The key episodes are set before, during, and after the Nazi takeover. Even after it appeared in English translation, this epic novel seems to be an improbable vehicle for counter-propaganda. The complex narrative structure of Die Geschwister Oppenheim, the astute insights, and the multitude of characters undoubtedly appealed to informed readers, but may have proven tedious to an uninitiated international readership. Historical references in Feuchtwanger’s novel produce an impression of authenticity in an attempt to discredit Nazi propaganda, which presented the new regime as stable and progressive. Another figure, the poet Friedrich Wilhelm Gutwetter, calls to mind the vainglory of Bettauer’s Chancellor Schwertfeger, and the furniture-packer Hinkel resembles lower-class Nazi types in the works by Reimann and Roth. One of the most radical Nazi males is a small-minded authoritarian, the teacher Bernd Vogelsang. Female Nazis are configured as social climbers, who seek advancement through men affiliated with the movement. For the representation of Nazi characters, he resorts to the available stereotypes of provincial opportunists, power-seekers, and ruffians. For the majority of Hitler’s followers, according to Feuchtwanger, race is a matter of indifference or a political tool.įeuchtwanger contextualizes his fictional characters with references to actual events and historical personalities. 1 Few of the Nazi characters are genuine fanatics. His narrative repeatedly points to careerism, anti-Semitism, and greed as the predominant factors. In his novel, a society portrait set in 1932/1933 Berlin, Feuchtwanger illustrates the increasing popular support for National Socialism and searches for reasons to explain the Nazi Party’s mass appeal. Immediately after taking exile, he wrote his novel based on notes he had taken while still in Germany and information he received from German friends. Feuchtwanger’s works were banned and burned by the Nazis. Lion Feuchtwanger’s Family Saga Die Geschwister Oppenheimĭie Geschwister Oppenheim by Lion Feuchtwanger (1884–1958), who was already a prominent novelist in the Weimar Republic, showcases a wide spectrum of Nazi characters and organizations. The following exploration of literary responses by exiled antifascists to the Nazi victory in Germany illustrates changing attitudes toward the triumphant regime and its representatives. The brain-drain caused by the mass exodus of academics and artists depleted Germany’s intellectual resources, but enabled the Nazi regime to tighten its grip by replacing the exiles with Nazi loyalists. German authors in exile tried to expose the brutal measures of the new regime that were intended to destroy Germany’s democratic structures, but their works were often published by exile presses and did not reach the German public. Following Hitler’s appointment as German Chancellor, the Nazis began a massive propaganda campaign to win over undecided German nationals and impress the international community. The Nazis took immediate repressive measures against Marxists, Socialists, and Jews. While German masses indulged in triumphant rallies nationwide, dissenters tried to flee the country, as illustrated in many literary works. Antifascist authors viewed Hitler’s rise to power as a historical turning point. Antifascist writers still ridiculed the symbols and practices of the Nazi movement, but the dismissive attitude toward the Nazi phenomenon gave way to despondency. However, in 1933, the shock regarding Hitler’s victory introduced an element of profound pessimism. They reinterpreted traits that Nazi writing considered to reflect masculine strength and heroism as narrow-mindedness, brutality, and pettiness, and constructed hero figures, often working-class and Jewish characters, to mark their oppositional stance.Īntifascist literature before 1933 had projected confidence by casting the Nazis as a movement of the lunatic fringe. Without fundamentally revising the physical or psychological models set forth in Nazi propaganda, antifascist writers reversed the meaning of the Nazi ideal. Antifascist authors rejected the ideological significance of the Nazi typology. The examples from the 1920s illustrate that the “Aryan” typology became increasingly adapted to the political objectives of the Nazi movement. Literature Exploring the Turning Point of 1932/3 through Nazi Figures
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |