Mathias, Thank you for taking the time to translate this article. Most fascinating.
Again, my comments were definitely NOT aimed at Herr Giesbert and most certainly NOT at the German people. Regardless of intent, I had assumed that Fraktur was the "official" script/font sanctioned by the German state under Hitler. Guess that assumptionwas wrong. As they say, you learn something new everyday. Mea Culpa, Greg-- Mathias Rösel wrote: > "Greet Schamp" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> schrieb: > > >> Perhaps the answers by Rainer and Matthias , especially the German >> texts should be translated to be understood properly by you. >> > > > here is my attempted translation of the link given by Rainer > > http://home.arcor.de/lutz.schweizer/schrifterlass.html > > 1 Hitler and "German Art" > > Apparently, Hitler couldn't stand all-too familiar German things. On an > NSDAP-assembly on culture during the Reichsparteitag of 1934, he > declared that "the NS-state must protest against the sudden emergence of > those backward-looking people who think they may give "teutonic art" out > of the familiar universe of their romanticist ideas as an obligating > heritage to the NS revolution..." > > Thus, it was made clear that German romanticist ideas had no place any > more. Nevertheless, Gothic types were furthermore considered a symbol of > German identity. So far it went, that in 1937 Jewish publöishing houses > were forbidden to make use of Gothic types. Then came a weird turn: > 2 Bormann's Schrifterlass (order concerning types) > > The headline of this order "Nationalsozialistische Deutsche > Arbeiterpartei / Der Stellvertreter des Führers", still is in Gothic > types! > > Stabsleiter > z. Zt. Obersalzberg, den 3.1.41 > > N E W S L E T T E R > (internal use only) > > For general information I inform Zur allgemeinen Beachtung teile ich > im Auftrag des Führers mit: > > To consider or to call so-called Gothic types as German types, is wrong. > Actually, so-called Gothic types consist of Schwabacher Jews' letters. > Just as they later managed to own newspapers, Jews living in Germany, > when printing was invented, took into their possession printing presses, > and that is why in Germany Schwabacher Jews' letters were strongly and > widely spread. > > In a discussion today with Herrn Reichsleiter Amann und Herrn Adolf > Müller, owner of a printing press, the Fuehrer has decided that from > this day on Roman types are to be considered standard. Step by step, the > print media are to be switched to these standard types. As soon as > textbooks can be delivered, ordinary schools will teach standard types, > only. > > Use of Schwabacher Jews' letters by authorities will from now on cease. > Appointment documents for officers or street signs etc will henceforth > be written in standard types, only. > > By order of the Fuehrer, Herr Reichsleiter Amann is going to switch at > first newspapers and journals that are read abroad, or that are wished > to be read abroad, to standard types. > > signed, M. Bormann > > If this newsletter had then been spread generally, many people, even > those who were of nationalist opinions (voelkisch gesinnt), would have > been puzzled a lot because they knew that these statements about those > Jews' letter were, as a matter of fact, entirely wrong. That's possibly > why this newsletter was for internal use only. At least, it could be > said within party circles that the reasons given in the order, "from a > scientific perspective, are not tenable." The claim that Gothic types > were of Jewish origin, matches the fact that "the Fuehrer made Jews a > generic term of the numerous facts adversary towards him." (Victor > Klemperer). > > I still remember the day when at school we were told to not write German > handwriting any more (Suetterlin). What had been known to us as Latin > standard types was now called German standard types. We were not told > that rubbish of Jews' letters. Instead it was said that the change was > made so that inhabitants of German-occupied countries could more easily > understand our declarations. > > .. > > 5 The Allied Forces and Gothic types > > So, Gothic types were abolished by the Nazis, and not, as is still > thought by many, by the four allied forces after WWII. The first stamps > of the allied military postal service even bore an M that was apprently > derived from Offenbacher Schwabacher gothic types. For my confirmation > in 1947 I was given a New Testament with the note "Printed in the United > States of America" ... - printed in Gothic types. > > All the best, > > Mathias > -- > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > >> > >
