Abstract des Autors

Kulturpolitik (cultural politics) was a central pillar of Nazi propaganda. It represented the totalitarian exploitation of mass culture. The arts together with mass communication were totally subjected to the protection of Fascist ideology in order to secure social control. The professionally produced culture of film, the leisure culture of 'Strength through Joy' (Kraft durch Freude) and splendid mass spectacles involving tournaments, trooping the colours, political and national festivals and theatrical events, were designed to meet the longings and desires of large parts of the population with imaginative and emotional 'Ersatz'. Under German Fascism festival and cult combined to project potent images of a super race characterized by the callous Nietzschean morality of the superman, fulfilled only by death, sanctioned by blood as the baptismal water of the Reich and symbolized by a perverted Utopian aestheticism of terrible persuasive power. Verf.-Referat