History of the Inventory Designer: The Development of the Office of the Head of the Reich Propaganda until the Seizure of Power The office of the Head of the Reich Propaganda of the NSDAP was established and expanded in the course of the reestablishment of the NSDAP in 1925 and its organizational consolidation. Personnel changes at the top in particular also had a decisive impact on the development. Instead of Hitler's old "comrade-in-arms" Hermann Esser, Gregor Strasser, Gauleiter of Lower Bavaria and head of the working group of the Northwest German NSDAP-Gaue, took over the office of Reich Propaganda Leader in the summer of 1926. His adjutant, Heinrich Himmler, was entrusted with running the business [cf. Frei, Norbert: Nationalsozialistische Presse und Propaganda, in: Das Dritte Reich. Structure of power and history, edited by Martin Broszat and Horst Möller, Munich 1983, p. 154]. The first step was the vertical expansion of the propaganda work, above all the expansion of the so-called propaganda cells at the Gauleitungen and local groups. At the beginning of 1928 Strasser became Reichsorganisationsleiter. Himmler became Deputy Reich Propaganda Leader, while Hitler himself formally acted as Reich Propaganda Leader. Himmler developed his first general considerations on the use of propaganda at the end of 1928. These guidelines for propaganda actions were to serve as the core of National Socialist propaganda, especially for the preparation and conduct of major National Socialist events [cf. Tyrell, Albrecht (ed.): "Führer befiehl...". Self testimonies from the fighting days of the NSDAP. Documentation and Analysis, Düsseldorf 1969, p. 255 ff.] Joseph Goebbels, Gauleiter of Berlin, was appointed Reichspropagandaleiter (RPL I) in 1930. When he took office, Strasser's influence on propaganda was clearly noticeable. Some of the propaganda tasks had already been transferred to the duties of the Reichsorganisationsleiter; Hitler turned the Reichsrednerschule into an independent Department II (Director: Fritz Reinhardt). The overlapping of competencies and demarcation problems could not be resolved until Strasser's departure in 1932. For the first time in the Reichstag election campaign of 1930 and later in the election year 1932, the NSDAP carried out election propaganda, which had not been known in this professional form in Germany until then [cf. Frei, p. 161]. Goebbels function as the central figure of the entire propaganda of the NSDAP was consolidated when he additionally became head of the newly founded Reich Ministry for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda on March 14, 1933. As part of the Reichsleitung of the NSDAP, the Reichspropagandaleiter was initially based in Munich. After 1933, a liaison office of the RPL was set up in Berlin, so that part of the work gradually shifted there. Tasks and organizational structure of the RPL since 1933 [The following remarks are based on the Organization Book of the NSDAP, edited by the Reichsorganisationsleiter der NSDAP, Munich 1936 (7th edition 1943), as well as the addresses of the NSDAP offices and affiliated associations, the state, the Reich government, authorities and professional organizations. Reichsband mit Lexikon-Wegweiser A-Z, 2. edition, Berlin 1939, 3. edition 1941/42, Berlin 1942] The Reichspropagandaleiter was responsible for monitoring, coordinating and standardizing the propaganda of the NSDAP, its branches and affiliated associations. Just as he bundled the propaganda of the NSDAP in a central place, so he determined the guidelines for the party "for the realization of the cultural will of the leader" [Organisationsbuch der NSDAP, 1936, p. 295]. In addition to the use of press and film, radio received a special status as a central propaganda medium. The Reichspropagandaleiter exercised "control over the entire broadcasting system with reference to its internal organizational, cultural and economic development" [Organization Book of the NSDAP, 1936, p. 295]. Another central task was "to penetrate the entire German people with the National Socialist ideology". The Head of Staff (1937 Hugo Fischer, 1942 Eugen Hadamowsky) and the Adjutant (1937 Karl Hanke) were under the direct authority of the Reich Propaganda Leader [Organization Book of the NSDAP, 1936, p. 295]. The Reichsautozug "Deutschland", the RPL office, the main office for press propaganda, the main office for exhibitions and trade fairs, and the "Reichsring für Nationalsozialistische Propaganda und Volksaufklärung" (Reich Ring for National Socialist Propaganda and Popular Enlightenment) were directly subordinated to the Chief of Staff. The task of the Reichsautozug "Deutschland" (Reich Automobile Train Germany) (led by SA Group Leader Hermann Schäfer) was to supply the NSDAP with technical aids for major events and other rallies of political significance. The Bavarian relief train (headed by Hugo Fischer in 1939) was responsible for mass catering at major events in Munich. The RPL Secretariat was responsible for cash and administrative matters. The main office for press propaganda coordinated the uniform press processing and exploitation of the propaganda measures of all offices/main offices, main offices and RPL offices. The main office for exhibitions and fairs (Hugo Fischer) supervised the propaganda preparation of exhibitions and fairs in which the NSDAP was involved. The task of the Reichsring für Nationalsozialistische Propaganda und Volksaufklärung (Reich Ring for National Socialist Propaganda and People's Enlightenment) was to ensure that the propaganda of all branches and affiliated associations was conducted uniformly by the NSDAP [The Reichsring was later a main office; occupation of posts on 26 May 1941 (see p. XII). This change has not been taken into account in the 1943 NSDAP organisation book]. The Reichsring was assigned one representative each of the propaganda positions of all divisions and associations (liaison officers). In addition, various offices were represented in the Reichsring. The Reichsring für Nationalsozialistische Propaganda und Volksaufklärung was set up by Walter Tießler on behalf of Goebbels in 1934 and headed until 1943/1944 [Walter Tießler, born 18 Dec. 1903, Reichsamtsleiter, RPL employee since 1934, head of the Reichsring main office since 1935, head of the liaison office since 1941]. Cf. NS 18/5 curriculum vitae of Tießler; NS 18/1229 "10 Jahre Reichsringarbeit"]. Previously, the task of centralizing propaganda had been performed by the Concentration Office in the RPL. Tießler wrote in retrospect in 1944: "With the creation of the Reichsring in 1934, the propaganda and educational work of the offices, divisions, affiliated associations, the professional organisations of the estates and numerous associations was brought under uniform control. A Reichsring I was formed, in which all party organizations are represented. In a Reichsring II all other Reichs-organizations, which have propagandistic tasks, were cared for." NS 18/1229, p. 1] The liaison officers remained in their respective organizations and coordinated propaganda work with the RPL from there. In the Reichsring itself, only the bodies, associations and organizations operating throughout the Reich were represented. In order to achieve a propagandistic penetration as dense as possible also vertically, the Gaurings were built up within the Gaupropaganda lines at the Gau level, the circular rings at the district level and the local rings at the local group level. The so-called Gauring bulletins, which were published by the respective districts, as well as regular working meetings served as means of communication. The Reichsring was used in numerous propaganda campaigns, e.g. in the so-called election battles and winter relief campaigns as well as in all "mouth propaganda campaigns" during the war. In addition to the ongoing Reichring meetings, Reichsring meetings took place, at which the Reichspropagandaleiter, other Reichsleiter and Ministers as well as Gauleiter gave speeches. During the war, the Reichsring was entrusted with the paper management of all propaganda and training material. It should be mentioned in particular that the Reichsring evaluated the People's Court trials propagandistically and monitored the use of speakers by the Deutsches Bildungswerk and the Leistungsertüchtigungswerk as well as other organizations. The structure of the offices, later main offices, corresponded to their areas of responsibility: 1. Active Propaganda The main task was to organize and carry out all propaganda actions. Thus the administration was initially also responsible for the training and supervision of the entire propaganda speaker organization [This purpose was also served by the distribution of the monthly magazine "Unser Wille und Weg" (main editor Dagobert Dürr)]. The Active Propaganda Office (headed 1937 by Walter Schulze, 1941 by Werner Wächter) was subdivided into the main office of Speakers, with the following offices: Speakers' Organisation (recording all Reich, Gau and Kreis speakers of the NSDAP as well as all specialist speakers of the affiliated associations and organisations), Speakers' Information (providing all speakers with information material), Speakers' Mediation (Reich speakers and RPL battalion speakers) and Speakers' Training (with Reich Speakers' School for Young Speakers; cf. The following point (5): speaker training), the main office Lichtbild (responsible for all photo presentations; organisation book of the NSDAP, 1936: Lichtbildwesen still belonged to the film office management) and the main office Großveranstaltungen und architektonische Ausgestaltung. 2. film The task of the Office was to carry out film screenings for the purpose of disseminating and consolidating National Socialist propaganda and ideology. The film directorate (director 1937 Karl Neumann, 1941 Arnold Raether) was divided into organisation, cash management, production and technology, dramaturgy, cultural film and film press processing. 3. broadcasting The management of the Office controlled the entire German broadcasting system "in order to commit the internal organisational, cultural, technical and economic development of the broadcasting system to National Socialist principles. The effects of radio propaganda are secured by the radio maintenance organisation through the use of all technical possibilities of transmission to gather the entire people at every place and room - whether by house, community or people reception."The Head of Broadcasting (Head 1937 Horst Dreßler-Andreß, 1939 Hans Kriegler, 1941 August Staats) included the Head Office for Cultural Policy Broadcasting Work and Broadcasting Organisation, the Head Office Broadcasting Technology and the Head Office Broadcasting Propaganda. 4. culture The task of the Culture Directorate was to stimulate and promote National Socialist art. The head of the Office of Culture (1937 Franz Moraller, 1941 Hannes Kremer, 1942 Karl Cerff) was at the same time Reichskulturwalter in the Reichskulturkammer. The office included the main office for architecture, the main office for artistic design, the main office for selection (viewing and selection of artistic and poetic works for the National Socialist celebration) and the main office for programme design (National Socialist celebrations). 5. speaker training [The office speaker system is listed for the first time in the organization book of the NSDAP of 1940. It has obviously taken over the task of speaker training from the office Active Propaganda, although in the staffing of 26.05.1941 it is still assigned to the main office Propaganda] The office management speaker training was responsible for the training of the party leaders. The Reichsrednerschule and the ongoing supply of information material to the speakers served this purpose, among other things. 6. liaison manager The head of the liaison office in Berlin (1937 Wilhelm Haegert, 1941 Walter Tießler) had the task of "centralizing all communication with the Reich ministries, authorities and public bodies, etc., and of carrying out all communication with them. Thus it should be ensured "that the guidelines of propaganda come to the knowledge of the Reich authorities concerned. Conversely, the Liaison Office shall inform the Reichspropagandaleitung of all tasks and orders issued by the Reichspropaganda Ministry." Organisationsbuch der NSDAP, 1936, p. 301] The structure of the RPL and its staffing as of May 1941 was as follows [NS 18/1080: Announcement of the head of the Reich Propaganda from 26. January 1941 to 18. June 1941] [NS 18/1080: Bekanntmachung des Reichspropagandaleiters vom 26. May 1941]: Chief of Staff: Hugo Fischer Directly subordinated to the Chief of Staff: - Chief of Staff: Heinrich Adami - Managing Director and Commissioner for Financial Affairs: Willi Osthold - Office "Personnel and Administration": Kurt Dietz - Office "Reichsverteidigung" (M): Hermann Schenk - Special Representative of the RPL for the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, Head of the Department of Cultural Policy at the Reich Protectorate in Bohemia and Moravia: Dr. Karl Freiherr von Gregory 1st main office Propaganda: Werner Wächter - Office "Active Propaganda": Werner Studentkowski - Office "Major Events": Hans Froelich - Office "Speaker Organization and Mediation": Dr. Karl Lapper - Office "Speaker Training": Hugo Ringler - Office "Photograph": Gerhard Bartsch - Office "Propagandalenkung": Max Davidts - Office "Exhibition and Fairs": Paul Bötticher 2nd Main Office Broadcasting: August State - Office "Broadcasting Organization and Administration": Wilhelm Lehr - Office "Broadcasting": Wolfgang Fischer - Office "Broadcasting Technology": Georg Budich - Office "Broadcasting Propaganda": August State 3. main office for orientation of the organizations [This new name for the Reichsring does not seem to have asserted itself. It is not mentioned in the 1943 NSDAP organisation book] (Reichsring): Walter Tießler - Office "Orientation of Propaganda Actions": Udo Pfriemer - Office "Orientation of Propaganda Media": Willi Krämer - Office "Orientation of Propagandists": Willi Krämer 4th main office film: Arnold Raether - office "Filmische Ausrichtung": Herbert Baerwald - office "Zentralverleih": Heinrich Kadach - office "Filmpropaganda": Paul Teuchert - office "Produktion": for the time being unoccupied, held by Arnold Raether - office "Kassenverwaltung": Karl Schulze 5. office "Kassenverwaltung": Karl Schulze 5. office "Filmische Ausrichtung": Herbert Baerwald - office "Zentralverleih": Heinrich Kadach - office "Filmpropaganda": Paul Teuchert - office "Produktion": for the time being unoccupied, held by Arnold Raether Hauptamt Reichsautozug "Germany": Hermann Schäfer - Amt "Administration": Hans Achauer - Amt "Propagandatechnik": Emil Wipfel - Amt "Werft und Technische Betriebsleitung": Paul Mühlhoff - Amt "Mobiler Zug": Hermann Schäfer 6. main office culture: Hannes Kremer - office "planning": Hannes Kremer - office "celebration organization": Hannes Kremer - office "music": Theodor Jung - liaison office: Josef Schneider-Franke [the announcement of the remaining offices as well as their occupation should take place later] subordinated to the Reichpropagandaleiter for special use: Leopold Gutterer, State Secretary in the RMVP Alfred-Ingemar Berndt, Ministerialdirigent in the RMVP Eugen Hadamowsky, Reichssendeleiter. The RPL was organized vertically at Gau, district and local group level. The Gau- and the Kreispropagandaamt, each with a propaganda leader at the top, were subdivided into five task areas analogous to the RPL: 1. active propaganda 2. film 3. radio 4. culture 5. liaison leaders The local group propaganda offices were organized in a similar way. Description of the holdings: The files of the RPL, like those of other provenances from the NS era, are only partially preserved due to severe war losses. In 1943, the main cultural office of the RPL in Munich was bombed out [cf. NS 18/1097, letter of the main cultural office of 16 Dec. 1943]. Most of the files of the RPL are said to have been destroyed in 1945 before the American invasion of Munich [cf. Das Bundesarchiv und seine Bestände, 3. supplemented and newly edited edition by Gerhard Granier, Josef Henke, Klaus Oldenhage, Boppard 1977, p. 355]. The fate of the RPL file tradition since the occupation of Germany by the Allies corresponds to the general history of German contemporary historical sources in the post-war years. The remaining files of the RPL, like most of the files of offices and divisions of the NSDAP, were transferred to the American Document Center in Berlin-Zehlendorf (BDC) at the beginning of 1946 as the central collection point for party documents. During the Berlin Blockade of 1948/49, parts of the holdings were brought to Great Britain and the USA. Since 1960 the Federal Archives had known that RPL files were in 39 archive boxes in the World War II Record Division of the US National Archives in Alexandria/Virginia. These files had been mistakenly assigned to the Reich Ministry for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda. They had only been handed over a few months earlier from Great Britain, where they had apparently been taken from the Leitz folders, reviewed and then loosely forwarded to the Americans [files of the Federal Archives 4721-Prop/1.]. In April 1962, 38 cartons with documents of the provenance "Reichspropagandaleitung der NSDAP, Reichsring für Nationalsozialistische Propaganda und Volksaufklärung" were handed over to the Federal Archives as part of the return of files from the USA. These were the remaining files that the Americans had kept in Record Group 1035. The loose files were packed in the usual yellow American envelopes. A small part of the files (about 100 numbers) was filmed by the Americans and listed in Microfilm Guide No. 35 [Guide to German records microfilmed at Alexandria, VA., No. 35, Records of the National Socialist German Labor Party (Part III), The National Archives, National Archives and Records Service, General Services Administration, Washington 1962, pp. 16-24]. In the mid-1970s, Herbert Schmitz made a first partial indexing of the holdings, which was continued in 1979 by Rainer Raillard and subsequently by other editors. Mrs. Christine Reibel and Mr. Thomas Marschner recorded the previously disordered part of the delivery in 1998/1999 and reworked the old drawing. They used the formation of archive series and volume sequences as a way of interlocking volumes that belonged together in terms of content or chronology. The final processing took place in the following years by Mrs. Jana Blumberg. In addition to conservation measures (folders, removal of metal parts), interventions in the found internal order of individual files were also necessary, especially with regard to the complete filming of the inventory. In some cases, obviously torn processes were reconstructed by combining fragments that had previously been recorded individually [The proof of dissolved files is secured by a concordance]. In the course of the processing, the NS 18 holdings were supplemented by a file (62 Re 3/1) previously handed down in the Central State Archives of the GDR, a series (RKK [ehem. BDC] 2007/0001/01-05) previously kept in the Reichskulturkammer holdings of the former BDC, and by individual files from other Federal Archives holdings: NS-Splitter/104, 172, NS-Misch/1428 and R 6/1048. In the interest of the most complete possible reproduction of the surviving records, those files whose whereabouts could not be ascertained during the final processing were also included in the indexing [they are marked by the addition "whereabouts unknown"]. Cassations were essentially limited to duplicates. Foreign provenances were sorted out, RPL publications as well as other party official bodies were handed over to the library. The tradition of the RPL consists for the most part of files of the provenance Reichsring, which were created under the direction of Walter Tießler in the years from 1940/1941 to 1943 in Berlin. Only a small part of the documents on the propaganda activities of the years 1925-1932 (these are almost exclusively the files handed over from the BDC 1962) has been preserved. Accordingly, the files essentially document the design and implementation of propaganda in the period after 1939, with the 1941-1943 period being the most dense. Only a few documents exist from the period between the NSDAP's assumption of power and the beginning of the war. The files of the holdings, which were created after 1940, refer almost exclusively to the area of responsibility of the Reichsring Main Office for National Socialist Propaganda and Popular Enlightenment. The tradition of the other areas of the RPL is limited to Tießler's function as a liaison between the entire RPL and the Reich ministries, authorities and public bodies. Due to the large losses of the overall delivery, a classification based on organizational or registrational aspects did not seem to make sense. For this reason, the editors have opted - independently of a strict provenance principle - for an objective structure based on the contents of the RPL's task completion. In May 2005, after publication of the Publication Findbuch, the collection of press cuttings (formerly ZSg 118) from Koblenz was taken over. It was placed as a separate item at the end of the inventory. Citation method BArch NS 18/... State of the Index: Publication Findbuch Volume 103 (2003), Online Findbuch (2005, 2007). Citation style: BArch, NS 18/...
