- presented as factual information. Questions
In 1889, the Berlin theatrical critic, Otto Brahm created the Free People's Theatre to make available to the masses very inexpensive theatre tickets. Even with this attempt, at best, thousands of urban dwellers visited a given play. The theatre attempted to become part of mass culture but rarely succeeded. -Only the revue theaters- with the musical shows featuring half naked dancers, the cabarets with their political satire and the varieties- but too was limited to the urban masses.
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German Faith movement
- 1935- Erich Ludendorf -racial/ mythic cult - nordic/ asinan texts. -decried Jewish roots of Christianity. -Himmler and Rosenburg dreamed of a German National Church- a unified church based on nazi ideologies. -
Nazi Architecture
- Architecture before WWI was very affluent in Germany- lots of architecture built before the war, because there was a lot of money due to the booming German Economy. -example- highly decorated architecture- showing the affluence- example of building of German newspaper -Historicism- as well- imitating- didn't have new style0 it was restoration of syle of the 1st reich- using older styles- neo baroque, neo romanticism, neo gothic etc. -one short episode where they were trying to use linear style0 Nazis didn't like that style- to aesteticist of a style for them.
German Catholic Church.
- Catholic church accepted Jewish prosecution
Nazi Environmental Policies lecture notes
- Hitler loved animals -Nazis believed in the protections of animals- preservation of nature. -1935- drafted conservation draft
Changes in the theatre landscape in the 3rd Reich: from Weimar to Nazi.
- Mein Kampf- Hitler believed that the theatre of the Weimar degraded into political agitation. -Hitler and Goebbels thought Weimar drama was being produced by "ruthless" Jews made theaters in Germany sick. -Weimar produced the "verjudung"- the jewifiication of culture. -Hitler proposed that theatre should be rooted in immortal soul of German people and awaken the magical process of the stage. -Hitler considered the theatre as an instructional institution that instructed the youth- crucial. -In 1933- plays began to be filled with Nationalistic plays. -in 1933, plays which opposed the nationalistic world view were removed from production- sorted out plays. in March 1933- all independent theatre organizations were dissolved and funneled through the Reich office of theatre. -1/3rd of theatre managers were fired by 1933- gleichaltung- synchronization of power. -10% of 40,000 theatre employees were kept from work- jews, leftists, etc -many emigrated or ended up in concentration camps.
Music in the the third reich
- very few important works of music were composed in Nazi Germany.- the most uninteresting period of German music. -Goebbels was much more interested in mass media- film, radio, painting, television, etc. Percentage wise 5-10 percent of songs were nazi ideology loaded- majority were silly love songs putting peple in good mood. Hit tunes. • They became ever more important after 1939- in orderd to distract people from the horrors of the war. Prolongation of the war. Totally commertialized.
major change: Germany become the center of Modernistic architecture in the middle period of the Weimar Republic- after 1923- once the economy was booming again.
-1922 skyscraper in downtown Berlin- no historicism, no decoration- only glass and steel- Germany at the forefront of such architecture. -Gropius- Mies van der Rohe- started school of architecture- the best known German architects of the time- they both left after the Nazi takeover- Nazis objected to this type of architecture- Nazis hated Bauhaus style architecture.
Degenerate music
-Atonality, like abstract painting, was banned or redefined, especially after 1938, when Arnold Schonburg and twelve tone music were vilified at the shaming degenerate music exhibition. -Jazz was banned because of its negroic characteristic of syncopation. -Jazz was labeled as a tool of international Jewry, a means of undermining the aesthetic sensibilities of the German Volk.
Protestant Chirch
-HItler regarded any competing organizations as threats. -Wanted to create a unified Germany. -
2 Contradictory points
-Many historians believe that the 3rd Reich was a political/ secular religion. -Nazi Ideology was not anti-christian. -many Nazis believed as christians and believed it was christains to be anti-Semitism, anti-marxist, anti-socialist.
In 1936, when Strauss was replaced as head of the Reich Music hammer, Goebbels efforts to promote "German music" and proscribe so-called degenerate music were undermined by the impossibility of defining what those terms meant, as well as by the decentralization of musical activity in Germany.
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Political spectical as theatre in the 3rd Reich.
-May 15th 1934- Reich theatre law- implemented rules of membership and exclusion for the Reich theatre chamber- gave theatre chamber authority to supervise theaters determining appropriate character/ nazi upbringing to be a member, racially socially politically fit to be member. Racially pure- rassenrein- theatre chamber needed plays/ actors to be racially pure. By 1939- plays be enemy countries were prohibited meant radical reduction of feign plays. -even shakespeare was reduced by 1/2 -the theatre culture of the third reich was a symbol of conquest-comntributed to the good mood in producing war/ the conquest of Europe for the lebensraum -The critical issue was that there were not enough legitimate plays to put on stage! By 1942- Many theaters were destroyed by air bombing.
Music in the Third Reich Notes: music in the Weimar Republic
-Music industry developed recording- so for the first time, it wasn't only played live-many people thought of this as a very serious democratic change- really made it available to the masses. -3 fields: -high brow- serious music- operas- for educated upper middle classes. -church music- middle classes, and petty burgoise -folk music- dance music, etc- music for the masses. -In the Weimar republic there were6 different types of music 1. High brow music (traditionalist)- shrinking in popularity- 19th century German music had high standing in the world- brought pride to Germany world wide. presented in places like the Berlin Philharmonic by composers like Richard Strauss. 2. Modernism- emphasized tonality and melody; but also a-tonal music. Written after WWII but composers like Arnold Schonberg. Atonal- changed into 12 tonal system. traditionalists didn't like this type of music. Thought of as jewish music. 3. spreading of serious music -Music industry music- entertainment industry- dance tunes, hit tunes, etc. Recorded for gramophone and film and the radio in the late 1920s. 4. In the late Weimar- in response to political polarization, agitation and propaganda music- songs where message matters.- marching songs.
- Others have believed that Nazism was a pro-christian movement, since most of the leading Nazis considered themselves christians and since the party claimed to represent positive christianity.
-Nazis did not reject christian followers. -Alfred Rosenburg even did not reject christianity- just the organized churches.
Nature conservation
-not part of Hitlers personal ideology -Social darwinist view of nature (struggle to be leaders) -ambivilent position of the Nazi regime towards nature conservatism. -minimal attention was paid to issues related to pollution, water treatment, wage disposal (due to rising industrialization) -rural life better than urban life
leaders of the catholic church were concerned with the Nazis:
-not respecting the rights of Catholic church. -not supporting national church of catholic/ protestantism -Bismarck- Weimar- Kulturkampf, culture struggle- 1871- catholics branded as traitors.
CatholicGerman National church
-small group -Brown priests- stood behind nazi world view- became members of Nazi party
-The Nazi regime used the Concordat of 1933 to proclaim its acceptance of religion-or to proclaim that it was not anti-religious.
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-Theatre shaken in the Nazi state - -Music is seen as the most German of arts for the reason that government was willing to invest in theatre: -Theatre may be the most important German culture because: 1. Friedrich Schiller- 18-19th centuries defined theatre as a moral institution- the public face of society- strong conviction among German people. 2. financing- Government subsidies of production. German theatre in the Weimar Republic: the richest site of theatrical activity in Europe. Larger than any other form of culture- other than film. 3. Class nature of culture- identified with middle class Germans- Nazi leadership was trying to gain the support from middle class to preserve high culture= function of the theatre was implemented to support the Nazi regime- to prepare and mobilize.
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-regime never clarified its relationship to Christianity.
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After 1938, there was virtually no protest from either cathoilcs or protestants against the outrages perpetrated on the jews.
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Cardimnal Bertram- Cardinal Faulhauben- recommended no protests in 1930s- supported racial structure of nazi ideology as long as it didn't effect the catholic church.
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Catholics tended to vote for the center party but even in Catholic Bavaria, up to 15 percent of voters supported Hitler.
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Churches and the Third Reich
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Churches and the Third Reich readings
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Conclusion · The Reichnaturschutzgesetz never represented a real hindrance to the industrial needs of the Hitler regime or to the economical interest of businessmen and party leaders · By the late 1930s the first criticism from the conservation camp were · The Nazi regime had a mostly incoherent approach to environmental issues · It is obviously possible to talk of Nazi environmental policies, but in the end there was no thing like an explicit Nazi environmentalism
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During the Weimar, the majority of Nazi supporters cam from protestant areas of Germany.
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Entertaining the third reich
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Environmentalism in the Third Reich
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FASCISM IS OPPOSED TO ANYTHING MODERNISTIC- including Bauhaus (international modernist style)
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Followers of the major christian denominations needed to make choices during the third reich about how close or how distant from official state policy toward religion they wanted to be
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German Christians were unable to establish a national sect of christianiity that would unify Lutherans and Catholics.
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German music, that of nineteenth century, celebrated the greatest victories in the whole world; it was this branch of the arts that secured the exemplary international reputation of German art and german artists in a way that no other branch of the arts did. - quote by Richard Strauss at the opening of Reichmusikkammer (reich music chamber) in Feb 1934
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It is hard to explain why Strauss, who had no previous connection to the nazis and was not under any overt political pressure, accepted the presidency of the chamber when Goebbels named him to the post in November 1933. Goebbels scored a propaganda triumph when he appointed the world famous composer. -Strauss apparently believed he could improve German music culture by raising professional standards and adequately compensating serious composers. -Nonethe less, Strauss was demanded to resign by Goebbels, in 1935, after the Gestapo revealed that the composer had refused to remove the name of his Jewish coauthor, Stefan Zweig, the librettist of the opera The Silent Woman, from the playbill. Strauss played a critical symbolic role: by 1936, German culture and National Socialism were no longer distinguishable.
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Jehovas Witnesses- strict passifists and committed to refuse to join any state organization. - were prosecuted and imprisioned- even killed in concentration camps. 10,000 members of Jehovahs witnesses were imprisioned after 1934. at least 1200 dies in prision and concentration camps.
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July 20th 1933- Catholic Church- Pius XII signed with nazi- Concordat -treaty which made Nazi state and Catholic church 2 separate sovereign nations -promise of autonomy was key: guaranteed freedom of catholic church. -catholic church promised to stay out of Nazi politics.
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LECTURES ON PROTESTANT/ CATHOLIC CHURCH.
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Much of the above challenges changed with Goebbels Ministry for the Popular enlightenment and propaganda centralized all aspects of culture, establishing control over newspapers, literature, art, film, theatre and music. all politically suspect plays were were removed. But Goebbels knew that the elite and relatively limited audiences of the classical theatre were not representative of the masses.
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Music- Source book intro- 525-528
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Music/ Environmentalism
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Nazi Art-Architecture in the third Reich
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Nazi Source Book- Intro The National Socialist State and Christianity
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Nazi Theatre: Source Book Info: Politics and Entertainment- Theatre, Radio and Television
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Nazis didn't like to use the crucifix- wanted to use Swastika. - a symbol which originates from budhist/ asian cultures.
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Nazis perpetrated that Jesus was of nordic blood.
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Protestants were alienated by the German christians - and gathered around Martin Niemoller, who in 1933 formed the pastors Emergency league- which openly declared itself against the purging of the German Evengelical church of converted Jews. IN may 1934, the Confessing church broke away and proclaimed itself the true protestant church -Confessing protestants rejected the "false doctrine" of the German Christians, accusing them of abandoning Christs message, especially in their conviction that race transcended the sacraments, including baptism.
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Regime was strengthened by the Concordat between the Holy See and the German Reich- negotiated July 20th 1933 between Pope Pius XII, which guaranteed the autonomy of German Catholicism in return for the churches recognition of Hitlers rule. -The catholic church was permitted to retain its ties to the Holy See, collect taxes and keep control of the schools in the catholic regions in return the church fully subordinated itself to the new reich: the center party was dissolved and catholic bishops had to swear an oath to honor the state.
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Some historians have argued that National Socialism was an anti-Christian movement that substituted its own political religion and pagan worldview for Christian doctrine: the view that the life of the Volk or community rested on blood, race and an active and vitalistic harmony with nature was ultimately religious even if it had scientific authority.
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Something else happened on the theatre stage- it became the site for celebrating the Nordic ideal. -No longer confined to the traditional theatre house, drama became to be played out in open air amphitheaters set up as ritual Thing places, hailed as a Nazi innovation.
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Soon- Hitler dropped the German Christian church as mechanism for the coordination (gleichaltung) of the Protestant and as a vehicle for carrying believers into the ranks of the party.
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The curse of high culture was that its favorite medium, drama and theatre, already seen by Fredrich Schiller as a means of education the sensibilities of the public, could only reach a limited audience.
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The dissenting Protestants of the confessing church were persecuted by the Nazis.
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The pro-nazi Protestant strand: Faith Movement of German Christians, advocated the dissolving of the existing Lutheran denominations and establishing a Nazified evangelical Reich church. - preaching that God's law has become manifest in the person of the Fuhrer Hitler and in the National socialist state. - theology was based on that of folkish ideologues who wanted to give christianity a racial foundation and purge Christianity of all un-German and Jewish influences.
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Theatre in the Third Reich: Lecture notes
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impact of nazismon important christian rituals was contradictory. -Funerals of SS were staged according to solemn rites and symbols drawn from Nazisms political religion. BUT -Nazi party members- SS and Storm trooper officers held church services.
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in 1938, Ckergy men were not appointed to party offices or organizations and church leaders became increasingly unwelcome at party rallies or public events.
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in 1941- when the deportations of Jews began, Vienese Cardinal is reported to have called on all priests to pray for the Jewish comrades in faith. -NEITHER the Catholics or protestant churches protested or publicly acknowledged what was happening to Jews. -the only exception was the leader of the Confessing church- Bonhoeffer- was arrested in 1943 for helping non-aryans escape to Switzerland. He was discovered to have been involved with those who attempted to assign ate hitler in 1944- He was hung.
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the Nazi party continued to view the churches with suspicion- both as sources of opposition and as competing centers of power.
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Reichsnaturschutzgesetz
0compilation of all rulings and bills elements from other conservation bills from the prevous German states. -minimal attention was paid to issues related to pollution, water treatment, wage disposal (due to rising industrialization) Did the Nazi actually want to implement the law? o The law had a great propaganda value § Hit the middle class o It reflected the concerns of one sub-group of Nazi leaders § Parallel to Italian fascist § Rural life healthier than urban life o It had very low implementation costs § Honorary and voluntary involvement o It was a further step in the direction of Nazi centralization processes § One legal framework for the whole of the German nation o Polycratic nature of the regime determined the way the law was implemented § Became the working field of people who were not explicitly linked to the Regime, but working in the state; continue working in a "normal" position § Major role in defining actual role · Lack of political will to implement the law in practice Public Interest Comes Before Self-Interest · Nazi ideology · The expropriation without compensation of private property was legalized o This however was used only rarely o It mainly was intended as a deterrent · Attempt at implementing a global protection scheme, that went beyond the idea of "natural monuments" that had characterized German conservation thinking since the early 20th c. o Inalienability and inalterability of nature reserves and monuments § No change after declared preserved o Defense of aesthetic values in other protected landscapes, while granting the right to pursue agricultural activities, tourism, etc. § As long as users didn't inhibit the aesthetic features § Most important feature: aesthetics versus the preservation o Many nature reserves however also acted as hunting grounds for the Nazi elite § Preserving aesthetics o 800 nature conservation areas of different kinds by 1941 § How many are actually the effect of the Nazi regime and how many were there before? § How big are they? More than just one monument for historical value? § Actual conservation areas or nominal areas? · Mainly honorary nature conservation officers were supposed to be involved in any plan affecting the landscape · Nature conservation issues were however mostly seen as being of secondary interest versus military and economic (basically everything could be excluded because of various exceptions) · Increased use of natural resources and industrialization/factory use
Blut und Boden: Blood and soil
Blood and Soil (German: Blut und Boden) refers to an ideology that focuses on ethnicity based on two factors, descent blood (of a folk) and territory. It celebrates the relationship of a people to the land they occupy and cultivate, and it places a high value on the virtues of rural living.
Degenerate music lecture notes
Degenerated Music that was eliminated ( although it wasn't as emphasized as in the field of painting) included: all the leftist music- agitprop, American jazz and swing, saxophone disappeared from instruments- all music composed by Jewish composers. • In 1938 degenerate music event in Dusseldorf - played examples of modernistic and/or Jewish music etc. • Forced some German composers to leave Germany in '38 - •
Degenerate Art
Examples of German Expressionism • Most of them show exotic people- unborguise rebelions • Exotic Masks-Nolder-leading expressionist. • Nazis thought- it was love for the subhuman - (showed exotic people) • Wild scenes between African wooden statues. • Slavic or Jewish people were also often portrayed-blasphemy for the Nazis • Man who raped and killed a women- against the clacissits- in symphaty with rape and degrading women. • Also nonrepresentational art- Kandinsky- almost the inventor of non representational art in the world. Became the leading painter in Bauhaus period. Other examples they showed ; Examples of Weimar paintings: (NO NO TO NAZIS) • Painting attacking some kind of society- they must be Jewish- therefore to the Nazis it represented sympathy with the Jews. • Painting with whores- Nazis thought it was for glorification of the prostitution. • Family of wealthy peasants Leftist Paintings • George Gross- famous leftist painter- Free core officers-helmet has a swastika- where the freecore destroyed the members of red republic- and killed all the jews and supporters of the left republic • Killwith- especially active in peace movment- most important woman at the scene. • Otto Dix- entire war paintings- gruesome paintings soldiers killed by poison or other things. Wounded dying soldier in the trenches. • John Haffield- leftist agiprop- Millions stay behind me- Hitler as Wilhelm the Third- I will lead you into beautiful ruin/collapse Most had to leave Germany
Nazi Architecture-
Fascist opposed everything modernistic- including Bauhaus (international modernist style) How to stop new architecture?-difficult • In 33 a lot of unemployment- Hitler was extremely interested in Architecture and so was Rosenberg- who started out as an architect- The tremendous emphasis on culture is always there- high culture emphasis- First building commissioned by Hitler was to build a house for German Art(financed by the state-not the case in Weimar Republic, where private capital build things)- Der Haus der Deutschen Grund- Huge building- long row of pillars-architecture agains modernism- imitating greek/roman antiquity styles. -new style of Nazi period. The major building of the so called great German art exhibitions -Paintings of the third Reich displayed there... • Second major building 1937- Albert Speer- the leading architect in the Third Reich- Huge Nazi Tower- Paris World Exhibition. The eagle and swastika were the only decorations allowed- it was meant to look Monumental!!! • What else did the Nazis build: o Building in Nuremberg (city of party conventions) - building for huge party meetings- the old imperior city of Germany. -Basically always the same style- columns pillars, etc and swastika in the middle (what happened to these buildings after the fall of Nazism?) • There are very fiew 10-15 remaining in Germany that could be considered Nazi buildings because of the short period- after the war started building no longer was supported o Odensburgen- o Also monuments- coumns with eagles on it -demonstrating the new strength of the new Reich. o Great Hall- 20 times larger than st. Peters in Rome- 140 000 people should be able to stand in it. It has a Copula- row of pillars, etc. Was supposed to stand in the middle of Berlin (which was to be renamed to Germania after winning of the war) o New Chancellory in berlin- Half roman - monumentalistic- Grey stone(natural stone used) built by Speer (designed by him_ Full of statues and paintings etc. o War memorials- Speer began in 1938 changing Berlin into imperial city. Major square in the middle had the god of the arts and his muses around - houses began to torn down to increase the street size for the city. They started but never finished (typical men) o Was supposed to be Nazi University- same stylistically - almost none of these planned buildings were built o Speer- one of the ones not hanged at nurmeberg trial- got 10 years in prison- because he wasn't involved in crimes against humanity -he just built shit. • Picture from 1942 or 43 Hitler is sitting and looking at planning of building of the biggest museum to be build at Linz (his hometown) was supposed to be the biggest museum in the world- War is almost lost and here he is sitting, chilling, planning his museum- fanatical belief. o Interest in art at the last moment of the war- shows that he still had this hope of Germany being the middle of the culture of the world.
Nazi Painting- Art
Hitler started out as a Painter, and Goebbles was extremely interested in Painting Quite a lot of leftist photomontage jewish-but there weren't that many Jewish painters(why? • Because of taboo of the Jewish tradition- not to put things into images- therefore there were much fewer Jewish painters- Max Lieberman was an exception to this. • Other ones were agitprop painters- because they joined communist party out of fear of Nazi party. Rosenberg Camp- the arch conservative camp • Only the historical artists from 14 and 15 century, and from middle of 19th century= real art- anything that included French influence (starting in late 19th century) should be banned • Goebbels- liked certain modernistic paintings- In 1937 there was a clash- Hitlers favorite painter Adolf Ziegler- Hitler told him to organize two exhibitions to make clear what was german and ungerman in painting- this exhibition- degenerate art- exhibition took place in Munich as usual. • Examples of leftist, expressionist-modernistic art would be exhibited- in infamous way • On the other side in the house of art -The great German art exhibition. In the same year (37) all works of ungerman art were to be removed from German museums and other public places. Perhaps 1000 paintings were included in that.
Nazi painting
NAZI PAINTING: Few Propaganda things: • The only photograph of 1933- when Hindenburg turning over the power to Hitler • Postcard- The Prussian king- Bismarck- Hindenburg-Hitler-to show Hitler in this tradition- we are in the old military German tradition. Hitler the soldier. - All postcars are in the same manner- they often have an eagle, swastika flags- the eagle= future of the German Reich • Against social democrats poster- SPD hat social democrat as angel, hand given to the jew= Marxism is the guiding hand of capitalism- vote national socialists the number one party. • Entartete Musik- degenerate music poster for the exhibition. • In 33 and 34 Nazi propaganda was especially strong in the art- but people didn't like it therefore Goebbels stopped it. Most of Nazi propaganda found in those years then Mercedes Benz- We serve the nation- there is the symbol of the company and the swastika. Nazi Paintings: • Lots of paintings of Adolf Hitler- Him standing on the marble block and behind him a man with an eagle taking off in the background- in the strom trooper uniform • Painting in the spirit of Horst Wessel mourning the death of a comrade • There aren't that many of those paintings in 33 and 34 people didin't really want tosee those • Young men and women had to server in the Reich working force- men carrying the spade - turned wet lands into agricultural fields -very negative effect did that have on the environment Nazi Art itself • Germanic people statues- she looks exactly like the ideal of the Nazi women- with the hairdo and everything • One of the favorite motives Zeke Fried- a hero- from a four part opera- motive of the gol?-leader of the oppressed people- destroyed they rich . the gold. Embodiment of the German hero for all the germanophiles • First German Kind- hEINRICH I • hIMMLER always thought of himself as the next Fuhrer- the next one after hitler. • Warriors and athletes play an important role in Nazi art- Arnold ...Hitlers favorite sculptor. Basically muscular -Greek man • Athletes- Turak? - For the Olympic games- huge figures of two men- they are monumental. • Paintings themselves are not that interesting- extremely boring- still life, landscapes, portraits. Etc. They were not supposed to be in museums later on- they were all for sale. • A lot of them there was the idea of portraying the peasant life -during harvest period o Peasants doing peasant things o Or pictures of peasnts o Also pictures of mothers with as many babies as possible • Painting Hitler had over his desk- the naked goddess of art - two children • Hitler wasn't gay- he wanted to save his life for the nation- lived very harsh life • It's very hard to see Nazi art- no German museum has it • Soldiers in Norway • Young people marching into Poland • In Cathedral in Braunscheich - New Germanic motives- soldiesr and peasants marching into the east • War Propaganda- The party and the army protect the peace-naked athletes standing in the middle- it's always with swords- archic symbols always used • Archaic symbols- man on a horse. Warrior with the shield- with a strage swastika- victory or defealt will be decided by god- but we will still be the masters of our honor. • Mercedes posters during the war- show planes and tanks and stuff- Mercedes became major corporation during the Nazi period.
Forms of Drama in third Reich
Reich theatre Chamber -Goebbels given the power to demand certain plays to be featured in certain theaters. -promted nazi socialist ideology. -Types that were banned- pacifist, leftist, socially critical plays. -Nazi propaganda ministry began to distribute scripts for plays -result of new procedures of 1933-34 was that serious contemporary plays disappeared. such as comedies, farces, folk plays etc.
The thing
was a nordic ritual celebration of the seasons, the sunrise, the leader, meant to replace the rituals of the church, whatever the denomination. -In fact, these mass celebrations simply Aryanized some of the more ritualized communist mass demonstrations of the 1920s. -often hundreds of actors gathered and twins of thousands of audience members.- it resembled the Nazi fashion of mass rallies. -they presented in ritual form- the eventual success of the Nazi revolution -By 1936- the Thing plays disappeared from the Nazi cultural landscape. Yet it was state policy for the theatre to remain a vehicle for pary propaganda.
Landscape planning
· Attempt at tarnishing the effects of industrialization and modernity · Occupation of Easter Europe inspired some to propose a re-naturalization of the German homeland (Urlandschaft) o Restore to pristine landscape o Immense national park in Germany while industries and agriculture would be moved to the newly occupied territories (out of Germany) · However, the plans for creating a German homeland within Germany clashed with the work done by the Reichsarbeitsdienst to improve the German land as part of the Nazi struggle against unemployment o Improvement might mean for agriculture versus landscape preservation o Bought swamps and waste areas because all German territories need to become part of Germany again · In parallel plans were made to radically transform the new occupied lands all to welcome the Germans to the area o Ethnic cleansing § Jews and Eastern Europeans § Ties made between Eastern European culture and the landscape ú By moving Germans in, they could implement their culture and change the landscape o Transformation of landscapes § To make it "more German" o "Exportation" of an alleged German landscape o Started under Himmler o Fit the needs of the Germans
Auto Bahn
· Developed under the Nazi regime · Most prevalent or visible impact of the Nazi regime on the environment · Make up the basic network of today's autobahn network · Interest in the autobahn was based on their relationship with modernity · Hitler spoke about need for modernization in order for national success · Offer private transportation to reach places never reached before and see landscapes of Germany · Stops planned on the autobahn to enjoy the environment · Not an originally Nazi project; work had began in 1926 · Not as effective for army mobilization, most still moved by train · Improved economy position · Symbol of technology and tourism promotion and landscape enhancement Autobahn was a use of propaganda · Building of autobahn could span in any direction without feedback from environmentalists -Autobahn made the homeland more accessible for the Volk: rather than destroying the landscape, it fit into the German natural environment and brought the means for the Volk to explore their homeland. -The autobahn a symbol and spectacle- an ode to the regimes aesthetic of technology and modernity- it wasn't practical since there weren't many automobiles to ride the highway.
Conflict
· Examples of reaction and conflict, because it was not economically relevant · Enlargement of military training area demanded for some villages to be resettledà protests and derogatory remarks against Hitler (unheard of) · Protests were not successful, but were not prosecuted · Lack of funds and qualified employees to keep up with the pace of other landscape management processes
Forestry
· Mono-crop forests to increase their productivity and forestry · Nazi ideology stressed a romantic and communitarian link between Germans and their forests · Particular attention to the concept of a typical, pristine, German wood o Every region had its own specific forest o Plurality of different regional forests each with their own characteristics · Increased rate of woodcutting and exploitation to support industrialization and militarization o Most cases politics and economy were more important than conservation · In 1934 Hermann Göring was nominated Reichsforstmeister (Reich forest superintendent) o Responsible for the first nation-wide forestry office o Responsible for nature-conservation issues · The Dauerwald idea was coined in the 1920s (forestry movement) o Bring together economic and ecological sustainability o Balanced management of the forests and a mix of tree species in one forest o Officially carried out by the Nazi regime · Some of the aspects of the Dauerwald could easily be linked to Nazi ideology o Recreating a primeval forest o Focus on native species o Racialization of nature- reflected racialization of the Regime o The "eternal forest" § Self-reproducing forest that could represent the German nation · In parallel however timber production was increased by 50% in 1934 alone · And the rationalization of the timber industry became a central aspect of the four-year plan in 1936 · Sustainable forestry was dismissed by 1937, in view of war preparation · The regime had made empty promises as regards the sustainable development of forestry · Nature conservationist couldn't mess with forestry as it was so ecologically and economically important
Natural Parks
· Private companies and associations started buying land to become representative of the different landscapes of Germany o At least 3 or 4 natural parks to represent most characteristic landscapes · After annexation of Austria, there was a bigger push for the development of a natural park · After 1942, 1943, the plans were pushed aside because of the downturn of WWII o Didn't resurface as an issue until the 1980s