The Use of Culture and the Mass Media (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE History)

How Did the Nazis Try to Influence German Culture? - Summary

Fear and intimidation was not enough for the Nazis to guarantee compliance with their totalitarian regime. The Nazis - championed by Joseph Goebbels - used propaganda and censorship to control and influence the attitudes of the German people.

They objected to many modern aspects of culture and arts. The Weimar Republic had embraced new ideas during the Golden Years of Germany such as the Bauhaus movement. The Nazi Party believed in restoring traditional values and the family structure. These were beliefs that Goebbels could communicate through art, film, music and literature. Therefore, the Nazis quickly set about reforming the culture and arts sector. 

In the 1930s, newspapers and radio were the most popular media outlets. The Nazis embraced these mediums to distribute information. Demonstrating to the German people the power and strength of the Nazi regime was very important. Rallies such as that at Nuremberg in 1934 were opportunities to present the unity and organisation of this new Nazi-led Germany. This contrasted with the disorganised and helpless Weimar Republic.

Through the Reich Chamber of Culture, Goebbels ensured that occupations such as artists, musicians and authors all adhered to strict rules and laws. Failure to follow the regulations set out often led to persecution and interference by the SS or Gestapo. As a result, throughout the 1930s there was a complete overhaul of cultural ideas.

Who was Joseph Goebbels?

• Goebbels was a loyal member of the Nazi Party

  • His work helped gain the Nazi Party election success by 1932

• As Minister for People’s Enlightenment and Propaganda, Goebbels was responsible for ensuring the Nazis controlled all areas of German life:

The Nazi Use of Media

Newspapers 

• The Nazis told journalists what they could and could not publish

• Control of newspapers allowed the Nazis to spread their messages to the public:

  • They controlled most newspapers by 1939, compared to 3% in 1933

  • Around 1,600 newspapers were closed down in 1935

• Der Völkischer Beobachter (The People’s Observer) was the official newspaper of the Nazi Party and was published daily:

  • It reached 1.1 million people by 1941

Radio 

• Radios were an increasingly popular tool to communicate political messages:

  • Goebbels had relied on radio during the election years of 1932 and 1933

• After 1933, Goebbels censored most radio stations. Nazi-controlled stations spread propaganda

  • The Nazis insisted that employers placed radios in workplaces

• The introduction of the Volksempfänger (The People’s Receiver) in 1933 was hugely important for several reasons:

The 1936 Berlin Olympics

• Hitler and Goebbels believed that success in sport was essential:

  • To “Strengthen the character of the German people”

  • To promote the Nazi belief that the Aryan race was superior

• The 1936 Berlin Olympics was an opportunity for Hitler to show the might of Nazi Germany:

• Jesse Owens angered Hitler and the Nazis by winning four gold medals and becoming the most successful athlete at the games

• Leni Riefenstahl directed the filmOlympia, which was released in 1938 and documented the events of the 1936 Berlin Olympics

Nazi Rallies

• The Nazi Party had used rallies throughout the 1920s and early 1930s

• The declaration of Hitler as Führer in 1934 allowed him to merge the identity of the Nazi Party with that of Germany:

  • Rallies became more frequent and created a sense of unity

    • They celebrated important occasions such as Hitler’s birthday

  • They were used to advertise the strength of the German army

    • This broke the military restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles

The Nuremberg Rallies 

• Nuremberg is a city in the centre of Germany and was chosen to host annual rallies from 1933 to 1938

• Hitler’s favourite architect, Albert Speer, designed the grounds where the rallies took place

• The 1934 Nuremberg rally had 200,000 in attendance:

  • 152 searchlights were used as pillars of light around the audience, known as the Cathedral of Light

  • Films like Triumph of the Will by Leni Riefenstahl presented the strength and power of the Nazi Party at the Nuremberg rallies

Nazi Control of Culture and Arts

• The Nazis objected to the Weimar Republic’s focus on modern art and culture

• They instead favoured romantic ideas about Germany’s past, the importance of family and strong values

• The Reich Chamber of Culture was set up in 1933 to make sure that all aspects of culture and the arts aligned with these Nazi beliefs

• Several Chambers formed the Reich Chamber of Culture:

Nazi Art

• All those involved in art were required to join the Reich Chamber of Creative Art:

  • Those who didn’t or couldn’t join were forbidden to teach, produce or sell art

  • Around 42,000 artists were accepted

• Art that did not conform with Nazi beliefs was removed:

  • Expressionist artwork produced by Picasso and Van Gogh was seen as too modern

  • In 1936, over 12,000 paintings and sculptures were removed from galleries

• Gestapo members would visit art studios to monitor the art being produced

• Artists were rewarded for producing art the Nazis did approve of:

  • The Greater German Art Exhibition featured 900 exhibits in 1936

Nazi Architecture

• The Nazis disliked the modern designs of the Bauhaus movement during the era of the Weimar Republic

• Hitler’s favourite architect was Albert Speer, who designed some of Nazi Germany’s most important buildings:

  • The Zeppelinfeld, the parade ground for the Nuremberg rallies

  • Helped to add to the design of the Berlin Olympic Stadium

• Many buildings were never completed because Nazi Germany was defeated in 1945

Nazi Music

• The Nazis promoted music that represented traditional aspects of German culture

  • Wagner, Beethovan and Bach were liked for their focus on folk music

• The Nazis censored music produced by Jewish composers

  • A monument dedicated to the composer Mendelssohn was removed in 1936

• Jazz music was disliked because it was associated with Black people

  • Many jazz artists at the time were also of Jewish origins

Nazi Literature

• The Chamber of Culture approved books before they were published

• The Nazis banned around 2,500 writers because they did not conform to Nazi beliefs:

  • Works by Einstein and Oppenheimer were banned because of their Jewish origins

  • Lenin's work was banned because it spoke about Communism, an ideology hated by the Nazis

• Nazis removed millions of books from libraries and universities and burned them on bonfires:

  • In May 1933, students in Berlin burned 20,000 books by anti-Nazi authors

  • Books from 34 cities in Germany were burned for being “unwanted”

  • Joseph Goebbels delivered a speech encouraging the burning of books to an audience of 40,000

Nazi Cinema

• The Nazis embraced the ‘modern’ and popular technology of film

• The Nazis had to approve all film plots and foreign films underwent censorship

• Newsreels showing Germany’s achievements were played before the start of films

• Films like Triumph of the Will by Leni Riefenstahl presented the strength and power of the Nazi Party

• Films like Hitlerjunge Quex were used to spread political messages about the threat of communism

• In total, the Nazi Party made 1,300 films