Nazi Propaganda

(Nazi Propaganda. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/troye/4080347321/)

(Nazi Propaganda. Retrieved from http://www.chdhu.org/collections.asp)



Throughout Hitler’s reign, the Nazi’s were known for their use of propaganda posters. These posters aimed to influence public opinion, and were used to obtain and maintain power, as well as introduce and implement Nazi policies. No one has mastered the use of propaganda like the Nazi’s, and it is because of their use of it that the word propaganda has the negative connotations that it does.

The first poster is a propaganda poster directed to the French. In it, the Germans encourage the people to trust, or have confidence in, the German soldier. As a whole, the poster presents a calm, relaxed, and joyful experience. With his helmet attached to his waistband and a big smile on his face, the Nazi soldier is relaxed and appears to be enjoying himself. His head is tilted up slightly, as if he is envisioning greater things yet to come. The point of this poster is to invoke trust in the German soldiers, and therefore, uses children to show the compassion of the soldier.  There are three children with the soldier, two standing next to him and one in his arms. In their faces we can see a change as the trust develops. The first child, standing next to the soldier and further back, appears hesitant and timid. In her face we see the unease and caution initially present. The second child, also standing next to the soldier but more in the foreground, is less hesitant. In her, we see more trust and less resistance as well as a level of curiosity. Finally, we see the third child in the soldier’s arms. This child is eating a treat, completely happy and comfortable in the arms of the soldier. Also, note the color of the background. It is yellow, typically considered a color of happiness.

The second poster is a page from a German magazine. Here, we see the Nazi mentality fully exposed. The viewer’s eye focuses directly in on the larger character at the top. This character represents the Jewish community, noted by the Star of David on his hat. The line of the poster leads down, and as we follow it, we see the Jew consuming Stalin, who is consuming Uncle Sam, who is consuming a representation of Great Britain. During WWII, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and the United States were the three largest countries hostile towards Germany. This poster represents this hostility to Germany and blames the Jews as the source of it. This is depicted by the larger Jewish man at the beginning of the line. The Nazi’s blamed the Jews for everything bad in the world, and this poster shows the extent of their disillusionment.

These two posters show how well the Nazi’s used propaganda, their agenda, and their skill in manipulating the truth. They depict themselves as honest and trustworthy, while blaming the Jews for the world’s problems. Through the use of posters like these, they were successful in turning whole nations against the Jewish population and rallying support for their cause.



"I Cannot Forget" by Alexander Kimel

I   C A N N O T   F O R G E T

THE ACTION IN THE GHETTO OF ROHATYN, MARCH 1942.
        by Alexander Kimel- Holocaust Survivor.

     Do I want to remember?
The peaceful ghetto, before the raid:
     Children shaking like leaves in the wind.
Mothers searching for a piece of bread.
     Shadows, on swollen legs, moving with fear.
No, I don't want to remember, but how can I forget?

     Do I want to remember, the creation of hell?
The shouts of the Raiders, enjoying the hunt.
     Cries of the wounded, begging for life.
Faces of mothers carved with pain.
     Hiding Children, dripping with fear.
No, I don't want to remember, but how can I forget?

     Do I want to remember, my fearful return?
Families vanished in the midst of the day.
     The mass grave steaming with vapor of blood.
Mothers searching for children in vain.
     The pain of the ghetto, cuts like a knife.
No, I don't want to remember, but how can I forget?

     Do I want to remember, the wailing of the night?
The doors kicked ajar, ripped feathers floating the air.
     The night scented with snow-melting blood.
While the compassionate moon, is showing the way.
     For the faceless shadows, searching for kin.
No, I don't want to remember, but I cannot forget.

     Do I want to remember this world upside down?
Where the departed are blessed with an instant death.
     While the living condemned to a short wretched life,
And a long tortuous journey into unnamed place,
     Converting Living Souls, into ashes and gas.
No.  I Have to Remember and Never Let You Forget.

               Alexander Kimel was a poet and Holocaust survivor. His poems included works on the atrocities committed in the death camps as well as inspirational poems portraying his belief in mankind regardless of the horrid acts they commit. Whether his poems are uplifting or full of despair, they all reflect his need ensure the unspeakable acts committed during the Holocaust are not forgotten.

               In his poem, "I Cannot Forget", Alexander Kimel speaks of the raids that occurred in Ghetto of Rohatyn. In this poem, Kimel begs the question, “Do I want to remember?” The poem, as a whole, addresses the peace before a Nazi raid, the panic as it begins, the fear as it intensifies, the pain of lives lost, and the difficult acceptance that death may be better than living. The opening line of each stanza begins with “Do I want to remember . . . . . . ,” and ends these stanza’s with, “No, I don’t want to remember, but I cannot forget,” repeatedly asking himself the same question. This indicates a personal conflict within. Kimel is struggling with the desire to forget these years of fear, hunger, and pain. Yet he knows he cannot.

               In the beginning of the poem, Kimel speaks of the peace within the ghetto prior to the raid, and the reader is left with a sense of calm within themselves. However, as the poem progresses, and starts speaking of the panic, fear, and death within the raid, the level of emotion becomes stronger as well, leaving the reader with a real sense of the danger experienced by those living in the ghetto. As Kimel speaks of doors being kicked in, feathers flying, and mothers searching in vain for lost children, he paints scenes easily imagined by the reader with the use of a few simple words that spare no detail. Even at the end, with the realization that death is a blessing, the simplicity of his lines do not distract from the magnitude of that realization.

               In the last two stanza’s Kimel asks how he can forget, finally ending with the statement, “No. I Have to Remember and Never Let You Forget.” In this line, unlike the previous ones, almost every word is capitalized. This sets this line apart from the rest, showing its importance. Here, Kimel has resolved the conflict within himself. Throughout the poem, the reader watched his debate within, seeing the conflict come to life. Now, Kimel realizes, and accepts that, as a Holocaust survivor, he now bears the burden of remembering this event to ensure the world never forgets.

Works Cited

Kimel, Alexander. "I Cannot Forget." March 1942. Holocaust Understand & Prevention. Web.

            May 7, 2011 http://www.kimel.net/poetry.html

A71 Tank Patrol by Adolf Hitler

(Snyder's Treasures)

            Adolf Hitler is known throughout the world for the mass killings of Jewish and other peoples during World War II (WWII). A little less known is the fact that Hitler’s first ambition was to become an artist. Though he had some skill, it wasn’t enough to pursue this dream. Here, we see a little of his talent in his painting A71 Tank Patrol.

            Dated 1917, this painting depicts “a German tank followed by a partial squad of soldiers advancing through a war-torn town, with war-torn trees on each side of a heavily shelled road,” (Snyder). Hitler fought with Germany during World War I (WWI), when this watercolor was painted, and this watercolor most likely portrays a scene he encountered.

            The eye is immediately drawn to the WWI German Panzer tank on the bottom left. The soldiers surrounding the tank appear casual but cautious. They don’t expect to run into trouble but are ready to return fire if necessary. The road they are travelling is clear, allowing for easy passage. It’s obvious whatever battle had been is long over by the amount of destruction of the town and the minimal amount of debris on the road.

            The town itself is not much more than a large pile of rubble. One of the most noticeable signs of destruction is the trees. Blackened from gunfire, they stand limply among the rubble, not much more than twigs. These trees portray the sadness and loss of life, both human and in nature. To the left of the soldiers, the viewer see the remains of what used to be buildings, and the few that are still standing are not even intact. In the rubble there are bricks, large pieces of metal, frames of buildings, partial walls, and even a bicycle wheel. The bicycle wheel brings a level of humanity to the painting, adding to the sadness and despair. To the right of the soldiers there is an overturned tank, adding to the understanding of the level of destruction this town has seen.

             This painting depicts the destruction of an entire town, yet it lacks the depth of emotion typically seen in these scenes. This is due to the choice of paint. The pastel look of the watercolors softens the emotion of the painting. Given that the use of these watercolors was the choice of the artist, it suggests a disconnect between the artist and the true emotion of the scene. Knowing the artist was Hitler, and the atrocities he would commit in thirty years, this watercolor offers not only a depiction of war-torn town during WWI, but also an insight into the man who painted it.

Works Cited

Snyder’s Treasusres: Adolf Hitler Original Watercolor Artworks. 2009. Web. May 6, 2011.

< http://www.snyderstreasures.net/pages/hartworks.htm>

          

Unable to Work by David Olere

(A Holocaust Art Exhibit)

            This piece is titled Unable to Work by David Olere. Olere was born in Warsaw, Poland on January 19, 1902, where he was accepted into the Academy of Fine Arts at a young age. From March 1943 to January 1945 he was detained in Auschwitz as a Sonderkommando, a special labor unit responsible for emptying the remains from the crematory ovens as well as removing the bodies from the gas chambers. He also bore witness to the horrific testing performed by the Nazi’s and was forced to work as an illustrator and write letters for the SS. Olere was the first person to draw plans and cross-sections of the crematories. Since no photos were taken of the crematoria and gas chambers at Auschwitz, Olere’s work is considered to have “exceptional documentary value,” (Klarsfeld). His began creating his art after his release in 1945 out of a sense of obligation to those who did not survive. Olere felt it was important for everyone to understand the true horrors of the Holocaust. Unfortunately, due the graphic nature of his art, most people are repelled by it than attracted to it.

            In Unable to Work, Olere depicts a common scene at Auschwitz. The inability to work was an immediate death sentence and this painting depicts the walk of those considered useless. Overall, the colors are dark and muted. The sky contains orange and yellow, depicting light, but there is no suggestion of joy in it. The use of teal, gray, and black in the sky helps create the bleak atmosphere felt by the labors. In the background the smoke rising from the crematorium forms the SS insignia while laborers work at the camp, overseen by SS soldiers.

            The painting focuses on a Jewish family consisting of an elderly woman, a middle-aged woman holding an infant, and 3 children, 2 boys and 1 girl. These characters stand out against the background, drawing the eye of the viewer and creating depth to distinguish the distance of the family from the workers. The conditions in which they lived are evident in their faces, where their eyes and cheeks are sunken and their bone structure is rigid and sharp. They are all slightly stooped, the elderly woman probably from age but the others from malnutrition. Fatigue is evident in the overall limpness of their bodies and their open mouths add to image of suffering. Beneath their feet are the bones of those who walked this path before them. Floating above the family is the spirit of a malnourished, skeletal-like body with one hand wrapped around the elderly woman. The intimate way this ghostly figure holds the elderly woman suggests it may be a loved one offering comfort and protection in the last moment of their lives. Of course, this could also suggest the fate of this family.

            On the left side, barely in the painting, is the arm of an SS soldier. The sleeve of his coat is visible with the SS insignia and his gloved hand holds a rifle. He is guiding the family to their destiny, and possibly welcoming them to their destination. The smoke from the crematorium in the background suggests this family is headed to the gas chambers.

Works Cited

Klarsfeld, Serge David Olère: L'Oeil du Témoin/The Eyes of a Witness. New York: The Beate Klarsfeld Foundation, 1989. Web. April 21, 2011. <http://fcit.usf.edu/holocaust/ARTS/DOBIO/DOarts.HTM>

Brief History of the Holocaust

           The Holocaust is an event of great importance in world history. Though it is not the only known act of genocide, it is definitely the most known and studied. Ending in 1945, at the end of WWII, the Holocaust still stirs strong emotions in not only the survivors, but also in the generations following this event. Some turned these emotions into art, such as paintings, sketches and poetry, expressing everything from their daily life at various concentration camps to their deepest fears and most intimate emotions. Although it is generally understood what the Holocaust was, to fully understand the art spawned from this historic event one must have a deeper understanding of the event itself.

            The word holocaust stems from the Latin word holocaustum and the Greek word holokauston, meaning “burnt whole” (Holocaust). Dictionary.com defines it as “a great or complete devastation or destruction, especially by fire” and “any mass slaughter or reckless destruction of life” (Holocaust). The Holocaust was just that, the mass destruction of lives deemed unworthy by Adolf Hitler. Although it is most associated with the annihilation of the Jewish population other groups were affected as well. Hitler also targeted Gypsies, Slavics (including Poles and Russians), Jehovah’s Witnesses, homosexuals, people physically or mentally disabled, and anyone else who opposed the Nazi’s or had different political and ideological views.

            Hitler sought German domination over Europe and the world. There were many who supported him and much of this support came out of fear. Fear caused many to follow Hitler so it stands to reason it would have worked equally as well with the groups of people he persecuted. So the question then becomes, why persecute these groups of people? But more importantly, why focus on the Jews?

            The answers to these questions are simple enough. Hitler believed the Aryan race to be superior and was determined to create a “super race”. To accomplish this he had to get rid of all peoples who did not fit into his definition of superior beings, this included the poor, criminals, handicapped, and others who did not fit into the social norms and his idea of perfection. Though this type of thinking seems absurd now, during this time Darwin’s theory of biological inferiority was still highly regarded. Logic allows one to see that for Hitler to create his superior race he needed to rid the world of everyone he considered a sub-human. As for why he focused on the Jews, essentially it was because he held a deep and intense hatred for the Jewish population. But where did that hatred stem from?

            That question is more difficult to answer. It’s a well known fact that Hitler blamed the Jews for Germany losing World War I (WWI). Like many Germans, he believed Jewish bankers betrayed Germany and were responsible, at least in part, for the Treaty of Versailles, which removed large portions of land from German control, forced Germany to accept responsibility for the war, and required them to pay back retributions. He also believed the Jews were Communists and planned to destroy Germany (AnneFrank.com). Another thought ties into religion when the Jews persecuted Christ, forcing Pontius Pilate to crucify Him. Matthew 27:25 states, “All the people answered, “Let his blood be on us and our children!”” Hitler believed the annihilation of the Jews was the price they needed to pay for their persecution of Christ.

            Though this explains why Hitler targeted the Jews it doesn’t explain why he hated them so much. That is something that is still unknown. There are many theories, including one stating Hitler blamed a Jewish doctor for his mother’s death (she died of cancer), and another stating Hitler blamed Jews for his rejection at the Vienna Art Academy. These two theories have been debunked but more remain. The truth is that no one really knows why Hitler hated the Jews. All that is known is that his hatred goes as far back as his childhood.

             The Holocaust was a tragic event that almost led to the annihilation of an entire group of people. It serves as a reminder to what can happen when racism is left unchecked, especially in the hands of someone with political power. Although World War II (WWII) started in 1939, the Final Solution was not ordered until 1941, begging the question whether the destruction of these groups of people were the original intention of Hitler or not. Regardless, out of great tragedy came great art. Art that clearly depicts the lives and depth of suffering for those persecuted, offering a better understanding of not only the Holocaust itself but of the people who endured it.

 

Works Cited

Anne Frank Center: Frequently Asked Questions. 2008. Web. April 1, 2011.  

          <http://www.annefrank.com/who-is-anne-frank/faqs/>

“Holocaust.” Dictionary.com. 2011. Web. April 1, 2011 

           <http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/holocaust>

Holy Bible. New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984. Print.