Our newest community reporter Spring Heeled Jack has written a series of short articles which we will share over the next few weeks.
Here is the latest installment of Hard Times.
Nazi Germany
This use of propaganda targeted Jewish people then living in German society who were obliged to wear the symbolic Star of David, thus immediately identifying themselves to other German people.
These films and posters were repeatedly ‘drip fed’ to the German people as subliminal messages, encouraging other Germans to think that Jews were sub human people who weren’t worthy of any place in society. This policy continued where Jewish people were progressively banned from places such as parks, cinemas, theaters and other leisure facilities.
Signs were also strategically placed to inform the general population stating Achtung Juden Verboten-Attention Jews forbidden. This continued with Jewish people being systematically and gradually re-categorized, redefined and sifted from German society.
For instance, people with Jewish grandparents were re-categorized and placed on a register by the German authorities. In addition, German people were redefined and re-categorized if or when marrying a Jewish male or female.
Jewish people were gradually sifted from all of the professions such as Doctors, University Lecturers, Teachers and Accountants, being unable to follow their chosen profession.
In addition, they were forbidden to mix with other German people and Jewish children were not allowed to play with German children. The propaganda continued with Leni Riefenstahl who produced several films such as Triumph of the Will and Olympia during the 1930s.
Riefenstahl then was the harbinger or forerunner of Public Relations by producing biased propaganda and political communication messages. She also helped Hitler when addressing audiences, by showing his best profile, how to project his voice and command the attention of mass audiences such as at the Nuremburg rally, when speaking in public.
Hitler took all this advice from Riefenstahl on board and went further by using propaganda and public relations techniques during his speeches. In addition, he inaugurated the Hitler youth movement, showing images of young German people being the next generation to succeed under National Socialism or what many critics and opponents would comment on as fascism.
However, these propaganda messages showed a German country in action and at work – Arbeit Macht Frei, Work makes you free, an expression that some feel has been replicated and included today-by the current UK Conservative government’s cuts to welfare.
Article submitted by Spring Heeled Jack.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and not the Digital Sentinel.
