Dictionary
Art in the Third Reich
It was the declared goal of National Socialist culture policies to establish Aryan and Nordic Art. It was for this purpose that the Board of Cultural Issues, lead by Joseph Goebbels, Reichsminister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, was created on 22 September 1933, in order to make sure that free and vanguard art would be replaced by propaganda art that was in line with the National Socialist racist ideology. Up until 1935 some 100.000 artists were members of the Board of Cultural Issues.
The emphasis of National Socialist art was the idealized human body, following the esthetic ideal of the Nordic man, which especially would become the predominant subject of sculpting. Worthwhile mentioning in this context are the sculptors Arno Breker (1900-91) and Josef Thorak (1889-1952).
Scenes from the life of workers, farmers and mothers, which were following the National Socialist's concept of work, motherhood, family and role perception, were other popular subjects, especially in poster art. Mass campaigns, rallies and sport events were often depicted in films and on photographs. Leni Riefenstahl's (1902-2003) documentaries "Sieg des Glaubens" (Victory of belief) from 1933 and "Triumph des Willens" (Triumph of Will) from 1934, as well as "Fest der Völker" and "Fest der Schönheit" (both were made on occasion of the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936 and were shown in theatres as of 1938) achieved an indoctrination of the audience and tried to convince the people of the power of the National Socialist ideology.
It was the declared goal of National Socialist culture policies to establish Aryan and Nordic Art. It was for this purpose that the Board of Cultural Issues, lead by Joseph Goebbels, Reichsminister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, was created on 22 September 1933, in order to make sure that free and vanguard art would be replaced by propaganda art that was in line with the National Socialist racist ideology. Up until 1935 some 100.000 artists were members of the Board of Cultural Issues.
The emphasis of National Socialist art was the idealized human body, following the esthetic ideal of the Nordic man, which especially would become the predominant subject of sculpting. Worthwhile mentioning in this context are the sculptors Arno Breker (1900-91) and Josef Thorak (1889-1952).
Scenes from the life of workers, farmers and mothers, which were following the National Socialist's concept of work, motherhood, family and role perception, were other popular subjects, especially in poster art. Mass campaigns, rallies and sport events were often depicted in films and on photographs. Leni Riefenstahl's (1902-2003) documentaries "Sieg des Glaubens" (Victory of belief) from 1933 and "Triumph des Willens" (Triumph of Will) from 1934, as well as "Fest der Völker" and "Fest der Schönheit" (both were made on occasion of the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936 and were shown in theatres as of 1938) achieved an indoctrination of the audience and tried to convince the people of the power of the National Socialist ideology.
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