I got this poster in the other day, figure it would go here.
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A great piece; thanks for sharing it with us, Anthony. It looks to me like it illustrates Goebbels' "Total War" speech on February 18, 1943 at the Berlin Sportpalast. The banner across the balcony reads: "What is of use to the people? The Führer leads, we follow! Our walls may break, but not our hearts nor our spirits!" -- a direct reference to the Allied bombing every day and every night.
It appears that the Blood Banner is being displayed in the foreground...by Jakob Grimminger. I was under the impression that the Blood Banner was only brought out from storage at the Braunes Haus in Munich for major events at which Hitler was the focus, or for State Funerals. The "Total War" speech was Goebbels' own event and Hitler was not present -- at that time Hitler was on the Eastern Front at meetings with GFM von Manstein. Might anyone have any further information on the use of the Blut Fahne?
Br. James -
Law is, what serves the people.Originally posted by Br. James View Post
The flag bearer is not there in the original setup, they are in the background of the stage.
The slogans may have been there, but I don't think so.
I believe this is an anti-war (Total War) poster. Possibly after '45 to emphasize what can be done to regular people with propaganda and mass hysteria. Just look at the faces: They mirror Göbbel's grimace !Comment
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Thanks for your correction, Andreas; I'll have a stern word with my computer translation program as soon as I finish this note! I do agree that, from the film link to Goebbels' "Total War" speech which you provided, the Blood Banner was not seen on the rostrum at the Sportpalast that evening, though I think if it were present, it would likely have been placed where the poster depicts it and not mixed among the decorator flags and PL group banners forming the rostrum's backdrop. The flagbearer in the poster seems a generic SS-Mann, though his helmet decal is missing the red shield normally featured on SS helmets and he is also missing the Flagbearer's Gorget -- or at least the chain that was normally worn with that piece. I am beginning to wonder whether this depiction is even supposed to be the Sportpalast; as you mentioned, "The slogans may have been there, but I don't think so." The film clip only shows the rostrum from the audience's viewpoint... Perhaps this poster was supposed to suggest the Deutschlandhalle in Berlin, which was a smaller venue but perhaps that location allowed for posters streaming around the balcony? Interesting thoughts...
Br. JamesComment
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Here is the name of the posterComment
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There we have it -- you're right again, Andreas! The caption tells us that this was an anti-war poster; it reads: "Demagogue calls for Total War." So it is a fantasy depiction of Goebbels in the Berlin Sportpalast on February 18, 1943.
Br. JamesComment
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But a question: is "Demagogue" a bad word in Nazi Deutsch?Originally posted by Br. James View Post
I do not know the answer...but I am not sure. Here is why:
I checked up on the term "Fanatic" in Deutsch for Tony's "poster." and found it was used (in the positive, i.e. a term used by Nazis to describe themselves) in early Nazi speech and literature .
And of course we all know the term "Propaganda" was a matter of fact term for Nazi use as Goebbels was the Reich's Minister of Propaganda.
As Der hase Fee has considered this poster to be a ANTI WAR critique ,so to did I , suspect this.
But unless the Deutsch word for Demogogue during the Nazi era was considered a negative term, I am unsure.
If it IS anti-war then it HAS to be after '45 if it was produced in Germany.
Sincerely, MFComment
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There seems to be a printers mark on bottom left and also the artists signature is seen. Those additional pieces of information may confirm it as post-war/anti-war. It certainly seems that way to me.Comment
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It seems to me to be a strange "anti-war" poster, which doesn't at all mean its not one by the way. It has no less than four Swaztikas present, a very referential presentation of the Blood flag and bearer and all the slogans that would push the patriotic buttons. I guess the irony would have worked early on after the war to those living in the ruins. Interesting. The looks on the faces of the participants certainly reminds one of the Total War speech.Comment
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Total War Speech Flags ???
Albert Speer reports talking with Goebbels afterwards:Originally posted by Br. James View Post
"Except for Hitler’s most successful public meetings, I had never
seen an audience so effectively roused to fanaticism. Back in his
home, Goebbels astonished me by analyzing what had seemed to
be a purely emotional outburst in terms of its psychological effect
— much as an experienced actor might have done. He was also
satisfied with his audience that evening. “Did you notice? They
reacted to the smallest nuance and applauded at just the right
moments. It was the politically best-trained audience you can find
in Germany.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sportpalast_speech
OFW
(below) Event photo, I don't see the BF out front, but ~8 DE's behind.sigpic
.......^^^ .................... some of my collection ...................... ^^^...
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Michael raises a good question which I am unable to respond to, save for the fact that my computer translation program translates the English word 'demagogue' into German as 'Demagoge,' which is a slightly different spelling than the word on the poster: "Demagogie." Perhaps this only indicates a different tense of the word, or some other grammatical difference...? Our German-speaking colleagues here could help us out!
As for the use of the word 'fanatic' in a positive sense, we have that before us every day, in the use of a phrase such as 'a football fan.' Hitler also used the term 'fanatic' in a positive sense, at least to him, when he spoke of the need for basic fanaticism in dealing with the Weimar Government and the communists, and later still in persevering against the onslaught of the Allies.
Br. JamesComment
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Part of my point before was:Originally posted by Br. James View Post
Nazi Deutsch is NOT the Deutsch after 1945. And modern Deutsch has only evolved in usage even more.
(I have two dictionaries with Nazi Deutsch terminology but they don't have every word-as no dictionary ever made does)
It is the rare native German speaker who knows Nazi -Deutsch as they have mostly passed away and did NOT , of course, pass on Nazi-Deutsch to their children.
Just in regular German there are words that seem similar to English but have slightly different connotations like the term 'propaganda ' simply being a matter of fact description without negative connotations or consider the word 'Kult' [cult]not being instantly a negative description as in English when applied to a religious group's actions.
As for the term 'Fanatic' , I don't see much use of that term when an American political party is describing its own members. Instead I have seen it used as a term to be applied to a rival political party's members.Comment
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Excellent and informative response, Michael; many thanks for it. As far as the use of "fanatic" for the members of one's own political party, I agree completely. Referring to one's friends or co-believers as "fanatics" has a negative connotation here now in other than sports-related conversation -- it implies overwhelmingly strident emotionalism which blinds the believer to reality -- but when Hitler spoke of it, he was calling the German people to the depth (he would say 'height') of blind obedience and complete faith in the NSDAP and in himself, and therefore in a bright and successful future. As we know, Hitler liked to make allusions to himself in quasi-religious terms such as seeing his 'mission' to have been inspired by God and his 'selfless and total dedication' to the good of the German folk as setting him apart in the likeness of the Second Coming of Christ.
Br. JamesComment
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Certainly looks like some kind of post-war instructional tool to me.Comment
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