Nach 12 monatiger Papen-Herrschaft – “After 12 Months of von Papen’s Rule” – antisemitic booklet published by the Nazi Party ahead of the November 1932 elections, issued by publisher and editor Paul Hochmuth, accusing the Jews of having taken control of Germany and portraying Adolf Hitler as the invincible savior of a nation repeatedly defeated by the Jews. Throughout the booklet are antisemitic illustrations. Berlin, 1932. Rare.
The booklet was published 60 days before the Reichstag elections of November 1932, during which the Nazi Party (NSDAP) launched an aggressive and far-reaching campaign. The party’s strategy focused on fierce anti-republican propaganda, especially targeting the von Papen government, and branding Adolf Hitler as the “national savior” who would rescue Germany from the “Jewish peril, ” restore its dignity, and bring stability, employment, and honor. Throughout the booklet, Jews are portrayed through antisemitic caricatures and explanations as the “primary culprits for the current suffering of our people, ” while Adolf Hitler is described as “the savior” who understood that “the Jewish question is the key to world history.” With slanderous statements such as: “Adolf Hitler has shown that hardship and misery, death and destruction, and fields of ruins are the defining features of Jewish activity throughout history. The same signs of decay in our homeland, resulting from Jewish influence in all areas of public life, indicate that the German people too are on the verge of being destroyed by the Jews and erased from the list of the most civilized nations, ” the party appealed to the German voter, presenting the stark choice: “The Jews or us.” The text continues: “While the Jewish bankers of usury reap the rewards of nationalist betrayal, the people collapse under the burden of the new debt created.” After pages of intense propaganda, the booklet concludes with the inevitable call to action: “Dear citizens, do not stand idly by when vital matters of the nation are at stake. Decide for or against Nazism – and therefore for or against Germany. Do not ask about death when life is on the scales. Fight with us, with the people for the people, with Adolf Hitler for Germany. Vote for the National Socialists – List 1.”
The content of the booklet “After 12 Months of von Papen’s Rule” refers to the tenure of Franz von Papen, who served as Chancellor of Germany from June 1932 to November 1932, and later as Vice Chancellor under Adolf Hitler. This period was marked by extreme political instability, mass unemployment, and the collapse of the democratic republican system. The cover page graphically captures the mood and message of the booklet: On the right side, a skeleton represents death or destruction, holding a giant scythe labeled “Papen”, symbolizing that von Papen’s rule brought about a “massacre” of the working class—both economically and socially. The scythe is shown mowing down farmers and laborers, emphasizing the catastrophe that befell the working population. In the lower right corner, a never-ending line of unemployed men is seen entering the “Stempelstelle” (unemployment registration office), a direct reference to the poverty and joblessness of the period. In the upper right corner, a stereotypical Jewish capitalist figure is depicted—with glasses, a top hat, and holding a “Schuldschein” (debt certificate)—a typical antisemitic motif found throughout Nazi propaganda. In the top left, overweight politicians are seen smoking and laughing, portrayed as aloof and disconnected from the suffering of the common people. The antisemitic illustrations throughout the booklet are signed “V. Pinkius” – likely a fabricated name, intended as a mocking allusion to a Jewish identity, in keeping with the virulent tone of the publication.
In November 1932, the last democratic elections in Germany prior to the Nazi rise to power were held. The Nazi Party received 33% of the vote. The party lost 34 seats compared to the previous July 1932 elections, a setback that caused internal turmoil. Nevertheless, the Nazis remained the largest party in the Reichstag. These elections were the final multi-party democratic elections held in Germany until the end of World War II. Despite the decline, the Nazi Party remained a dominant political force. Due to mounting political pressure, President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler as Chancellor on January 30, 1933. Subsequent elections in March 1933 were conducted under political terror, violence, and the suppression of opposition, marking the end of democracy and the beginning of the Nazi dictatorship.
Rare. Only four copies listed in the global WorldCat library catalog.
23 pages. Very good condition.
