From the beginning of their rise to power, the National Socialist regime began carefully laying the groundwork for a systematic overhaul of Germany’s literature. Strongly believing the key to a successful Third Reich was to secure the unwavering loyalty and belief of the youth, they began to monitor their exposure to literature. The author exposes how, and to what extent, the National Socialist’s primary ideology was reflected in the children’s literature produced between 1933 and 1945. This work uncovers many surprising insights into the reception of openly xenophobic and anti-Semitic literature produced for children under the National Socialist regime. This is supported by rare finds in the form of articles and women’s magazines, which clearly demonstrate that not all children’s books were in line with the State‘s subtle approach to ideologically educating the youth.

Stephanie Robertson is an instructional designer and learning and development expert in Melbourne, Australia. She is particularly interested in pedagogy and indoctrination through literature, and the way in which text is used and adapted to impart meaning onto its readership.