Julius Streicher
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Julius Streicher (February 12, 1885 – October 16, 1946) was a prominent Nazi prior to and during World War II. He was the publisher of the Nazi Der Stürmer newspaper, which was to become a part of the Nazi propaganda machine. The newspaper was controversial even in Nazi circles because of its pornographic obsessions and sensationalism. His publishing firm released anti-Semitic books for children, such as 1938 Der Giftpilz (The Toadstool) (http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/thumb.htm).
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Early life
He was born into a teacher's family in Fleinhausen, Bavaria, and worked as an elementary school teacher until joining the German Army in 1914. Streicher won the Iron Cross (like many other future Nazi leaders) and reached the rank of lieutenant by the time the Armistice was signed in 1918.
Nazism
In 1919 Streicher helped to establish Wistrich, an anti-Semitic organization, but it became part of the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP) in 1922.
In 1923 Streicher founded and edited the racist newspaper, Der Stürmer (1923–45), which he used to build up a deep hatred of the Jewish race. Eventually the newspaper reached a circulation of 800,000.
In the newspaper Streicher argued that the Jews were responsible for the depression, unemployment and inflation in Germany. He claimed that Jews were white-slavers and were responsible for over 90 percent of the prostitutes in the country.
During the time of the Munich Beer Hall Putsch of 1923, Streicher became friendly with Adolf Hitler and became one of his active advocates.
After the refounding of the Nazi party, Streicher became Gauleiter of Franconia. After 1933, he practically rules the city of Nuremberg and was nicknamed "the king of Nuremberg". In 1940 however, he was stripped of all party offices after printing untrue stories about Hermann Göring. He remained on good terms with Adolf Hitler after this, however.
Trial and execution
Julius Streicher was found guilty of crimes against humanity at the Nuremberg War Crimes Trial. His last words before execution on 16th October 1946 were "Heil Hitler". However, Streicher was non-military, was not part of the planning process of the Holocaust, nor of the invasion of Poland or the Soviet Union. And, yet, his role in inciting the extermination of Jews was significant enough, in the judgment of the prosecutors, to include him in the indictment. Some have pointed out that Julius Streicher was only exercising his right to free speech in a sovereign state.
Newsweek magazine (October 28, 1946, Foreign Affairs Section, page 46) ran a story on the hanging. The last paragraph describes the death of Julius Streicher:
- Only Julius Streicher went without dignity. He had to be pushed across the floor, wild-eyed and screaming: "Heil Hitler!" Mounting the steps he cried out: "And now I go to God." He stared at the witnesses facing the gallows and shouted: "Purimfest 1946!"
This last may be an ironic observation that, as on the Jewish holiday Purim, ten evil men were hanged on that day (the eleventh, Hermann Göring, had committed suicide the night before).
Another report in the 'Jewish Virtual Library' says, "When he went up to the scaffolding, he spat at the hangman and said, 'The Bolsheviks will hang you one day!' "
Influence
Streicher was considered by many observers to be insane. Despite this his newspaper and his speaking tours made him one of the best known leaders in Nazi Germany.
Large amounts of material from Der Stürmer have found their way, together with The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, into present-day outlets of anti-Semitic literature.
External links
- Jewish Virtual Library (http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Holocaust/Streicher.html) article on Streicher
- Spiegel TV (http://www.spiegel.de/sptv/reportage/0,1518,101879,00.html) short biography (German)
- Caricatures (http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/sturm28.htm) from Der Stürmerde:Julius Streicher
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