The Anarchy of Nazi Memorabilia: From Things of Tyranny to Troubled Treasure by Michael Hughes

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Anarchy of Nazi Memorabilia: From Things of Tyranny to Troubled Treasure by Michael Hughes Melissa Etzler The Anarchy of Nazi Memorabilia: From Things of Tyranny to Troubled Treasure. By Michael Hughes. London: Routledge, 2022. Pp. 260. Hardcover $170.00. ISBN 978-0367422004. The Anarchy of Nazi Memorabilia offers an in-depth study of the symbols displayed on the badges provided to German citizens, soldiers, and veterans during WWI and through WWII. Each chapter outlines the historical and political backdrop of the period as a means to establish the functionality of a given badge. Hughes gives examples of the quintessential emblems, how, where, and by whom they were produced, in which materials and quantities, and concludes with a note on the collectors of the pieces and the current market. The text fills a gap in historical Third Reich studies since, as Hughes states, “there is a shortage of scholarly literature on the symbols and [End Page 324] ritual objects produced and deployed by the Nazi Party (NSDAP), emblems created to construct a Nazi identity and ethos” (1). In each chapter, there is a discussion of the material culture of the object, its aura, aesthetic appeal, and commercial value. In the opening chapter, “From Weimar to the Third Reich,” Hughes examines to what extent Hitler’s mass deployment of symbols contributed to his chancellorship, maintaining his hold on Germany, and isolating German Jews. Hughes often highlights the irony of the symbols and begins by identifying how the Great War Iron Cross “objectified the veteran’s bravery” and yet, with abundant wounded veterans, their “disability showed the price [they] paid for it” (15). Otto Dix and George Grosz’s paintings featuring disabled veterans wearing the Iron Cross are included to visually represent this conflict. Likewise, each subsequent chapter problematizes how these badges were used to manipulate individuals and identify outsiders. The second chapter, “The Materiality of the People’s Community,” focuses on the symbols and badges created to facilitate the Gemeinschaft or “fellowship, cooperation, and solidarity of the German community” (36), which the Nazis wanted to create. As with the Iron Cross, Hughes explores the dual meaning of various emblems. He looks at the emblem of the German Labor Front (DAF), which features a swastika encased in a cogwheel, and explains that while the emblem is meant to show how each individual member makes a valuable contribution to society, it ultimately became a “metaphor under which the rights of workers were obliterated” (38) since each individual was expected to perform at the same, unrealistically high level. The emblem later became a convenient excuse for participation in war crimes, for instance, the commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, claimed to have been a “cog in the wheel” (39). Another moment of irony is mentioned with the badges being produced to raise funds for the NSDAP organization Strength through Joy (KdF) which funded workers’ vacations but used forced labor to create the badges. Lastly, the chapter describes an initiative that the NSDAP assumed, the Winter Relief of the German People (WHW), which dispersed badges for financial donations. Each campaign by the WHW featured a differently styled badge; thus, if a citizen did not possess the latest badge, it was obvious that they had prioritized individual needs over the common good and risked becoming an enemy of the people. The chapter “Pre-War Awards” discusses how medals such as the Cross of Honor, which was issued in 1934 and which Jewish war veterans could receive, provided Jewish veterans with a false sense of security since they assumed the medal would protect against antisemitism. The chapter also introduces key figures who accepted badges from Hitler, such as Henry Ford’s German Eagle Order badge. Regardless of the quality of these badges, they had the symbolic power to imply those accepting were sympathetic to the regime. Likewise, the next two chapters, “Medals for Babies,” which explains the role of the Mother’s Cross, given to mothers after they had birthed four or more children, and “Wartime Awards,” given initially to an elite group, but [End Page 325] eventually to children as an incentive, are about the badges’ ability to show allegiance. The chapter “Trash or...