"Entartete Musik" - Nazi Propanganda Exhibition

"Entartete Musik"! That means "degenerated music"... Please brace yourself as some of the images were part of a propanga exhibition organized by the Nazi regime from 22 to 29 May 1938 in Dusseldorf.

The totalitarian regime having already censored press and litterature, now it was time to banish Jewish or Russian composers as well as Jazz music coming from the streets of the United States as opposed to the "pure" music of German and Austrian composers...

The exhibition image used echoed an Opera about a Jazz musician that was performed in the 1920's prior to the rise of Hitler. That opera had been a success all over Germany, but it was not to the liking of Dr Hans Serverus Ziegler who was in charge of theater and music for the Nazi party.

Some German composers who had criticised the Nazi regime were also deemed not worthy of being listened to. Among the notorious names who were censored were Giacomo Meyerbeer ; Felix Mendelssohn ; Gustav Mahler ; Igor Stravinski ; and many more. Bela Bartok actually bravely requested to be featured in that exhibition, considering that his music being disapproved by the Nazi regime was an honour for him!