Nazis, Lies, and Lullabies

In 1936, Elvira Theodolinde Bauer, a German kindergarten teacher and would-be graphic artist, wrote and illustrated a picturebook that would eventually become a classic of anti-Semitic children’s literature. Entitled Trau keinem Fuchs auf grüner Heid und keinem Jud bei seinem Eid! [Trust neither a...

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Main Author: I. M. Nick
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University Library System, University of Pittsburgh 2022-12-01
Series:Names
Subjects:
Online Access:https://ans-names.pitt.edu/ans/article/view/2474
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author I. M. Nick
author_facet I. M. Nick
author_sort I. M. Nick
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description In 1936, Elvira Theodolinde Bauer, a German kindergarten teacher and would-be graphic artist, wrote and illustrated a picturebook that would eventually become a classic of anti-Semitic children’s literature. Entitled Trau keinem Fuchs auf grüner Heid und keinem Jud bei seinem Eid! [Trust neither a fox on a green heath nor a yid upon his oath!]1 (Bauer 1936), the work was published and distributed by the infamous Nazi propagandist and publisher Julius Streicher—the Führer of Franken and the producer of the incendiary anti-Semitic weekly, Der Stürmer. After providing historical background on Streicher, Bauer, and the poisonous fruit of their literary collaboration, this article examines how character names in Trau keinem Fuchs were used to plant misinformation about and sow hatred against Jewish people living in the Reich. As this article also shows, by utilizing the names of real-life victims of Fascism, Bauer’s fairy tales effectively blurred the line between fact and fiction for adult and child readers alike. The article ends with a discussion of the urgent need for more research into the ways hate groups, past and present, use names to indoctrinate new members, both great and small.
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spelling doaj.art-b0d09a4b784643fcaaf2d5ac0c324bbe2022-12-22T04:41:14ZengUniversity Library System, University of PittsburghNames0027-77381756-22792022-12-0170410.5195/names.2022.2474Nazis, Lies, and LullabiesI. M. Nick0American Name Society In 1936, Elvira Theodolinde Bauer, a German kindergarten teacher and would-be graphic artist, wrote and illustrated a picturebook that would eventually become a classic of anti-Semitic children’s literature. Entitled Trau keinem Fuchs auf grüner Heid und keinem Jud bei seinem Eid! [Trust neither a fox on a green heath nor a yid upon his oath!]1 (Bauer 1936), the work was published and distributed by the infamous Nazi propagandist and publisher Julius Streicher—the Führer of Franken and the producer of the incendiary anti-Semitic weekly, Der Stürmer. After providing historical background on Streicher, Bauer, and the poisonous fruit of their literary collaboration, this article examines how character names in Trau keinem Fuchs were used to plant misinformation about and sow hatred against Jewish people living in the Reich. As this article also shows, by utilizing the names of real-life victims of Fascism, Bauer’s fairy tales effectively blurred the line between fact and fiction for adult and child readers alike. The article ends with a discussion of the urgent need for more research into the ways hate groups, past and present, use names to indoctrinate new members, both great and small. https://ans-names.pitt.edu/ans/article/view/2474literary onomasticsGermancharactonymanti-Semitismchildren's literatureJulius Streicher
spellingShingle I. M. Nick
Nazis, Lies, and Lullabies
Names
literary onomastics
German
charactonym
anti-Semitism
children's literature
Julius Streicher
title Nazis, Lies, and Lullabies
title_full Nazis, Lies, and Lullabies
title_fullStr Nazis, Lies, and Lullabies
title_full_unstemmed Nazis, Lies, and Lullabies
title_short Nazis, Lies, and Lullabies
title_sort nazis lies and lullabies
topic literary onomastics
German
charactonym
anti-Semitism
children's literature
Julius Streicher
url https://ans-names.pitt.edu/ans/article/view/2474
work_keys_str_mv AT imnick nazisliesandlullabies