Adolf Hitler and art
Besides being a great political leader and thinker, Adolf Hitler the artist and patron of the arts had a great interest in various artistic forms including opera, sculpture, and paintings. The artistic side of the Führer has gone unnoticed in history or, at least, not attached to the importance it deserves.
Contents
Life
- As a child, Hitler was different from other children. He had an inner strength and was guided by his spirit and instincts. He was able to draw skillfully when he was only eleven. His early drawings and watercolors at the age of 15, were full of poetry and sensitivity. One of his most notable works of his early days Fortress Utopia ("Utopia of Strength"), indicates he was also was an artist of rare imagination. His artistic orientation took many forms. As a youth he wrote poetry and dedicated an entire work to his sister Paula. At the age of 16, in Vienna, he embarked on the creation of an opera designing the scenery and costumes for his Wagnerian heroes. More than an artist Hitler was above all an architect. Hundreds of his works are notable both for his painting as its architecture. From memory he could describe in detail the dome of a church or the complex curves of wrought iron. It was, without doubt, his dream of becoming an architect which led him to Vienna at the beginning of the century. When you see the hundreds of drawings, sketches and paintings created in this period as well as his mastery of three-dimensional figures, it seems surprising that the reviewers of the Academy of Arts suspended him for two consecutive times.
- The German historian Werner Maser, who was not exactly a friend of Hitler, criticized Hitler's examiners stateing, "All his works reveal an extraordinary knowledge and awareness of architecture". The builder of the Third Reich gave reason for the Academy of Arts to be embarrassed. Who was Hitler? First and foremost was an artist. An unknown artist that we would be presented as an evil daubing buildings, when in fact, some of his paintings, especially those painted during the First World War, in front of Flanders and the French front, are works of art of balance of ideas of serenity, transparent colors. There are no great men who are not first and foremost, great artists. All work, whether or not political, not enhance the splendor of beauty is but a tree without roots, ready to be discarded by the next storm. Artist, Hitler at the bottom of himself, since nobody will help, "the big forces that beauty nutritional needs. When the man is possessed by the beauty, what power does not feed your faith? Then nothing will stand. In just ten years, an entire people give body and soul to Hitler. In a thousand years until the end of time. Hitler the Great, known as the centuries continue to live. – Hitler the artist by Léon Degrelle[1]
Hitler the author
Adolf Hitler was the author of two books: Mein Kampf and Zweites Buch. Mein Kampf is considered one of the most popular books around the world. In Germany, from 1930 onwards, the book was gaining in popularity (Going on to sell over 90,000 copies in 1932). Gained such popularity that even used to give a copy of the book to every newlywed couple, at students when they graduated [2] and every soldier fighting at the front. And by the end of the war, about 10 million copies of the book had been sold or distributed. Today the copyright of all editions of Mein Kampf —except the English and Dutch— owned by the State of Bavaria, who, according to the Federal Government of Germany does not allow any copying or printing of the book in Germany and opposes any edition in other countries, with less success. However, the book is still widely distributed both as objects of study (Which is permitted) and illegally to the public.
It was declared a bestseller in Turkey after selling over 50,000 copies in 2005.[3]. In China, despite stringent political control, the book also has managed to become a best seller.[4] In Japan, it was even made a manga version of the book, which sold over 50,000 copies just in the first 6 months.[5]
In Netherlands to sell the book, even if an old copy, is illegal and classified as racial hate speech, but it is neither possess nor lend. Equally, it is also widely distributed illegally or as a gift. In Spain, however, its sale is allowed. And you may find it in bookstores as Librería Europa [6]. Therefore, despite the prohibitions, we may say that the book is also a success in Europe.
In short, the book, which combines elements of autobiography with an exposition of the ideas of Adolf Hitler and National Socialist ideology, is a work of art that has inspired many and attracted the attention of even the critics of this ideology.
The other book, in contrast, never achieved the fame of the first. This might be because Zweites Buch was not published during the Third Reich, but was kept in a vault of the Central Publications of NSDAP, until 1945 when it was discovered by a U.S. officer, and only in 1961, the Institut fur Zeitgeschichte, published for the first time the document. Furthermore, the content of this book focuses more on deepening the ideological aspect reflected in the first book more what to provide biographical information on the life of the author, making it less attractive to general readers and limiting it to a group of readers interested in policy.
Poetry
Your mother
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Hitler was devoted to his mother. Her death on 21 December 21 1907 affected him deeply. Perhaps that is why he wrote this wonderful poem (Denk’ es!) in 1923 dedicated to all mothers.
When your mother has already aged,
When her eyes love and hope
no longer see life as it once did,
When her feet, and tired,
Can no longer hold her while walking
So give her your arm in support,
Join her with joy,
The time will come when, weeping,
should accompany her on her last legs.
And if you question something,
then give a response.
And if you ask again, talk to her!
And if you question yet again, respond,
Not eagerly, but with gentle calm.
And if she can not understand you clearly,
explain everything with gentle joy.
Will come when the bitter hour
that her lips will not ask anything more.
It happened in the forest of Artois
The Christmas truce in World War I was a series of widespread unofficial ceasefires that took place along the Western Front around Christmas of 1914, during the First World War. Through the week leading up to Christmas, parties of German and British soldiers began to exchange seasonal greetings and songs between their trenches; on occasion, the tension was reduced to the point that individuals would walk across to talk to their opposite numbers bearing gifts. On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, many soldiers from both sides – as well as, to a lesser degree, from French units – independently ventured into "No man's land", where they mingled, exchanging food and souvenirs. As well as joint burial ceremonies, several meetings ended in carol-singing. Troops from both sides had also been so friendly as to play games of football with one another [7]. We assume that a similar event was witnessed that Hitler and he was inspired to create this poem.
Upon in the dense forest Artois...
deep in the forest, on ground Blooddrunk
a German soldier was lying injured
And their voices echoed in the night
In vain ... No echo answered his wake-up call...
Should bleed freely like a piece
mortally wounded busting alone.
Then suddenly...
heavy footsteps approaching from the right.
Tamp it sounds like the forest floor
And new hope will sprout from the soul.
And now from the left...
and now by both parties...
Two men approach instead of suffering
It is a German and a Frenchman.
And both are covered with a look of suspicion rigorous
And hold the threatening rifle ready.
The German question
"What are you doing here?"
"I've gone to the poorest of the calls for help"
"It is your enemy!"
"A man who suffers!".
And without saying anything, both down the gun.
Then braid each other's hands
And they raise carefully stressed muscles
The wounded combatant, as with a stretcher.
And by mutual agreement to carry you through the forest
Until they reach the line of German sentries.
"Now is achieved. Here you will be under the faithful care"
And the French tour heading for the forest.
But the German kept him hand
looks at him with troubled eyes moved and melancholy
And he said with grave seriousness of omen:
"I know what fate holds for us,
Queen impenetrable as the stars.
May fall victim of a bullet.
Did you extend the mine in the sand.
Because it is perhaps confusing the battle,
Whatever the case and wants to come too
We live the holy hour
only in his humanity is the man...
And now Goodbye and may God preserve you!" [8]—Adolf Hitler, Spring 1916. Artois (Flanders). According to true events
The prophet of the Iron Age
This poem was supposedly written by Hitler in 1915 (during World War I) according to historian John Toland:
I often go on bitter nights
To Wotan’s oak in the quiet glade
With dark powers to weave a union—
The runic letters the moon makes with its magic spell
And all who are full of impudence during the day
Are made small by the magic formula!
They draw shining steel—but instead of going into combat
They solidify into stalagmites.
So the false ones part from the real ones—
I reach into a nest of words
And then give to the good and just
With my formula blessings and prosperity.[9]
Blind
On 15 October 1918, shortly before the end of the war, Adolf Hitler was taken to a hospital, where he was temporarily blinded by a poison gas attack. Hitler said metaphorically that during this experience, removing the blindfold covering her eyes when she discovered that "the purpose of my life was to achieve the salvation of Germany". This experience inspired him to write a poem titled Blind on 14 November 1918 at the Reserve Military Hospital Pasewalk.
Recently I saw a young fighter blind
Only in the spring of his life, still almost a boy
With noble face, great figure,
But his poor cold dead eyes,
Like when a child takes his first steps.
It seemed as if laughing bear their fate,
But will a smile! Stunned, the blank stare
As if peering into the distance, -feeling
Because it is blind!Das a look at his youthful features, hastily,
and again you look at the eyes,
Dead tired, which are useless.
It was a painful spasm. Wandering and questioning,
Wander around the mouth pale, melancholy, accusingly.
Few things touch my heart deeply and mites
That smile blind-that, I will never forget.
Painful struggles before orientation.
Because it is blind!Quietly has been delivered to its destination
How cruel war is, how hard life!
Far and the overwhelming impetus of youth.
What thoughts will parade behind that white face!
Because after some sleep now will never meet,
and from now those eyes remain veiled
for what was once so dear to them: the splendor of the flowers,
the cordial greetings of the stars at night,
sunlight scattered over the fields.
Because it is blind!The bird is swinging in the branches,
the portrait of the bride, the mother's dear face,
The new daylight awake!
The eternal night is now the unhappy fate.
Is there still some sacrifice of this magnitude,
that can be offered to the country?In the spring of life - and as a blind man!
We the viewers can realize how rich we are?
The word so brief, contains a deep tragedy:
Blind!
I thank the Lord to be able to see again.
Declamation
Between April and November 1932, in the political rise (Kampfzeit) and before coming to power, Adolf Hitler took lessons in declamation (dramatic, artistic speech) from the German opera singer Paul Devrient (artist name; born Paul Stieber-Walter). He only accepted the Devrient as a voice and speech teacher because the otolaryngologist Dr. Dermitzel had strongly recommended it to him for medical reasons. Dermitzel had warned him that he had exhausted the vocal cords
This chapter in the life of the Führer is reflected in the journal Devrient wrote during this period and that historian Werner Maser recovered, having published it without much echo for the first time in 1975. My student Adolf Hitler is the detailed narrative of the efforts and challenges of a teacher to educate the voice and gestures of an unruly student, proud of his oratory.
His innate vocal abilities are not enough for strenuous work, at least in the long term. Only through a methodical instruction would he be able to learn, the teacher tells Hitler in one of the sessions. Do you not think I'm exaggerating?, the student responds with his characteristic indomitable spirit, unwilling to let himself be trained, but aware that he needed to hone his skills.
In 1932, the German leader participated in five campaigns and even made four speeches a day in different cities. Devrient accompanied the future Führer of Germany.
Classes were held in the dead time of the campaign, in hotels or at the end of speeches. Often, Hitler became angry and questioned the method of the teacher. But at other times applied the lessons with discipline.[10] Here are some excerpts from the dialogues recorded on the daily basis.
The Führer irritation.
- "I'm sitting here, waiting, and you just hoped not to have been delayed too. He has made me wait and I lost my desire to work. What right do you have you to steal my time? What makes me take part in these classes? Why do I have to take my time off doing this?" (Hitler)
Impurities.
- "He seems able to convince the audience. He has shown me that would be a great speaker ... If I can free up his language and movements of some impurities, it will get done." (Devrient)
Learning was difficult.
- "It seems almost impossible to dance to several songs at once: take into account both the techniques of speech, the audience, which I cannot stop looking upon for a second, the text and the necessary strength of conviction of my speech." (Hitler)
Willingness to improve.
- "I want to be independent of the technique. How long will it take until I can fill my voice effortlessly with a large space, without the help of these microphones, speakers and cables that you cannot trust?" (Hitler)
Gesturing too.
- "At first, his movements and gestures are almost adequate. But then unfortunately it happens: He sees the enthusiasm of the public and forgets himself. [...] such gestures get tiresome. The desired effect is lost." (Devrient)
Reprimand.
- "While his voice is strong by nature, it does not sound or healthy or strong. The effect is weak and sickly. The listeners feel that he has no air and his voice is compressed." (Devrient)
Student defence.
- "I do the best I can! Think of the great applause I get [...] my words touche thousands of souls! No one can deny it. This is what counts." (Hitler).
- Do you want to shock or do you want to win [the election]? (Devrient)[11]
Hitler the painter
Since childhood, Hitler wanted to become a famous painter, which led him to create irreconcilable differences with his father Alois Hitler (who wanted her son to become an official like him). His mother, however, encouraged his son on the way to fulfill his cherished dream.
The seventeenth birthday, Hitler went to Vienna for the first time (a cosmopolitan and multicultural), staying in the city for two months thanks to financial help from relatives and his mother. During his stay, he visited the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, where he consulted with the requirements for admission.
In October 1907, he returned to Vienna to compete in the General School of Painting, Academy of Fine Arts. He took many of his drawings, hoping that would succeed as a painter. There were 112 candidates for the course, of which only 28 passed the rigorous exams. Hitler was not approved. A synod explained that, despite his remarkable talent, his drawings were of buildings and that none contained the action of people or animals. The rector of the Academy advised him to try in the field of architecture, as he felt he had more talent to be an architect. After this failure took steps to enroll in the School of Architecture, but was rejected for lack of baccalaureate certificate.
Finally, Hitler decided to temporarily abandon his dream of becoming an artist to serve his country in the First World War. After the war, major events occur that bypass this dream [12][13].
Portrait painter
Over time it has spread the myth that Adolf Hitler was bad painting human figures and why he was refused admission to the Academy of Fine Arts, however, a variety of his works prove otherwise (especially those made pencil).
The problem probably arises because of the contrast between its extraordinary architectural paintings and drawings are humans not so exceptional, giving the viewer the feeling that the latter are "bad". First, it is equally impossible to compare a work with oils or watercolors with a work in pencil, because the colors and textures of the first materials cause various effects on perception and human behavior [14]. And finally, do not stand out in this kind of drawings do not necessarily mean "bad" to do so (as the taste varies from person to person).
War art
During his distinguished service in World War I, Adolf Hitler portrayed the different scenes of destruction that the war caused. This idea could be compared to the famous Spanish artist Francisco de Goya, who in his series The Disasters of War (1808-1814) recorded unrestrained and raw disasters caused by the Spanish War of Independence. However, the artist recorded mainly the cruelty and brutality of human beings, unlike Hitler, who embodied the consequences of human brutality (For example, buildings destroyed).
Watercolors inspired by Walt Disney characters
In 1940, the Führer painted a series of watercolors on some of the popular characters from children's fable Pinocchio, Snow White and the versions of Walt Disney. Snow White's characters that he painted were: Dopey, Doc and Bashful. As for Pinocchio, he painted the principal character.
In 2007, Norwegian William Hakvaag bought for just 300 dollars (200 euros) a watercolor at auction on the Internet that showed a typical Bavarian style house situated in a quiet romantic setting, surrounded by tall pines, and was signed by "A. Hitler 40". Buyers do not seem very interested in the work. And the owner of it, said he found it in an attic while cleaning the house of his grandparents (Apparently, the watercolors had been in possession of the family For two generations).
By changing the frame, he met with four hidden watercolors: three with drawings based on the classic 1937 cartoon "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (a German fairy tale, first written by the Brothers Grimm and published in 1812), all signed with the initials "AH", and another Pinocchio.
The fact that Hitler had the film "Snow White" and was excited about it is proved, among other things, with notes on the daily propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. Hakvaag sure found out that after the surprise discovery in the picture frame.
Anyway, Norwegian television asked the presence of art historian Tommy Sorbo to accompany the interview Hakvaag. And he confirmed, in principle, that the paper is quite old and that the initials could come from Hitler.
Sorbo doubts focus rather on the fact that the German leader may have another thing in mind in 1940 that copying cartoon characters. Along with Hakvaag, investigated issues such as when the tremors began in the hands of Hitler, that would have made impossible the realization of the drawings.
But neither came to any clear conclusion. The discovery of the German forger Konrad Kujau, who wrote a fake Hitler diaries in the early 80's, does not alter William Hakvaag. "No, I knew from the beginning that this was false." In the case of the watercolors, in contrast, "everything fits together somehow".
The discoverer of the watercolors thinks she knows why, Hitler would have done: "I wanted to impress his girlfriend Eva Braun and say, look what I know to do" [15][16][17].
Architecture
Hitler was quite fond of the numerous theatres built by Hermann and Ferdinand Fellner, who built in the late baroque style. In addition, he appreciated the stricter architects of the 19th century such as Gottfried Semper, who built the Dresden Opera House, the Picture Gallery in Dresden, the court museums in Vienna and Theophil Freiherr von Hansen, who designed several buildings in Athens in 1840. He raved about the Palais Garnier, home of the Paris Opera, and the Law Courts of Brussels by the architect Poelaert.
Ultimately, he was always drawn back to inflated neo-baroque such as Kaiser Wilhelm II had fostered, through his court architect Ernst von Ihne.
The Führer did not have one particular style; there was no official architecture of the Reich, only the neoclassical baseline. Hitler appreciated the permanent qualities of the classical style as it had a relationship between the Dorians and the Germanic world.
Adolf Hitler with his favorite architect and Minister of Armaments and War Production, Albert Speer, and others like Hermann Bartels, German Bestelmeyer, Woldemar Brinkmann, Roderich Fick, Leonhard Gall, Hermann Giesler, Wilhelm Grebe, Clemens Klotz, Wilhelm Kreis, Werner March, Eugen Honig, Franz Ruff, Ludwig Ruff, Ernst Sagebiel, Paul Schmitthenner, Julius Schulte-Frohlinde, Paul Schultze-Naumburg, Alexander von Senger, Paul Troost and Rudolf Wolters, devised extraordinary architectural works.
Some of these extreordinarios architectural works were:
Welthauptstadt Germania
Welthauptstadt Germania ("World Capital Germania") refers to the projected renewal of the German capital Berlin during the Third Reich, part of Adolf Hitler's vision for the future of Germany after the planned victory in World War II. Albert Speer, the "first architect of the Third Reich", produced many of the plans for the rebuilt city in his capacity as overseer of the project, only a small portion of which was realized between the years 1937-1943 when construction took place.
Some projects, such as the creation of a great East-West city axis, which included broadening Charlottenburger Chaussee (today Straße des 17. Juni) and placing the Berlin victory column in the center, far away from the Reichstag, where it originally stood, succeeded. Others, however, such as the creation of the Große Halle (Great Hall), had to be shelved owing to the beginning of war. A great number of the old buildings in many of the planned construction areas were however demolished before the war and eventually defeat stopped the plans.
Linz Cultural Capital
Adolf Hitler devised an ambitious plan: Convert to the Alpine town of Linz, where he spent much of his youth in a cultural megacities of the Third Reich.
on 17 September 2008, an exhibition dedicated to analyzing the relationship of the town of Linz with the cultural politics of the Third Reich was opened in the Schlossmuseum Linz. The exhibition, titled The Cultural Capital of the Führer, examines the monumental plans Hitler had for this city, which foresaw the construction of museums, theaters and countless other cultural institutions, which unfortunately never came to fruition.
The exhibition shows drawings of the monumental works envisaged as a theater-sized set of the Budapest; the Bridge of the Nibelungen; or the Street magnificence that would arise in the Opera and the Führermuseum, which were intended works called Linz Collection (composed of approximately 4,371 currently in the care of the German government and that are the heritage of humanity) [18].
It was Hitler himself who influenced these plans and sketches and which left its mark.
Nevertheless, the visionary project involved the most famous architects of the time and occupied the mind of Hitler even during the early stages of World War II.[19]
See also
External links
- Datenbank "Sammlung des Sonderauftrages Linz" - Deutches Historisches Museum (In german)
- Hitler's Art and National Socialist Era Art - Hitler Historical Museum
- Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte (ZI)
- Schlossmuseum Linz
- Adolf Hitler ORIGINAL Watercolor Artworks - Snyder's Treasures
- Art: Fraudulent and Real by Adolf Hitler
References
- ↑ (Spanish) Hitler y el arte - Mein Führer
- ↑ Shirer, 1960:79
- ↑ Hitler book bestseller in Turkey - BBC News
- ↑ (German) "Mein Kampf" ist der Renner im chinesischen Buchhandel - National Journal
- ↑ (Spanish) La versión manga de la vida de Hitler, cautiva a los japoneses rodeada de polémica - RTVE
- ↑ (Spanish) Mi Lucha - Librería Europa
- ↑ Eksteins, Modris. The Rites of Spring. 2000. New York, NY: Mariner Books. p. 113.ISBN-13: 978-0395937587'
- ↑ Editorial Armanen
- ↑ Adolf Hitler (1976) by John Toland
- ↑ (Spanish) Hitler estudió declamación con un cantante de ópera - Clarín.com
- ↑ Paul Devrient (edited by Prof. Dr. Werner Maser): Mein Schüler Adolf Hitler [in German], Universitas Verlag, 2003, ISBN 3800414503.
- ↑ Hitler's Art and National Socialist Era Art - Hitler Historical Museum
- ↑ (Spanish) Los dibujos de Adolf Hitler - Erroreshistoricos.com
- ↑ (Spanish) El porqué del efecto óptico - SaberCurioso
- ↑ (Spanish) Pinocchio y los enanitos con el trazo de Hitler - Borealidad
- ↑ Hitlers unknown pictures - Lofoten 2 World War Memorial Museum
- ↑ (Spanish) Hitler dibujaba a Blancanieves y a Pinocho - La Voz de Galicia
- ↑ (Spanish) A la luz colección de Hitler - El Heraldo
- ↑ (Spanish) Muestran relación de Hitler con localidad de Linz - El Universal
