Word of the Week German Word of the Week propaganda poster declaring the inevitability of victory
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 32.875 inches (83.503 cm) | Width: 46.625 inches (118.428 cm)
Creator(s)
- W. Wächter (Editor)
- Zentralverlag der NSDAP (Publisher)
- Reichspropagandaleitung der N.S.D.A.P. (Issuer)
- Mjölnir (Artist)
Biographical History
Hans Schweitzer (1901-1980) was born in Berlin, and joined the Nazi party in 1926. As a member of the party, Schweitzer created cartoons, caricatures, and political posters under the penname, Mjölnir. He worked for several Nazi newspapers, including the Völkischer Beobachter (The People’s Observer) and a paper published by early Nazi leaders Gregor and Otto Strasser. With his artistic talents, Schweitzer advanced through the party. He was appointed as an honorary member of the SS and became friends with Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. Later, Schweitzer illustrated several books for Goebbels, including Die Verfluchten Hakenkreuzen, published in 1930. Throughout the 1930s, Schweitzer created images for Nazi antisemitic, political, and election posters. He was also a cartoonist for the paper Der Angriff (The Attack), publish by Goebbels, and illustrated the book, Kampf um Berlin (Fight for Berlin). In 1935, he was appointed as Representative for Artistic Design and worked in conjunction with the Ministry of Propaganda for the creation of exhibitions, erection of monuments, and the development of insignia and national symbols. Later, he worked with a commission to decide how to utilize artwork stolen from Nazi victims. Schweitzer was arrested by American authorities in 1947 and fined 500 deutsche marks for his actions during the Holocaust. In 1955, he had his Nazi record expunged and was able to work as an illustrator and teacher.
Archival History
The poster was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1995.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection
Scope and Content
German propaganda poster likely issued from January 3 to 16, 1943, from the Parole der Woche (Word of the Week) series, showing a German soldier and civilian pushing forward against Germany’s Soviet, American, British, and Jewish enemies. By January 1943, Germany’s invasion of the Soviet Union had stalled in the face of Soviet opposition, and German forces in North Africa were being worn down by Allied forces. The Nazis used propaganda to buttress public support for the war effort, shape public opinion, and reinforce antisemitic ideas. As part of their propaganda campaign, the Nazis created the Word of the Week Series of posters (also referred to as Wandzeitung, or wall newspapers), the first of which was distributed on March 16, 1936. Each week, approximately 125,000 posters were strategically placed in public places and businesses such as: market squares, metro stations, bus stops, payroll offices, hospital waiting rooms, factory cafeterias, schools, hotels, restaurants, post offices, train stations, and street kiosks so that they would be viewed by as many people as possible. Posters were the primary medium for the series, but smaller pamphlets were also produced, which could be plastered on the back of correspondence. The posters used colorful, often derogatory caricatures, and photorealistic images with vibrant language to target the Nazis’ early political adversaries, Jews, Communists, and Germany’s enemies during the war. The series was discontinued in 1943.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Large, offset lithographic German propaganda poster on off-white paper with a faded, white linen backing. On the left is an image of a large German soldier wearing a helmet and military uniform, alongside a man wearing a flat cap. They are both depicted from the chest up, and are arched forward. Above their heads is a red field, and there is a bayonet thrusting forward in front of them. In the foreground directly beneath the blade are small, gesticulating caricatures of four men as personifications of Germany’s enemies. The first man is wearing one-piece coveralls, with a hammer and sickle inside a red star on his back. The second man is wearing a top hat and has an American flag on his back. The third man is a caricature of Winston Churchill with a British flag on his chest; and the last is an obese man with a top hat, hooked nose, and Star of David on his chest. To the right are several lines of large red and black German text. The poster has discolored with age and has water damage on the right side. There is edge damage on the bottom right corner and a long tear that proceeds up from the bottom edge and stops near the center. Near the top right corner is a tear and two small holes. The back shows three evenly spaced, vertical and horizontal creases.
front, bottom right, hand written, black ink : 3I-16.I:1943: [illegible] 1 back, left center, printed on paper adhered to linen : Herausgegeben von der / [r]eichspropagandaleitung der NSDAP. / im Zentralverlag der NSDAP. / Franz Eher Nachf. / Vertrieb: Deutsche Kulturpropaganda / GmbH., Berlin-Charlottenburg 9, / Platanenallee 16 [Published by the Reich Propaganda Directorate of the NSDAP. / in the central publishing house of the NSDAP. / Franz Eher Nachf. / Distribution: German Culture Propaganda / GmbH., Berlin-Charlottenburg 9, / Platanenallee 16] back, bottom left, printed on torn paper adhered to linen : Ausgabe[missing] / Die P[missing] / Parteiamtlic[missing] / Folge 1 [missing]
People
- Mjölnir, 1901-1980.
Corporate Bodies
- Central Publishing house of the Nazi Party
- Nazi Party
- Reichspropagandaleitung der N.S.D.A.P.
Subjects
- Parole der Woche.
- Germany.
- World War, 1939-1945--Public opinion--Germany.
- Nazi Propaganda
- World War, 1939-1945--Propaganda--Germany.
- Nazi propaganda--Posters--Germany.
Genre
- Posters
- Object
- Posters.