Sauerland artists' circle

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The Sauerland group of artists (SKK) was one of the native movement emerged, the Nationalist Movement and the National Socialism related artistic association that towards the end of the Weimar Republic and in the early years of the Nazi period in Sauerland was active.

history

In the Sauerland Homeland Movement, which was organized in particular in the Sauerland Heimatbund , the unease with the political and social developments and especially with the modern cultural developments led to different reactions. One of them was the turn to right-wing and even folkish ideas, which became more and more important in the Heimatbund and led to left-wing Catholic members like Josef Rüther turning away .

Around thirty-five artists and writers joined forces in 1928/29 on the initiative of the composer Georg Nellius in the Sauerland Artists' Circle. Maria Kahle , Josefa Berens-Totenohl and Heinrich Luhmann were among the co-founders . The group was headed by Dr. Hans Menne as chairman. The members came from the Sauerland or were connected to the region in some other way.

In a programmatic essay, Art as a Basic Force of the Home Movement! urged Nellius for a change in the Heimatbund. He spoke out in favor of an "evolution of the robust, healthy tribal culture into a comprehensive fatherland culture with the awareness and strongest participation of tribal idiosyncrasies". The "world war sick German national body" had to "pull the healing enzymes from its organs, which used to appear almost insignificant". Nellius contrasted the “negro blood” in jazz with the “vital forces of unconsumed homeland blood”. SSK chairman Menne, NSDAP member since 1924, said in 1930 as an expectation of a coming leader: “Just as Wotan once surrounded the rock with a burning magic fire, in which Brünhilde was supposed to rest until Siegfried woke her from slumber, so it is today Home in blazes and waiting, waiting for the hero, for whom the fire of the burning world penetrates into his own soul, the burning magic in his heart strides through the fire. "

The circle of artists organized readings, exhibitions and published publications. An anthology with works by Christine Koch was published. The performance of the cantata Von deutscher Not by Georg Nellius was organized. A highlight was the holding of a Sauerland poets' evening in Berlin with Maria Kahle, Josefa Berens-Totenohl and Heinrich Luhmann.

After the National Socialists and their allies came to power, the association was viewed as a representative association of Sauerland culture close to the movement. In 1933 she cooperated with Westdeutscher Rundfunk, which had already been synchronized . Its director, the National Socialist Heinrich Glasmeier , judged the SKK to be one of the “most characterful, closed and active cultural cells in Westphalia”.

In August 1933, the SKK decided at a meeting in Grevenbrück unanimously cooperatively the League of Struggle for German Culture of Alfred Rosenberg to join. In the same month, the members announced to the public in the Westphalian Central-Volksblatt of the center that the “National Socialist Revolution” filled them “with great joy”. It was also discussed to separate completely from the Sauerland Heimatbund. In a statement some time later, chairman Menne once again welcomed the National Socialist “revolution”. He claimed that the SKK had worked well before 1933 for the "realization of the ideas that are now being put into practice". “From the beginning we have been a fighting league to call on the creative forces of our homeland and to assert them against rootless art. [...] The compelling feeling of common destiny with our people, the bloody unity of race, people and tribe [...] remain our basic prerequisites for our work. [...] We first had to cleanse ourselves inside, eradicate unhealthy and sick things, ourselves first be inspired by a unified will, ourselves first be permeated and glowing with the leader principle. [...] A new morning has dawned! We want to continue working on the new plant without compromise. The group of artists should remain the SA troop in the cultural and art-political area in the Sauerland. ”From August 1933 the group published Art und Kunst as a supplement to the Menden newspaper Von Sauerländer . In the first edition, the SSK declared, with the signatures of Menne and Nellius, “to be a helper and collaborator for our Führer Adolf Hitler in his struggle for the reawakening of the German spirit, German manner and custom. Hail Hitler!"

The group lasted until around 1934 when it was transferred to the Reich Chamber of Culture .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Peter Bürger , Werner Neuhaus, together with m. Michael Gosmann (Arnsberg City Archives): Georg Nellius (1891–1952). Ethnic and National Socialist cultural activity, anti-Semitic music policy, denazification - presentation and documentation in the context of the current street name debate. Arnsberg / Eslohe 2014, p. 12 f.
  2. ^ Peter Bürger: The völkisch wing of the Sauerland homeland movement. About Josefa Berens-Totenohl, Georg Nellius, Lorenz Pieper and Maria Kahle - at the same time a contribution to the street name debate. In: daunlots. Internet contributions from the Christine Koch dialect archive at Museum Eslohe, No. 60, Eslohe 2013, see: [1] .
  3. ↑ Peter Bürger, Werner Neuhaus, together with m. Michael Gosmann (Arnsberg City Archives): Georg Nellius (1891–1952). Ethnic and National Socialist cultural activity, anti-Semitic music policy, denazification - presentation and documentation in the context of the current street name debate. Arnsberg / Eslohe 2014, p. 12 f.
  4. ↑ Steffen Stadthaus, Heinrich Luhmann. Homeland poet and National Socialist ?! Expert opinion on behalf of the city of Hamm, o. O. (Hamm) o. J. (2012), p. 5, see: [2] .
  5. ↑ Peter Bürger, Werner Neuhaus, together with m. Michael Gosmann (Arnsberg City Archives): Georg Nellius (1891–1952). Ethnic and National Socialist cultural activity, anti-Semitic music policy, denazification - presentation and documentation in the context of the current street name debate. Arnsberg / Eslohe 2014, p. 13.
  6. ↑ Peter Bürger, Werner Neuhaus, together with m. Michael Gosmann (Arnsberg City Archives): Georg Nellius (1891–1952). Ethnic and National Socialist cultural activity, anti-Semitic music policy, denazification - presentation and documentation in the context of the current street name debate. Arnsberg / Eslohe 2014, p. 14.

literature

  • Peter Bürger, Werner Neuhaus, together with m. Michael Gosmann (Arnsberg City Archives): Georg Nellius (1891–1952). Ethnic and National Socialist cultural activity, anti-Semitic music policy, denazification - presentation and documentation in the context of the current street name debate. Arnsberg / Eslohe 2014. (PDF file) pp. 12–14.
  • Steffen town house: Heinrich Luhmann. Homeland poet and National Socialist ?! Expert opinion on behalf of the city of Hamm. o. O. (Hamm) o. J. (2012), (PDF file) pp. 5–7.