Page 72 - All About History - Issue 72-18

Propaganda

at tributed. Rather than an exhibition, this day. With such exceptional engagement, the
w as a propaganda spectacle designed to exhibition was taken on the road, visiting
nrage and provoke; it was exactly what
en 11 other cities across Germany and Austria
th until it officially closed in 1941. More than
he Nazis envisioned. These creations,
nworthy in their eyes of being called “art”,
un just a popular exhibition, it proved to be one
we of the most powerful early Nazi propaganda
ere unworthy of hanging on the walls of
ermany’s great gallery, and were unworthy
Ge campaigns, sending shockwaves not just
of being seen by the German population. throughout Germany, but across the world.
When the exhibition opened on 19 July While many in Germany were glad to
19 37, children were forbidden from attending celebrate the ‘worthy’ art and culture of Nazi
for r fear that they would be terrified – or Germany, not all who visited the Degenerate
wo Art exhibition were visiting for what the Nazis
orse, corrupted – by the obscenity of the
art t. For those who did attend, visitors were believed were the right reasons. Certainly,
act tively encouraged to interact with the art many visitors went to be shocked and to
actors were even hired to mingle with the
– a show their disdain for modern art, but for
owd in order to provoke reactions. Some
cro others the Degenerate Art exhibition was an
eered, some shouted, some spat.
sne opportunity to say farewell forever to some of
In the almost four-month run of the these contemporary masterpieces.
egenerate Art exhibition, the show was
De In the wake of the Degenerate Art
con exhibition, the collection was divided. Some
nsidered one of the Ministry for Public
En works were destroyed, deemed worthless,
nlightenment and Propaganda’s greatest
Confiscated by the Nazis on on 27 March
ccesses. When it closed on 30 November,
1938, this self-portrait by van Gogh was sold suc while those considered valuable on an
had averaged around 20,000 visitors a
at auction in Switzerland a year later it h international market were flogged at auctions

Inside the gallery,
artworks deemed
degenerate hung
alongside offensive
slogans scrawled
onto the walls

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