Reich propaganda leadership of the NSDAP

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The Reich Propagandaleitung ( RPL ) was the leading agency of the NSDAP for press work, film, radio and so-called "popular education" from 1926 to 1945 . As a party office, despite strong personal ties, it was formally independent of the Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda even after the National Socialists came to power .

tasks

The Reich Propaganda Leader was responsible for monitoring, coordinating and standardizing the propaganda of the NSDAP, its branches and affiliated associations. His special focus was broadcasting.

History and structure

The NSDAP had employed Hermann Esser, a propaganda leader, since 1923, but his office had to close after the failed Hitler coup and the NSDAP's ban .

The new Reich Propaganda Headquarters was created on June 30, 1926 after the re-establishment of the NSDAP. Gregor Strasser held the office until the beginning of 1928 ; as his deputy, Heinrich Himmler enjoyed a particularly high degree of freedom of action. After that, Hitler himself acted temporarily as Reich Propaganda Leader, and in April 1930 Joseph Goebbels followed .

The headquarters of the Reich Propaganda Leadership were initially in Munich, but after the National Socialists came to power, a liaison office was set up in Berlin, which took on a growing share of the work.

A staff leader (1937 Hugo Fischer , 1942 Eugen Hadamovsky ) and an adjutant (1926 Heinrich Himmler, 1937 Karl Hanke ) were subordinate to the Reich Propaganda Head . Subordinate to the Reich Propaganda Leader were the Gau Propaganda Leaders, who in turn were subordinate to the District Propaganda Leaders, and ultimately the local group propaganda leaders.

The Reich Propaganda Administration had the following offices, each with an "office line":

From 1940 the office was gradually restructured; In 1941 it comprised six "main offices":

  • Main Office for Propaganda
  • Main Office for Broadcasting (Head from 1941 August State )
  • Main office for alignment of the organizations
  • Main office film
  • Main Office Reichsautozug "Germany"
  • Main Office for Culture (Head: from 1941 Hannes Kremer , from 1942 Karl Cerff )

With the Control Council Act No. 2 of October 10, 1945, the Reich Propaganda Leadership was banned by the Allied Control Council and its property was confiscated. The German National Library lists 93 media in the RPL, which incorrectly includes media from other Nazi organizations.

Office film

The Film Office, which was subordinate to Carl Neumann from 1937 and Arnold Raether from 1941 , was primarily concerned with carrying out propaganda film screenings. The office was divided into the areas of organization, cash management, production and technology, dramaturgy, cultural film and film press processing.

The office had an extensive network of Gau, district and local group film locations, which existed in parallel with the network of state and city image locations that had already been created in the Weimar Republic . In order to be able to supply rural areas where there were no cinemas with film propaganda, the Gaufilmstelle had 300 sound film vehicles at their disposal in 1936, which were equipped with the most modern projection equipment. Two special trains could also be used for such hiking shows.

The Reich Propagandaleitung and its Gaufilmstellen also produced their own short films and documentaries. Some examples of films by the Reich Propaganda Leadership:

  • Up from the depths (Walter W. Trinks, 1934)
  • Yesterday and today ( Hans Weidemann , 1938)
  • Years of decision (Hans Weidemann, Carl Junghans, Lothar Bühle, 1937–39)
  • Jews without a mask (Walter Böttcher, Leo von der Schmiede, 1937)
  • Soviet Paradise (Friedrich Albat, 1942)

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Peter Longerich : Heinrich Himmler. Biography. Siedler, Munich 2008, ISBN 978-3-88680-859-5 , pp. 97 f.