The Anarchy of Nazi Memorabilia

ISBN-13: 9781032169712 / Miękka / 2023 / 240 str.

Michael Hughes

Opis

This book will appeal to all those interested in the Third Reich, Nazi Ideology, Neo-Nazism, perceptions of the Nazis post-1945, Modern European History and political symbolism. It will also hold particular appeal to those interested in the collecting and trading of contested and highly emotive artefacts.

Recenzje

"This is a corner of the technology of the Third Reich that can still be appropriated, when the larger and more complex technology has for the most part disappeared into museums. Hughes has produced an intelligent and detailed account of a materiality that refuses to become merely a part of the past." - Richard Overy, University of Exeter, Technology and Culture

"The book will be of particular interest to scholars following contemporary trends in Nazi-era studies such as the archaeology of everyday sites of genocide, the looting of not only fine arts but an array of objects that constituted the violent transfer of wealth during the war, and the exploration of material culture more broadly. It also complements scholars interested in exploring areas of collecting that are ethically problematic, such as memorabilia from the Confederacy in the American South." - Paul Jaskot, Duke University, Journal of Contemporary Archaeology

"Michael Hughes has written a probing, ambitious book that makes plain the quandaries of Nazi memorabilia collections." - Christopher J. McNulty, Northeastern University Boston, Journal of Military History

"The Anarchy of Nazi Memorabilia is a well-written and thoroughly researched study offering valuable connections between the present and the past that will appeal to all historians, social scientists, those interested in collecting and in material culture, and likely many more." - Melissa Etzler, Butler University, German Studies Review

"An ambitious, engaging, and important work on the origins, histories, and purposes of Nazi medals and badges and their societal contexts during and after World War II." - Robert M. Ehrenreich, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Winterthur Portfolio

"The material culture of the Third Reich is the subject of The Anarchy of Nazi Memorabilia, a thought-provoking new study by Michael Hughes. For all the scholarly works examining various forms of Nazi propaganda, such as films, art, architecture, radio, and posters, this is the first book of its type, and Hughes deserves praise for his pioneering effort. Without question, this is an expansive subject that warrants further scholarship" - Jeffrey Luppes, Indiana University South Bend, German Politics and Society

Spis treści

1 Introduction / 2 From Weimar to the Third Reich / 3 The Materiality of the People’s Community / 4 Pre-war Awards: More Than Just Eagles and Swastikas / 5 Medals for Babies: The ‘Honour Cross of the German Mother’ (Ehrenkreuz der Deutschen Mutter) / 6 Wartime Awards: All Ironed Out / 7 Objects as Texts and Trade / 8 Trash or Treasure: How do you solve a problem like Nazi memorabilia? / 9 Collecting Nazi Memorabilia in the 21^st Century and Beyond

 

O autorze

Michael Hughes obtained his Doctorate in Economic and Social History from the University of Glasgow in 2016. His life changed when he fully lost his eyesight in 1998. It gave him the opportunity, however, to change direction away from Quality Engineering and to devote more time to collecting military artefacts. He subsequently combined his academic ability and interest in the social life and function of military and political symbols to complete his doctorate and conducted further research resulting in this book. He describes himself as a reformed collector and is doing his best to resist accumulating things.