Nazi Propaganda & Censorship
Created by Michael J., Max K,. Charlie R, & Donald W.
How the Nazi government used lies, posters, and media to turn people against Jewish people and control what information people could see.
Two Faces of Propaganda
Artist Statement
Our artifact is called “Two Faces of Propaganda.” It exemplifies the hidden danger of propaganda during the Holocaust. We want our viewer to feel the aura of uneasiness at first glance. At first, the artifact seems innocent, but after deep inspection, viewers should start to question the meaning of our artifact. Our main idea is that propaganda is meant to be compelling to the public eye, while, at the same time, falsely dehumanizing their enemies and promoting their beliefs.
The topic of our artifact is “Nazi Propaganda and Censorship” used by the NASDAP, more commonly known as the Nazi party, during the elections in Germany and WWII. In our research, we learned that the Nazis used posters, speeches, films, and radio to spread their ideas and control German citizens' thoughts. The Nazis appeared to be strong, united, and for the people of Germany, but they spread lies about Jewish people and other minorities even though they were German citizens. These fabrications of the truth created discrimination, violence, and suffering. The artifact demonstrates how in times of crisis like Germany during the Weimar republic, people were not able to resist the propaganda of the Nazi party. We made this artifact to demonstrate how powerful and deceiving propaganda is.
The main symbol is a two-faced male figure. One side of the face looks human and at ease. The other side is angry, outraged, and just vile. The normal half of the face symbolizes the appearance of the Nazis to Aryan Germans. When a Nazi representative tries to recruit a German citizen, they convey the message that Germans are the best and all minorities are evil. This is far from the truth, but by brainwashing German citizens with propaganda, it becomes the truth in the eyes of the public. The other evil side represents the Nazis true self, seen by the Allies and the minorities being persecuted.
The other main symbol included in the artifact is the wooden figure representing the German population. The citizen is being controlled by the Nazis ideas. The larger figure is controlling the population using propaganda, which is represented by the strings compelling to move in certain ways. This shows the power of the government compared to the citizens affected by it. This allegory of Nazis controlling the Germans citizens is inspired by information we found researching for this project.
For our process, we planned and built the artifact together. Like most groups, we used strong materials, like hot glue, so it would stand up and stay stable. We painted each side of the face differently to show contrast. We kept the background plain so the figure and the propaganda images around it would be emphasized. We also added real examples of propaganda and quotes so viewers could connect it to history.
We used elements of art like color, value, shape, and space. Light and dark colors make the two sides stand out. The 3D shape makes the face feel real. Empty space in the bottom of the artifact keeps attention on the main figure. For design, we used emphasis to make the face the main point and unity so everything works together to show one clear message.
These choices make the symbolism stronger. The contrast shows the difference between appearance and reality. The size difference expresses control and power. Emphasis makes people look at the face and think about what it represents.
This artifact matters because propaganda still exists today. Messages in the media can influence how people think. We hope that after seeing it, people will question what they hear and see, and use their brain to decide what's false or fact. Thinking carefully and fact checking can help prevent history from repeating itself.
