Alfred Rosenberg diary

Identifier
irn73077
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 2001.62.14
  • RG-71
Dates
1 Jan 1936 - 31 Dec 1944
Level of Description
Item
Languages
  • German
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

folder

1

Creator(s)

Biographical History

Alfred Rosenberg was born in Reval (now Talinn), Estonia, on January 12, 1893, into a family of German Baltic merchants and artisans. Rosenberg joined the Nazi Party in 1920. He eventually became editor of the "Voelkischer Beobachter.," He was the author of many works elaborating the philosophical views behind the Nazi movement, in particular, its antisemitic and anti-religious views, in well knownworks sich as "Der Mythus des 20. Jahrhunderts" (The Myth of the 20th Century). He became a Reichstag deputy for the Nazi Party after the election of Sept. 14, 1930, and was assigned to the Party Office on Foreign Affairs. In 1933, Rosenerg became head of the Party's Office on Foreign Relations.Shortly thereafter, he was appointed Deputy of Ideology and Education. On January 24, 1934, Hitler promoted Rosenberg to the rank of Reichsleiter (National Leader) for the Office for Supervision of the Total Intellectual Schooling of the Party. On July 17, 1941, he was made Reich Minister for the Occupied Eastern Territories. In 1942, he became Commissioner for the Safeguarding of the National Socialist Philosophy for the Party and State, which included the indoctrination of the Armed Forces. He was the founder of the National Socialist Cultural Community, forerunner of the Militant Association for German Culture (Kampfband für Deutsche Kultur) in 1927 and the Reich Organization for Early German History. Rosenberg was arrested by the Allies at the war's end in May 1945. He was one of the defendants in the Nuremburg Internatioanl Military Tribunal, Trial of Major German War Criminals. Rosenberg was found guilty on all four counts of the indictment for conspiracy to commit aggressive warfare, crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. He was sentenced to death and hanged on October 16, 1946.

Archival History

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Lucian W. Kempner

Estate of Robert M.W. Kempner.

Scope and Content

The diary, which begins in April 1936, contains entries in which Rosenberg reflects on contemporary events, including the Soviet-German non-aggression pact, the invasion of Poland, Germany’s relations with other countries prior to the war (Romania, Spain, Afghanistan, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Italy), the personalities and activities of other Nazi leaders, his antipathy to organized religion and to the Roman Catholic church in particular, accounts of his meetings with Hitler, the latter’s affirmations of Rosenberg’s writings and activities, and his perceptions of the popularity and reception of his writings among the general public, including “Der Mythus des 20. Jahrhunderts.” The latter part of the diary treats Rosenberg’s appointment by Hitler as Reichminister of the Occupied Eastern Territories, differences in policy between Rosenberg and others in how to administer these territories, political infighting, eventual military setbacks on the Eastern front, and his accounts of the effects of war and bombing raids on Germany. The diary ends in December 1944. Additional years of this diary (1934-1935) are held by the National Archives and Records Administration (U.S.), in College Park, Maryland. A digitized version is available as is a transcript.

System of Arrangement

Diary entries were created and maintained in chronological order.

People

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.