| Original caption: “What Nazis Think Of German-Americans. Braun von Stumm, spokesman for Joseph Goebbels, at a press conference held in the Ministry of Press and Propaganda, Wilhelmstrasse, Berlin, on October 28, 1942, described German emigrants to America as follows: October 28 1530 Hours Berlin; German emigrants are completely uprooted creatures who do not deserve to be called German.” Cartoon drawing of Reichsminister für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda (“Reich Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda) Joseph Goebbels (October 29, 1897 – May 1, 1945) with “lies” in his mouth speaking into a swastika-topped microphone. Gustaf Braun von Stumm (June 23, 1890 – November 3, 1963) was the Foreign Press Secretary for Goebbels. He was most famous internationally for announcing the “Baedeker Raids” on April 24, 1942, an intensified bombing campaign of the United Kingdom, so named for the supposition that the Germans were using the German Baedeker travel guidebooks to plan their air assaults. Baron Gustaf Braun von Stumm was a scion of the South German aristocracy and a career diplomat with a thorough knowledge of most European countries. Unlike his chief, he was little of an orator, and his speeches were regarded as “tedious and uninteresting.” It was more from a desire to prove his faithfulness to the Nazi creed than from any real inclination that the monocled Baron copied the brusque manners of his superiors. The press conference of October 28, 1942, was somewhat apocryphal; while widely reported in the Allied press, no complete transcript of his remarks exists. American social realist artist Ben Shahn (September 12, 1898 – March 14, 1969) was working for the Office of War Information (OWI), having come from the Farm Security Administration, like many photographers and artists. In a staff conference in Washington in 1943, OWI jumped on Stumm’s remarks. Shahn submitted this design, but it was initially rejected. Many of Shahn’s posters were deemed too provocative for general or overseas audiences. A 22-inch (56-centimeter) by 28-inch (71-centimeter) poster was ready by August 1943. The primary audience was German American venues, like clubs, restaurants, and organizations. In 1939, 20,000 members of the Der Amerikadeutscher Volksbund (“the German American Bund”), rallied in New York City’s Madison Square Garden. But that was a fraction of the 6,000,000 Americans with German ancestry. The vast majority of German Americans were horrified by the book burnings, the treatment of Jews, and the violence towards Germany’s neighbors. They did not appreciate the suspicions cast upon German Americans caused by the actions of the Bund at home and Nazis abroad. Just speaking with a German accent was enough to be accused of being a Nazi in the 1930s. German Americans were suspected of being 5th columnists. Despite U-Boats landing spies ashore, nothing came of attempts to organize German Americans against the United States Government. Regardless, those on the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s list were rounded up after Pearl Harbor. They were denied due process. Some were accused by business rivals or ex-wives on little evidence. Over 10,000 were incarcerated for the duration of the war. Some remained in prison until 1948. German Americans fought on every front, and unlike Japanese Americans, they were not segregated from other Americans. Millions served in the Armed Forces with distinction, including several generals. General Walter Krueger (January 26, 1881 – August 20, 1967), born in East Prussia, commanded 6th Army in the Pacific. Supreme Commander SHAEF, General Dwight D. “Ike” Eisenhower’s (October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) family migrated from the German village of Karlsbrunn to the Province of Pennsylvania in 1741. Shahn would create several other notable posters, among them a poster commemorating the Lidice Massacre in 1942, and another to “Remember December Seventh,” 1941. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0903.jpg |
| Image Size | 11.76 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 8747 x 11160 |
| Photographer | Ben Shahn |
| Photographer Title | Office of War Information |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | August 1, 1943 |
| Location | |
| City | Washington |
| State or Province | District of Columbia |
| Country | United States |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NWDNS-44-PA-375 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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