Nazi Germany’s Leisure: A Study on the Propaganda Posters of the Kraft durch Freude Organization for Outdoor Activities

Year 2024, Volume: 6 Issue: 2, 117 - 129, 30.06.2024

Erdoğan Ekinci

https://doi.org/10.56639/jsar.1454692

Abstract

The acceptance of Nazi ideology by the German people was of great importance. Upon coming to power, the Nazis immediately took control of all mass media and used them extensively for propaganda purposes. Within the framework of Nazi ideology, all Germans, especially workers, were encouraged to spend their leisure time engaging in various activities, leading to the establishment of the Kraft durch Freude (KdF) organization. The organization provided a wide range of services including sports, arts, culture, travel, and tourism. This research aims to demonstrate how outdoor activities were shaped in propaganda posters belonging to the KdF organization in Nazi Germany. The propaganda posters associated with outdoor activities of the KdF were analyzed using semiotic analysis, a qualitative research method. The posters examined in the research generally aimed to reflect various emotional states to the target audience such as strength, happiness, relaxation, and adventure, and tried to evoke feelings of unity, solidarity, and nationalism among the German people within the framework of Nazi ideology. In conclusion, it can be said that the propaganda activities carried out by the KdF were effective in influencing the German people’s leisure activities, and it can be stated that the Nazi Germany, as a totalitarian regime, controlled the people in all areas through propaganda.

Keywords

Outdoor, Leisure, Nazi Germany, Kraft durch Freude

Nazi Almanyası’nda Serbest Zaman: Kraft durch Freude Örgütünün Açık Alan Aktivitelerine Yönelik Propaganda Posterleri Üzerine İnceleme

Abstract

Nazi ideolojisinin Alman halkı tarafından kabul görmesi büyük bir öneme sahipti. Naziler iktidara gelişlerinin hemen ardan tüm kitle iletişim araçlarını kontrolleri altına almış ve bunları propaganda amacıyla yaygın bir biçimde kullanmıştır. Nazi ideolojisi kapsamında başta işçiler olmak üzere tüm Alman halkının serbest zamanlarını çeşitli faaliyetlerle değerlendirmeleri sağlanmış ve bu doğrultuda Kraft durch Freude (KdF) örgütü kurulmuştur. Örgüt tarafından spor, sanat, kültür, seyahat, turizm gibi geniş bir yelpazede hizmetler ortaya konmuştur. Bu araştırma, Nazi Almanyası’na yer alan KdF örgütüne ait propaganda posterlerinde açık alan aktivitelerinin nasıl biçimlendiği ortaya koymak amacıyla yapılmıştır. Araştırmada, KdF’ye ait açık alan aktiviteleriyle ilişkili propaganda posterleri, nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden biri olan göstergebilim analizi ile incelenmiştir. Araştırma kapsamında incelenen posterlerde, açık alan aktivitelerine katılımın genellikle, güç, mutluluk, dinlenme, macera gibi çeşitli duygu durumlarını hedef kitleye yansıtmaya çalıştığı ve Nazi ideolojisi çerçevesinde Alman halkına birlik, beraberlik ve milliyetçilik duygularını ortaya çıkarmaya çalıştığı tespit edilmiştir. Sonuç olarak, KdF tarafından uygulanan propaganda faaliyetlerinin, Alman halkının serbest zamanlarını değerlendirme konusunda etkili olduğu ve totaliter bir rejim olan Nazi Almanyası’nın propaganda aracılığıyla halkı her alanda kontrol ettiği söylenebilir.

Keywords

Açık alan, Serbest zaman, Nazi Almanyası, Kraft durch Freude

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