Description
Book SynopsisOut of the numerous books and articles on the Third Reich, few address its material culture, and fewer still discuss the phenomenon of Nazi memorabilia. This is all the more surprising given that Nazi symbols, so central to sustaining Hitler's movement, continue to live long after the collapse of his 12-year Reich. Neither did Nazi ideology die; far-right populists would like to see the swastika flown over the White House or Buckingham Palace. Against a backdrop of right-wing extremism, military re-enactors think nothing of dressing up in Waffen-SS uniforms and romanticising the Third Reich in the name of living history. Auctioneers are prepared to hammer down Nazi artefacts to the highest bidder, but who is buying them, and why do they do so? Should collectors be allowed to decorate their homes with Nazi flags?
The Anarchy of Nazi Memorabilia begins by examining the creation and context of Nazi artefacts and symbols during the volatile Weimar Republic to their wid
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"This is a corner of the technology of the Third Reich that can still be appropriated, when the larger and more complex technology has for the most part disappeared into museums. Hughes has produced an intelligent and detailed account of a materiality that refuses to become merely a part of the past." - Richard Overy, University of Exeter, Technology and Culture
"The book will be of particular interest to scholars following contemporary trends in Nazi-era studies such as the archaeology of everyday sites of genocide, the looting of not only fine arts but an array of objects that constituted the violent transfer of wealth during the war, and the exploration of material culture more broadly. It also complements scholars interested in exploring areas of collecting that are ethically problematic, such as memorabilia from the Confederacy in the American South." - Paul Jaskot, Duke University, Journal of Contemporary Archaeology
"Michael Hughes has written a probing, ambitious book that makes plain the quandaries of Nazi memorabilia collections." - Christopher J. McNulty, Northeastern University Boston, Journal of Military History
"The Anarchy of Nazi Memorabilia is a well-written and thoroughly researched study offering valuable connections between the present and the past that will appeal to all historians, social scientists, those interested in collecting and in material culture, and likely many more." - Melissa Etzler, Butler University, German Studies Review
"An ambitious, engaging, and important work on the origins, histories, and purposes of Nazi medals and badges and their societal contexts during and after World War II." - Robert M. Ehrenreich, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Winterthur Portfolio
"The material culture of the Third Reich is the subject of The Anarchy of Nazi Memorabilia, a thought-provoking new study by Michael Hughes. For all the scholarly works examining various forms of Nazi propaganda, such as films, art, architecture, radio, and posters, this is the first book of its type, and Hughes deserves praise for his pioneering effort. Without question, this is an expansive subject that warrants further scholarship" - Jeffrey Luppes, Indiana University South Bend, German Politics and Society
Table of Contents1 Introduction / 2 From Weimar to the Third Reich / 3 The Materiality of the People’s Community / 4 Pre-war Awards: More Than Just Eagles and Swastikas / 5 Medals for Babies: The ‘Honour Cross of the German Mother’ (Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter) / 6 Wartime Awards: All Ironed Out / 7 Objects as Texts and Trade / 8 Trash or Treasure: How do you solve a problem like Nazi memorabilia? / 9 Collecting Nazi Memorabilia in the 21st Century and Beyond
