Der Sturmer!

[Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team]

Der Stürmer

"Die Juden sind unser Unglück!"

[Slogan printed on the bottom of the anti-Semitic newspaper Der Stürmer]

Cover page to a 1938 edition of Der Stürmer

Der Stürmer was an anti-Semitic "tabloid style" newspaper published by Julius Streicher from 1923 almost continuously through to the end of World War II. Der Stürmer was viewed by Hitler as playing a significant role in the Nazi propaganda machinery and a useful tool in influencing the "common man on the street".

The origin of the paper lies in conflict within the party at Nuremberg during attempts to establish power and control. Streicher was deeply embroiled in the power struggle and in April 1923, the opposition held an "Evening of Revelations" where he was accused of being "a liar, a coward, of having unsavory friends, mistreating his wife, and of flirting with women".

In response to the accusations the first copy of Der Stuermer was published on April 20th, 1923.

Unlike the official party newspaper the Völkischer Beobachter, "The fighting paper of the National Socialist movement of Greater Germany", which gave the appearance of being a serious political publication, Der Stürmer often ran obscene materials such as anti-Semitic caricatures and propaganda-like accusations of blood libel, pornography, anti-Catholic, anti-capitalist, and anti-communist propaganda, in order to appeal to a larger spectrum of readers, but especially targeting the working class.

The tag line at the bottom of the papers cover page usually carried the following phrase coined by Heinrich von Treitschke in the 1880s:

"Die Juden sind unser Unglück!" The Jews are our misfortune!

Striecher (left) with Hess, Hitler and Party members

Streicher used the publication as a platform for calculated smear campaigns against specific Jews, such as the Nuremberg city official Julius Fleischmann, who worked for Streicher’s nemesis, mayor Hermann Luppe. Der Stürmer accused Fleischmann of stealing socks from his quartermaster during combat in World War I.

Fleischmann subsequently sued Streicher and was successful in disproving the allegations in court, but revealing testimony in the courtroom regarding Fleischmann's earlier record as a public servant, severely damaged his reputation and Striecher who was fined 900 marks for the affair claimed a personal victory. "Something always sticks" became his new motto.

Scandal and sensationalism were the mainstay of the paper. As the Jews became more and more the primary focus, any scandal or crime that could be alleged would make its way into the paper. Particularly tales of crimes against Aryan women and girls by the "evil, disgusting, no good Jews!"

Card sent by Der Stürmer to citizens for reporting stories

One of the favorite topics was "blood libel" or "Jewish ritual murder." It is a charge that was common in the middle ages and has been traced back even farther. Its claim is that in order to perform religious ceremonies, the blood of other humans usually Christians, was necessary. The "best blood" was always deemed the blood of infants or children, and the task was accomplished by kidnapping, torture and eventual murder by ritual sacrifice.

Soon Der Stürmer's popularity began to spread outside of Nuremberg and Munich, and Streicher needed topics of greater interest to a broader public. In keeping with its tabloid style, Der Stürmer tied Jews to sex and crime. The paper carried increasing numbers of stories of Jewish rape and other distasteful crimes against the German people. Der Stürmer never paid for a "scoop" in fact the staff worried little about even bothering to conduct any form of investigative reporting and rather relied heavily on their readers to provide them with news stories.

Read the full article on Der Stürmer here: http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/holoprelude/dersturmer.html

The Holocaust Education & Archive Research Team

www.HolocaustResearchProject.org

Copyright Carmelo Lisciotto H.E.A.R.T 2009