The Niggering of Culture

3/8/13: The Niggering of Culture

Degenerate Art Commission

                It was a time when virtually all modern art was dubbed “Entartete” or “degenerate” art under Hitler’s rule.  Joseph Goebbel’s Degenerate Art Commission ordered thousands of paintings burned and just as many auctioned off at ridiculously low prices in order to fund the Nazi Regime’s military expenses.  Pieces such as Van Gogh’s “Self Portrait as Bonze” sold for just $40 and the money was used to build more guns and ammunition.  Anyone who did not follow the Nazi line of thought by advocating Arian supremacy was against the party.  In this photo, artists who have painted art depicting African culture were declared to be contributing to what Hitler called “The niggering of society”.  Paintings such as these, along with anything resembling Jewish influence would have been burned.  The whole purpose of the spectacle was to defame the artists and the clients who purchased their artwork.  Many famous names graced the list such as Gougain and Van Gogh.  The Nazis ended up burning 4829 pieces of artwork and auctioned off the rest.

http://stevenlehrer.com/degenerate_art.htm

Some Background on “Ëntartete”

http://www.lessonplanet.com/article/history/degenerate-art