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The Twelve Theses were issued in early April 1933 by Press and Propaganda SectionThis section was also founded in early April and the issuance of the theses was its first action. ''Levy'' p. 79. of the
The English text of the
German Student Union
The German Student Union (german: Deutsche Studentenschaft, abbreviated ''DSt'') from 1919 until 1945, was the merger of the general student committees of all German universities, including Danzig, Austria and the former German universities in ...
and called for German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
university
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...
students
A student is a person enrolled in a school or other educational institution.
In the United Kingdom and most commonwealth countries, a "student" attends a secondary school or higher (e.g., college or university); those in primary or elementary ...
to purge German language
German ( ) is a West Germanic languages, West Germanic language mainly spoken in Central Europe. It is the most widely spoken and Official language, official or co-official language in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and the Ita ...
and literature
Literature is any collection of written work, but it is also used more narrowly for writings specifically considered to be an art form, especially prose fiction, drama, and poetry. In recent centuries, the definition has expanded to include ...
of Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
influence and to restore those aspects of German culture
Culture () is an umbrella term which encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, customs, capabilities, and habits of the individuals in these groups.Tyl ...
to their "pure" volkische traditions
A tradition is a belief or behavior (folk custom) passed down within a group or society with symbolic meaning or special significance with origins in the past. A component of cultural expressions and folklore, common examples include holidays or ...
. The theses were posted on university campuses throughout Germany prior to the May 1933 book burnings
Book burning is the deliberate destruction by fire of books or other written materials, usually carried out in a public context. The burning of books represents an element of censorship and usually proceeds from a cultural, religious, or politi ...
.
Text
The English text of the theses
A thesis ( : theses), or dissertation (abbreviated diss.), is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings.International Standard ISO 7144: ...
(as those are posted to the right) reads as follows:The theses appeared in the '' Volkischer Beobachter'' of 14 April 1933.
Commentary
#While the theses targeted the "Jewish spirit" (''jüdischer Geist'') and books expressing this, it also attacked concepts that were "un-German" (''undeutsch''). It is not clear from the theses themselves whether this term is intended to be synonymous with "Jewishness". #The theses do not themselves expressly call for book burning. #Thesis 1 expressly implies that there should be no foreign literature in Germany, entailing a complete ban of all non-German literature,''Ritchie'' p. 67. at least on works translated into German. #Theses 11 and 12 would reserve German universities exclusively to German students and professors, devoid of foreign elements. #See also
*Nazi book burnings
The Nazi book burnings were a campaign conducted by the German Student Union (, ''DSt'') to ceremonially burn books in Nazi Germany and Austria in the 1930s. The books targeted for burning were those viewed as being subversive or as representin ...
*National Socialist Program
The National Socialist Program, also known as the 25-point Program or the 25-point Plan (), was the party program of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP, and referred to in English as the Nazi Party). Adolf Hitler announced the par ...
*Hutu Ten Commandments
The "Hutu Ten Commandments" (also "Ten Commandments of the Bahutu") was a document published in the December 1990 edition of ''Kangura'', an anti-Tutsi, Hutu Power Kinyarwanda-language newspaper in Kigali, Rwanda. The Hutu Ten Commandments are ofte ...
Footnotes
References
* *{{cite book, title=German Literature Under National Socialism, last=Ritchie, first=J.M., publisher=Taylor & Francis, year=1983, isbn=0-389-20418-8, url-access=registration, url=https://archive.org/details/germanliterature0000ritc Nazi culture Nazi propaganda 1933 documents 1933 in Germany Incitement to genocide