German Propaganda Archive Calvin University

line Background: Julius Streicher founded Der Stürmerin 1923. It was distinguished by unrelenting anti-Semitism. These are cover caricatures from 1927-1932, and are representative of the themes Streicher chose. More material on Streicher is available on the 1933-1945 page of the GPA.

Caricatures from Der Stürmer:1927-1932


Poison Gas Image

Caption: “When the vermin are dead, the German oak will flourish once more.” (December 1927)

Explanation: A Nazi is pumping poison gas into the base of a tree, with dead rats representing Jews around the tree. The rats are labelled “stock exchanges,” “the press,” and “trusts.” The branches of the tree, labeled “Germany,” are industry, agriculture, commerce, the arts, business, the sciences, social welfare, civil service, and workers. This is the earliest Nazi image I know of that suggests poison gas as a way of killing Jews, although Hitler makes a reference to that possibility in Mein Kampf.

Caricature

Title: “German Christmas”

Caption: The German Christmas angel has her hands tied by the swindling world bank Jews. Meanwhile, the department store Jew, behind the mask of Christmas cheer, is doing a booming business. (December 1928)

Explanation: The angel is bound by bands named taxes, credit stops, Dawes tribute and Lugano. The Jew is selling beauty creams and pornographic books.

Caricature Title: “Fatherland!”

Explanation: In the top panel, German family is forced to emigrate because of economic conditions. In the bottom panel, the shop signs all have Jewish names. (March 1929)

Caricature

Title: “Resurrection”

Explanation: A worried Jew watches a column of Storm Troopers giving the Nazi salute to a roadside crucifix. This is an interesting attempt to appeal to a Christian audience, and also of using Christian language in a new context. The suggestion is that, somehow, Christ has been resurrected in the Nazi movement. (#13/1929)
Caricature Title: “The day of revenge is coming”

Explanation: A father holds his bleeding son, run over by a car full of careless Jews. This plays on both the charge that Jews were rich and Germans poor, and that Jews cared not at all for the harm they were doing to Germany. (#29/1929)

Caricature Caption: “I can give him another injection. In the state he’s in, he won’t notice anything at all.” Explanation: The patient, representing Germany, is dripping blood into a pail titled “reparations,” with various casts and bandages representing the treaties and international agreements allegedly responsible for Germany’s misery. (#33/1929)
Caricature Title: “Jewish Culture”

Caption: “The natural and the unnatural.”

Explanation: A German couple enjoy the outdoors, while a Jew with his Gentile girlfriend are watching a pornographic movie. (August 1929)

Caricature

Caption: “One can do anything to those Goyim. Our people crucified their Christ on the cross, and we do a great business on his birthday....”

Explanation: A Christmas cartoon urging Germans to avoid Jewish shops was standard. (#51/1929)

Caricature

Caption: “The year is over. The struggle goes on!”

Explanation: A Nazi grabs a Jew by the collar. (December 1929)

Caricature

Caption: “Sucked dry.”

Explanation: The caricature suggests the Jews are sucking the economic life from Gentiles. It is one of numerous Stürmercartoons comparing Jews to inhuman and unpleasant creatures. (February 1930)

Caricature

Caption: “The beginning and the end.”

Explanation: Streicher claimed that Jews were about a massive campaign to seduce and destroy German womanhood. (July 1930)

Caricature

Caption: “They fight and the Jew grins.”

Explanation: While Germany is crucified on the cross of the Young Plan, an agreement on the payment of reparations from World War I, German political parties are fighting with each other. (August 1930)

Caricature

Title: “The worm”

Caption: “Where something is rotten, the Jew is the cause.”

Explanation: The names in the background are those of Jews involved in major financial scandals. The apple is named “the German economy.” The worm is named “Jewish scandals.” (November 1931)

caricature

Caption: “Buy from the Jews, betray your people.”

Explanation: Another caricature on the Christmas theme. The Jewish shopkeeper is cynically profiting from Christmas. (December 1931)

Der Stürmer caricature

Title: Immunization

Caption: “It occurs to me that little good comes from poison or from Jews.” [Streicher was suspicious of immunization]

February 1932 (Issue #6)

Der Stürmer caricature

Title: His Premonition

Caption: “How long will it be until we, too, in Germany will be seen only behind bars?”

March 1932 (Issue #10)

Der Stürmer caricature

Title: Faust and Mephisto

Caption: The Devil is preparing his potion in a caldron titled “Jewish Press”: “With this drink in your stomach, you will serve the Jews — and strike your brother.”

July 1932 (Issue #29)

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