artists

Hitler had a very special conception of artistic life. He had the most
conventional and classic tastes and could not hear about "Avant-garde",
expressionism or surrealism. All that was for him "entarte art" or "decadent". On
another hand, the Führer was so convinced that some artists were
indispensable for the glory of German Art and Germany's repute that he
established two lists of people who were dispensed of all military duties and
whose income was not taxable. The first list, called list A, was reserved to the
"Immortals" (sic) inspired by the ridiculous habit of L'Académie Francaise.
Those people were considered of "supreme importance" (sic) and were
untouchable : the list A included celebrities like Hans Carossa (novelist and
poet), Gerhart Hauptmann (sculptor and writer), Richard Strauss (composer),
Wilhem Furtwangler (director) and Arno Breker (sculptor). On the list B, 20,000
names were granted minor privileges, notably in fiscal matters.

In 1938, Hitler made a list of 773 names of artists whose income taxes should be
cut at least by 40% including people like Rudolf Bockelmann (singer), Josef von
Manowarda (singer), Helge Roswaenge (singer), Ema Berger (singer), Maria
Muller (singer), Margaret Slezak (actress). The same year, to rivalize with the
Nobel Prize, he instituted a National Prize for Art & Science (Ehrenzeichen
des Deutschen Nationalpreises für Kunst und Wissenschaft ) which was
awarded to Ernst Heinkel (mechanics), Ferdinand Porsche (cars), Fritz
Todt (construction), Willy Messerschmitt (planes), Wilhelm Filchner
(exploration), August Bier (medicine ), Alfred Rosenberg (author),
Ferdinand Sauerbruch (medicine) and Paul Troost (architecture).

You will find in the frame below the list of artists who were favorite of the IIIrd
Reich and approved by the regime, not all were included in the Lists A or B but
all enjoyed considerable privileges. If one artist happened to lose his
approbation, like the painter Emil Nolde or Herbert von Karajan, his fate was
sealed for the duration of the IIIrd Reich.

NAZIS or NAZIS APPROVED ARTISTS, ARCHITECTS, MUSICIANS, WRITERS
& ENGINEERS