Literature and Film in the Third Reich (Studies in German Literature Linguistics and Culture) [Hardcover]

Karl-Heinz Schoeps (Author), Kathleen M. Dell'Orto (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 23, 2003 | ISBN-10: 157113252X | ISBN-13: 978-1571132529 | Edition: 1

This book is the first survey in English of literature and film in Nazi Germany. It treats not only works sympathetic to National Socialism, but also works of the so-called Inner Emigration, of the resistance, and those written in prisons and concentration camps. Much of this literature is not easily accessible in German, and not available at all in English translation. Historical and ideological context is provided in chapters covering influential works of the time such as Alfred Rosenberg's The Myth of the Twentieth Century and Houston Stewart Chamberlain's The Foundations of the Nineteenth Century. Schoeps also analyzes Nazi cultural policies, fascist histories of literature, and the role of German studies and Germanists in the Nazi movement. A major section of the book is devoted to film, then a relatively new medium of communication whose propaganda value was clearly recognized by Goebbels, the minister for propaganda and president of the Reich's Chamber of Culture. One of the most interesting areas of research in recent years is the relationship between Hitler's cultural commissars, in particular Goebbels, and the literature and film production of the Nazi years. This book is based on the revised and expanded second German edition, Literatur im Dritten Reich (1933-1945), but has again been revised and expanded, especially the chapter on film and Nazi policies toward the film industry. The chapter on cultural policies has also been expanded to include Himmler's efforts to meddle in this area. New also are sections dealing with Jewish entertainers in concentration camps (for example, Kurt Gerron) and activities of the Jewish Cultural League. Karl-Heinz Schoeps is professor of German at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Schoeps succeeds admirably in his goal of providing a practical guide to literature in the Third Reich. ... An excellent introduction which can be wholeheartedly recommended. (Review of German edition) --German Studies Review

A good overview of the status of literature during the Hitler era. --Choice

The volume presents for the first time access in English to a body of material that remains terra incognita for many students and teachers: National Socialist-oriented and Nazi party literature published during the Third Reich. ... The volume provides a solid initial survey of the material. --Monatshefte

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 379 pages
• Publisher: Camden House; 1 edition (December 23, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157113252X
• ISBN-13: 978-1571132529
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,402,041 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)