Strength through Joy
Strength through Joy
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Based on extensive archival research, this book was the first major one on the Nazi leisure and tourism agency, Strength through Joy (KdF). The Third Reich aimed to unify Germans in preparation for war and the acquisition of 'living space'. Strength through Joy became the Nazi regime's most determined attempt to ease the tension between collective goals and individual desires, as well as between 'guns and butter'. Its factory beautification, organized sports, cultural events, and mass tourism, sought to raise the status of workers and integrate them in the nation, while keeping its costs low so that its clientele could afford its programs. Although the motivations of Strength through Joy's constituencies often diverged from the Nazi ideal of a united, politicized 'racial community', KdF's accommodation to consumer expectations made it the regime's most popular institution. KdF mitigated present sacrifices while presenting visions of a prosperous future once 'living space' was acquired.
- First study to fully focus on Strength through Joy, the Nazi leisure and tourism agency
- Unique in the way it draws a connection between mass consumption, mass tourism and Nazi violence
- Raises questions regarding the manner in which consumption benefits some, yet can exploit others
Reviews & endorsements
"All in all, this is a very useful book, particularly for those who seek an introductory overview. It convincingly extends the subject well beyond its classic boundaries by opening up new perspectives on the relation between consumption and National Socialism." American Historical Review
"Anyone interested in the history of Nazi Germany, in mass-market tourism, and in an account of a twentieth-century attempt to create a balance between work and life should read Baranowski's thorough and provocative study." Business History Review, Hans-Liudger Dienel, Berlin University of Technology
"Shelly Baranowski provides us with a clear and careful assessment of the impact of Fordism on the changing patterns of German consumption." Journal of Modern History Christopher Kopper, Universitat Bielefeld
"Overall, this is a book that historians will welcome as the first major, scholarly assessment of KDF, from a seasoned scholar who crafts her discussion from fresh perspectives currently engaging the profession."
Geoffrey J. Giles, University of Florida, German Studies Review
Product details
- Published: May 2007
- Format: Paperback
- ISBN: 9780521705998
- Length: 274 pages
- Dimensions: 229 × 152 × 16 mm
- Weight: 0.4kg
- Availability: Available
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Table of Contents
- Introduction
- 1. Nazism, popular aspirations, and mass consumption on the road to power
- 2. 'A volk strong in nerve': Strength through Joy's place in the Third Reich
- 3. The beauty of labor: 'plant community' and coercion
- 4. Mass tourism, the cohesive nation, and visions of empire
- 5. Racial community and individual desires: tourism, the standard of living, and popular consent
- 6. Memories of the past and promises for the future: Strength through Joy in wartime
- 7. Epilogue: the end of 'German' consumption.
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