The German Propaganda
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Hello, I'm Randall Bytwerk. I'm a professor at Calvin College with an interest in propaganda. As part of my scholarly work, I maintain the German Propaganda Archive, a collection of English-language translations of propaganda material from the Nazi and East German eras. I buy a lot of material to translate, some of which I list for sale here when I am finished with it. Newer items are listed first.

If you wish to buy an item, have questions or would like more details, drop me an email. My email address is:

bytw2calvin.edu [Replace the "2" with an "@"].

Conditions: I accept payment by check or money order, or by credit cards through PayPal. I do my best to describe items accurately. If you buy something and feel that I have not done so, I shall refund your purchase price. I'll adjust the postage should you find several items you'd like.

Items for Sale

 

Three issues of Das Deutsche Mädel: These are the issues for January, February, and June 1936 of the Nazi magazine for girls in the Bund Deutscher Mädel (League of German Girls). The issues contain 32 pages of material on everything from activities for girls to Nazis views on every manner of issue. . They are in almost good condition. The issues are intact, but there is some wear to the spines. Price: $40. Shipping: $3.

Four issues of Hilf mit!: This was a monthly for school children, published by the Nazi teacher's association. Issues have 32 pages, with lots of illustrations. The issues are September and December of 1935 and September and October of 1936. There is material on Nazi history, athletics, and much more. The issues are in good condition. Price: $40. Shipping: $3.

Nazi Ship's Newsletters from 1941: Now this is unusual. I have three copies of a World War II German merchant ship newsletter, published while at sea. It is titled the Deutsche-Atlantic Zeitung, or "German Atlantic Newspaper," and looks to be a newsletter for the crew. It is a carbon copy. The ship apparently did not have a ditto machine. The first issue is undated, but claims to be the inaugural one, and includes information dated March 1941. It has four pages, with ship news, some humor, and reports on German naval successes. The second issue is dated 31 March 1941. It reports that the ship is about to meet King Neptune at the Equator, and all newcomers should appear for the appropriate ceremonies. Its six pages include some humor, ship news, information on the Balkans, some poetry, and a bit of humor. The third issue is a single page, and is the one shown here. It's an "extra" that announces the details of the ceremonies for the imminent crossing of the equator, complete with a message from King Neptune. This is obviously exceedingly rare material (since the thing was published on carbon paper, these may be the only issues surviving). If you are interested in German seamanship during WWII, this should make fascinating reading. If you've got more questions, ask. The condition is fair. The paper is thin carbon paper, but the print is easily readable. Price: $50. Shipping: $1.50.

Kleine Kriegshefte: This was a series of eleven 32-page pamphlets issued during the first two years of the war. They contained war correspondent reports, and a lot of maps and photographs. I have copies of #3 ($22). #5-6 ($22), #9 ($21). and #11 ($20) for sale. Follow the link for details on content. Shipping: $1.50.

19 issues of the Illustrierter Beobachter, 1938-1942: The Illustrierter Beobachter was the Nazi Party's illustrated weekly. There is material from the magazine (though not these issues) here and here on the GPA. I have twenty issues, in various conditions. Should someone be interested in the whole stack, I'll sell them for $150, with $10 for postage, or individually as listed (postage dependent on number purchased):

    1. 23 June 1938: Hitler in Berlin, Robert Ley. The condition is fair to good, with corners of the back and front cover missing. Price: $9.
    2. 30 June 1938: Sommer solstice celebrations, Nazi meetings. Fair to good condition. Price: $10.
    3. 7 July 1938: Dance, Festival of German art, the party old guard. Fair to good condition. Price: $10.
    4. 11 August 1938: Building projects in Germany, Hitler in Breslau. Good condition. Price: $12.
    5. 25 August 1938: Hitler reviews a military unit, Hungarian leader Horthy. Generally good condition, but with a large ink stain. Price: $10.
    6. 27 October 1938: Hitler cover, unrest in Palestine. Fair condition, with some cover soiling. Price: $8.
    7. 1 December 1938: Hitler meets Rumanian king, Rudolf Hess's home, Jewish criminality. Fair condition with some tears. Price: $9.
    8. 16 February 1939: Aerial combat, povery in the USA, Sunday in Rome. The condition is fair to good. Price: $8.
    9. 16 March 1939: Frick goes skiing, gangsters in the USA. Good condition. Price: $12.
    10. 6 April 1939: Arabs and Jews, Spanish Civil War. Good condition, except the top part of the front cover has been cut. Price: $10.
    11. 2 March 1939: SS men invited for tea, Unemployment in the USA. Fair to good condition. Price: $8.
    12. 4 January 1940: Pilot returning from a successful attack, aerial combat, cartoons. Back cover damaged. Fair. Price: $7.
    13. 18 January 1940: Isabella Wunch (a dancer), anti-Semitic article on Palestine, cartoons. Good condition. Price: $12.
    14. 24 October 1940: War news, Japanese in China, HJ in Italy. Fair to good condition (page separated inside). Price: $8.
    15. 6 February 1941: Soldier home on leave, troop transports, cartoons. Good condition. Price: $12.
    16. 27 February 1941: Miners at work, English misdeeds, combat photos, cartoons. Fair to good condition. Price: $10.
    17. 29 May 1941: English fleeing from Greece, Einstein criticized, ships torpedoed, cartoons. Fair to good condition. Price: $10.
    18. 16 April 1942: Hitler's birthday issue, with cover photo. Poor condition. The issue is all there, but the paper is damaged and crumbling. Price: $4.
    19. 28 May 1942: Cover has an ugly Russian child, a handsome German one. "Two worlds." Good condition. Price: $12.

The 1936 Organisationsbuch der NSDAP: The "Organization Book of the NSDAP" is an essential source for those interested in the Nazi Party. A product of Robert Ley's Reichsorganisationsleitung, it purported to lay out the structure of the party. Editions appeared in 1936, 1937, 1938, 1940, and 1943, and on top of that, changes sometimes were made within each printing. All sorts of changes happen over the years. For example, the Nazi eagle on the cover of the 1936 edition faces left. In subsequent editions, it faces right. Why I don't know, but it indicates the seriousness with which the Nazis took issues of symbolism. There is a postwar reprint of the 1943 edition that sometimes confuses people, since it gives no indication that it is a reprint. I've also seen copies of a recent Malaysian reprint of the 1936 edition. Beside including details on every branch of the party, including organizational charts, it also has dozens of color plates of party uniforms, Hitler Youth uniforms, as well as badges, etc. Groups within the party put considerable effort into getting the description of themselves they wanted in the Organisationsbuch, since failure to be recognized in its pages caused major disadvantages. This is a copy of the first version, released in 1936. The condition is better than fair, but not quite good. The binding is tight, and all 550 pages are there. However, the binding is worn at the edges, and the pages are yellowed. There are several rubber stamps and some handwritten corrections. It looks like the copy originally belonged to one office of the city of Ingolstadt, then was transfered to another office. Price: $525. Shipping: $4.

A July 1953 issue of the Notizbuch des Agitators: This was the monthly for agitators in the German Democratic Republic, going to thousands of them around the country, who were expected to propagandize their fellow workers. This rather interesting issue appeared the month after the 17 June 1953 uprisings in East Germany. It begins with an article laying out what has to be done to improve agitation. There are other articles on the subject as well. A total of 84 pages. No illustrations, so this will interest you only if you can read German. Uncommon. Price: $11. Shipping: $1.25.

15 Issues of Unser Wille und Weg (1936-1938): I'm trying to build a complete collection of this, which means I end up with duplicates when I buy a stack. Unser Wille und Weg was the monthly for propagandists down to the local group propaganda leader level. It had nothing particularly confidential, but does provide an interesting look at the Nazi Party's propaganda system. Articles cover everything from anti-Semitism to how to persuade people to eat more fish. I here have 14 issues from 1936-1938 in various conditions, ranging from fair to good. All have the complete interior text in good condition, but the covers vary. The issues:

  • April 1936 (no covers)
  • July 1936 (covers detached)
  • October 1936 (good condition)
  • January 1937 (covers detached)
  • February 1937 (good condition)
  • April 1937 (good condition)
  • August 1937 (covers detached)
  • October 1937 (covers detached)
  • January 1938 (front cover detached, back cover missing)
  • February 1938 (good condition)
  • March 1938 (covers detached)
  • April 1938 (back cover missing)
  • September 1938 (covers detached)
  • October 1938 (back cover missing)
  • November 1938 (fair-good condition)

I'd prefer to sell these as a lot for $175. If, like me, you're trying to build a collection, or have some copies I might be missing to trade, let me know. Uncommon. Shipping: $4.00.

A bound volume of Der Stern 1938-1939: Der Stern was a weekly German film magazine. This is a bound volume of the issues from September 27, 1938 to March 1939. Lots of pictures of both German and international film stars. At the U.S. end, there is everyone from Tom Mix to Shirley Temple. There are articles on major German figures as well, for example Zarah Leander and Paul Klinger. There is an interesting article on Leni Riefenstahl, who had been to the U.S. Good condition. Price: $65. Shipping: $4.

Graf Ernst zu Reventlow, Von Potsdam nach Doorn (Berlin: M. A. Klieber Verlag, 1940). 8th printing. Reventlow was a prominent early Nazi. This 490-page hardcover treats German history from Bismark through Wilhelm II from a Nazi perspective. Wilhelm II does not come out of it well. No illustrations. Good condition. Price: $20. Shipping: $2.

A page on the red and blue books on the Nuremberg Rallies, published from 1933-1938. I currently do not have any copies for sale, but the page may be of use to those interested in the volumes.

I have also written two books on the subject. The first is on Julius Streicher, the leading Nazi anti-Semite. My recent book titled Bending Spines: The Propagandas of Nazi Germany and the German Democratic Republic (Michigan State University Press, August 2004) provides an analysis of much of the material on the German Propaganda Archive. It can be ordered in the United States through amazon.com in either the hardcover or paperback editions.

If you are interested in new books on the subject of German propaganda, I maintain a list of titles that can be ordered through amazon.com. I also have a list of more general books on Nazism that I've read and recommend.

To search the amazon.com database for books on this or any other subject:

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