Goebbels on Victory (March 1942)

On the fourth anniversary of Hitler’s takeover of Austria, Goebbels gave a speech in Vienna on “Victory at Any Price.” It was after the first winter of the war with the Soviet Union. Goebbels expresses optimism and congratulates the Viennese on their sacrifices for the Reich.

Last Speech by Gauleiter Hofer (1945)

I have added the last speech by Gauleiter Franz Hofer of Tyrolia and Voralberg, delivered over the radio on 30 April 1945. A few days later he was captured by the Allies. After a lively legal set of proceedings, he lived a long life as an unrepentant Nazi.

Last Call to Resist in Vienna (1945)

 For the last few months of World War II the main theme of Nazi propaganda was that if Germans kept fighting, their loyalty and bravery would be crowned with victory.  That began to look thin as time went on.  Today I add an article dated 3 April 1945 that suggested without too much confidence that victory was still possible, but the basic theme was that Vienna was a lost cause, so the Viennese may as well die fighting.

Nazi Propaganda Guidelines in January 1944

I’ve had a long interest in the lower levels of the Nazi propaganda system.  It had tentacles reaching down to the neighborhood level.  These propagandists needed to be instructed.  The Reichsring für nationalsozialistische Propaganda und Volksaufklärung was the subsection of the party propaganda office responsible for that.  Today I’m adding the January 1944 newsletter for the lower Danube area.

 

It discusses Allied bombing, street collections for the party charity, occupational choices for the youth, and more.

Austrian Fans of Traditional Costumes Welcome Hitler

The Nazis moved quickly to incorporate Austria into the Reich.  Less than a month after the Nazi takeover, the Austrian monthly for those interested in traditional costumes welcomed the new order, noting that Hitler was a great supporter of traditional costumes.

The original article is available on ANNO, an Austrian project to digitize newspapers.

Gauleiter Hugo Jury Article (1939)

After the Nazi takeover of Austria in 1938, the Gau system was established, and the governmental structure was reorganized.  As part of my slowly growing page on speeches and articles by the various Nazi Gauleiter, I’m adding a 1939 article by Hugo Jury that discusses his plans for Gau Niederdonau. The article is translated from ANNO, a project to digitize Austrian newspapers.

Gauleiter Hugo Jury

Gauleiter Eigruber’s Economic Plans

As part of my slowly growing section of material by Nazi Gauleiter, I’ve added a 1939 article by Gauleiter August Eigruber of Oberdonau (Upper Danube) on economic policy. Eigruber was executed in 1947 for crimes against humanity.

Gauleiter August Eigruber

Another 1939 Speech by Josef Bürckel

I tend to translate things that strike me as interesting as I'm working on my research (currently the uses to which the Germans put American rhetoric during the Nazi period). I've been going through newspapers from Austria after the Anschluß to see how, for example, FDR's speeches were handled. I also recently started a page of rhetoric by Nazi Gauleiter, the party's regional potentates. Their material is rather hard to find. Today, I'm adding a March 1939 speech by Gauleiter Bürckel of Vienna which takes on economic issues. He basically announces price controls. I'm interested in this kind of material because it illustrates what the Nazis were doing at the local level, as opposed to the national level that we know more about.

The illustration is a newspaper cartoon published shortly after Bürckel's speech.

The cartoon claims that German commerce must become honest. Jews are being swept away.

Speeches by Nazi Gauleiter

The Gauleiter were regional Nazi party leaders. Speaking to large audiences was in the job description. I'm beginning a new page of translations of speeches by various Gauleiter. At the moment, the only items are speeches by Julius Streicher, which were already on the GPA, and a February 1939 speech by Josef Bürckel, who had just been appointed Gauleiter of Vienna

I expect to add other speeches over time. Should you happen to have a reliable speech text by a Gauleiter, I'd surely appreciate a copy (although I cannot predict how long it will take me to get to translating it).