Special issue of the antisemitic newspaper NOVA HRVATSKA (New Croatia) – dedicated to PETDESET I PETI RODJENDAN ADOLFA HITLERA – “the 55th birthday of Adolf Hitler.” A central editorial article appears in the name of the entire Croatian people, saluting the “Defender of Europe” and liberator from the trouble of the Jews: “The Croatian people also sincerely take part tomorrow in the ceremony of the friendly and allied German people, on the occasion of the birthday celebration of Führer Adolf Hitler, the defender of cultured Europe and the creator of a happy future for the nations of Europe.” Zagreb, April 20, 1944.
On the front page of the issue appears a lengthy article titled “In the Name of the Entire Croatian People, ” portraying Hitler as the leader and savior of Germany and all of Europe: “Tomorrow, the great German nation celebrates a significant day: the 55th anniversary of the birth of its great Führer, Adolf Hitler, who is renewing the moral, spiritual, and physical strength of the entire German people and restoring the splendor of German historical greatness. The appearance of Adolf Hitler among the German people marks a turning point in the recent history of the Greater German Reich. The Führer of the German people emerges on the stage of this decisive historical moment at the most fateful hour…”. The issue extensively reviews Hitler’s life story in blind admiration, from his youth — his injury in World War I, his time in prison, the founding of the Nazi Party, his rise to power, Nazi Germany’s invasion of Poland, and the war against Soviet Russia — all described with unrestrained reverence, portraying Hitler as a fearless leader and savior of the world, sent by divine providence to solve the Jewish question.
As part of the biographical account of Hitler presented in the article, it is described how, while recovering in the hospital at the end of World War I after being wounded, Hitler came to realize what others had not seen before him—that the true enemy was not on the battlefield, but rather in the rear, where all roles were carried out by Jews: “In the hospital, Adolf Hitler saw what he had never noticed on the battlefield: all the rear-line services, all positions, were filled by Jews. The Jews were everywhere—wherever there was trade, there were the Jews; in the black market, there were the Jews; in every place where something could be profited from, there you would find the Jews. The eyes of the soldier were opened to the rights and honor of his people, and in his soul, the image of the Jew—an invader of the healthy body of the German people—became more and more tangible. In his mind, the decision ripened—to eradicate, today and tomorrow, from among the German people all those parasites who had blackened the fighting spirit of the great German national community…”.
The issue continues with an elaborate portrayal of Hitler’s “achievements” on the various fronts of World War II, consistently referring to him with exalted titles such as “the great Führer, ” and in expressions of extreme praise: “Like all the genius leaders of rare nations, Adolf Hitler, through the titanic power of his spirit, penetrated into the very essence of his people’s call to life, and his work synthetically encompassed all the aspirations, emotions, and thoughts of the great Germannational community…”, Or, for example: “Centuries must pass before the great spirit of a national leader, sent by God, appears on the horizon of a people’s life—one who, through the labor of his genius, leads the nation in new and uncompromising paths, removes all obstacles before him, and does not relent until victory is achieved. Like all true national leaders, Adolf Hitler drew inspiration from the sources of Germany’s national past in his life’s mission, ignited by the glory of previous generations of the German people, carried by the spirit of Frederick the Great, the Iron Chancellor Bismarck, and so many other great warriors for the greatness and splendor of the German nation—a nation that has always stood ready to defend the European peoples…”.
At the end of the article, greetings are extended “in the name of the entire Croatian people” in honor of Adolf Hitler’s 55th birthday: “We Croats, too, joyfully share in the glory of the German people on the occasion of the 55th birthday of their great leader, Adolf Hitler, tomorrow… The gratitude and fraternal unity in our embrace with the people of Croatia align with the ancient mission shared by the German and Croatian peoples…”.
At the center of the front page is a photograph of Adolf Hitler. The entire issue is filled with pro-Nazi articles of an antisemitic nature.
Needless to say that the portrayal of Hitler in this issue as the “defender of Europe” and the “restorer of German historical greatness” is entirely disconnected from reality. By this stage of the war, April 1944, Nazi Germany was already on the defensive on most fronts: In the East – the Red Army was pushing it back from Eastern Europe. In Italy – the Allies were advancing northward; after the invasion, Mussolini had been deposed, and Italy had already surrendered. In the West – preparations were underway for the Normandy invasion. In the air – German cities were being heavily bombed, and Hitler’s defeat was closer than ever.
The Croatian newspaper Nova Hrvatska (“New Croatia”), published during World War II (between 1941–1945), served as a mouthpiece for the political and nationalist propaganda of the Ustaše regime – the Croatian fascist movement that ruled the puppet Independent State of Croatia (Nezavisna Država Hrvatska – NDH), established under the sponsorship of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy in 1941. Throughout the war, Nova Hrvatska covered antisemitic events, such as the antisemitic exhibition in Zagreb in May 1942, aimed at spreading anti-Jewish propaganda among the Croatian public. The newspaper expressed support for the Axis powers, especially Nazi Germany, and published antisemitic content as part of the regime’s overall policy.
12 pages. 49 cm. Complete issue. Very good condition.
