Essay on "Klemperer I Will Bear Witness"

Essay 5 pages (1609 words) Sources: 3 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Bear Witness

Will Bear Witness 1933-1941

Because Victor Klemperer, in "I Will Bear Witness" presents, accurately, numerous cases of the Nazi's continual manipulation and misuse of the German language, his conclusions would prove that the Nazis continually exploited the language for their own negative propaganda purposes.

Further, Kemperer would conclude that the contortion of the German language by the Nazis proved the "emotional deceit of Nazism, the whole mortal sin of deliberately twisting things founded on reason into the realm of the emotions." (Henry Ashby, Jr. Turner p237) the aim was, he argued, "to suppress the intellect" and induce "surrender to a state of numbing dullness without any freedom of will or feeling; how else would one have got hold of the necessary crowd of executioners and torturers?" (Henry Ashby, Jr. Turner p245)

As an accomplished philologist, Klemperer believed that "language reveals all" and he sought to identify the mentality of the Nazis by scrutinizing their use of words. (Henry Ashby, Jr. Turner p11)

Background

In 1920, Victor Klemperer, a Jew, was called to the chair of Romance languages and literature at Dresden Technical University -- a post he held until the Nazis dismissed him in 1935.

During this time he was still partly guided by notions of the goodness of the German culture and of "essential national characters." Unfortunately, the rise of the National Socialist Party (Nazi) in 1933 disavowed him of those notions. (V. Klemperer pxii)

Klemperer lost much more than his position at the University over the following twelve years. His love of everything German disintegrated as he lost his home, his money, his books, his dignity, his self-respect, and almost, his marriage. And he watched many of his friends trundled off to concentration camps. One can see why he came to despise the Nazis.

Klemperer was saved from the concentration camps because he was married to an Aryan, who the Nazis defined as a white person of non-semitic descent regarded as racially superior.

He kept journals all his life. Due to his dismissal, during the period from 1933-1945, and having more time on his hands, the detail of his journals became quite detailed and followed the progression of the elimination of privacy, the arbitrary cruelty toward those whom the regime defined as Jews, and the operation of the "apparatus of extermination." (V. Klemperer pxiv)

Klemperer shows how Jews were deprived of resources, rights, and hope, especially after emigration became nearly impossible in 1939. Despite everything, Klemperer always saw himself as a German -- or rather, as a German ex-nationalist and an anti-Zionist who opposed a Jewish state because he feared it would re-create nationalist excesses. (Hoffmann)

Evidence

The relentless employment of superlatives in praise of the regime's actions and their designation as historisch (historical), einmalig (unique), and ewig (eternal) sought to delegitimize doubt. The affirmative use of such previously derogatory terms as blindlings (blunder), fanatisch (fanatic), and unb ndig (uncontrollable) aimed at dispelling moral inhibitions and discouraging individual judgments. Application to the human sphere of mechanical concepts such as Gleichschaltung (enforced conformity) and Einstellung (adjustment) had the effect of "degrading people to the status of machines." (Henry Ashby, Jr. Turner p155) sound film recording of Hitler, a few sentences in front of a big meeting-clenched fist, twisted face, wild bawling -- 'on January 30 (1933) they were still laughing at me, they won't be laughing anymore' seems that perhaps for the moment he is all-powerful-but the voice and gestures expressed impotent rage. Doubts of his omnipotence? Does one talk incessantly about a thousand years and enemies destroyed, if one is certain of these thousand years and this annihilation?" (cf. Klemperer p26) (the Times)

This is evidence of Klemperer's ability as an insightful psycholinguist with profound understanding of Hitler's psyche. Klemperer returns to this expression and shows how Hitler and his companions turned it from a metaphorical phrase into horrible action. (the Times)

Hitler was obsessed with his idea of Jewish laughter, and kept returning to his threat that those who failed to take him seriously would stop laughing soon. (the Times)

Hitler knew that his own unthinkable murder policy, which ended the lives of millions of innocent people, was already underway. (the Times) few examples of Nazi linguistic practice: Klemperer focuses on the Nazi use of the word "heroism," with which many German actions are depicted, but which, as the fortunes of the war changed, sounded increasingly hollow. Another favorite was " fanatisch " (fanatic). In the 18th century, it was used in a derogatory sense to describe a man so impervious to reason as to appear mentally unbalanced. In the Third Reich, it was used to praise German attitudes. "Fanatic" fighting was also used to cover up defeat. German soldiers died "fanatically" and "heroically." A word borrowed from commerce, " liquidieren " (liquidate), became a euphemism for murder. (the Times)

Klemperer also noted the progressive negative changes in Nazi language:

have noticed: since June 20 government declarations no longer talk about national awakening' (stage 1) or about 'national revolution' (stage two). Instead the new slogan is the desired 'total state.' Under the people's chancellor.' On June 29 a Reich minister (Goebbels) said for first time in a public speech: 'We do not tolerate any parties apart from us, Hitler is 'absolute master' in Germany." (V. Klemperer p22)

By late July, 1934 Klemperer noted the tone of the Nazi's getting increasingly threatening:

Something of the Encyclopedic style, somewhat modified is now also present in the Government's edicts. It hints, it warns, it threatens -- whom?

A the public is kept in fear, individuals or groups (which?) threatened indirectly....They say: We know everything, be careful!!" (p78)

And, at that same time he summed up the five aspects he had noted regarding the Nazi's use of language:

Five aspects so far: (1) the mechanical style, (2) the Encyclopedic style of the emigres, (3) the Encyclopedic style of the government, (4) the advertising style, (5) the Germanic style: Names, name changes..." p79)

Klemperer noted, on September 14, 1934 that, "everything is aimed at deafening the individual in collectivism. Printed matter supressed. Primitive."

Late October, 1935 he recognizes "a new aspect of the language of the 3rd Reich to be considered: the character sketches of schoolchildren now being introduced, which contain an assessment of their suitability for the national community." (V. Klemperer p137)

By July, 1936, even the trains were renamed: "Trude Ohlmann writes that she is arriving tomorrow in a "KDF" -- Strength Through Joy -- train." (p178)

Day by day, month by month, year by year, Klemperer records how the Nazi noose tightened around his neck. By 1936, Jews could no longer drive. Jews could no longer ride public buses without a special permit. Jews could walk only on designated streets. Klemperer had to wear a Star of David on his coat whenever he left the house. He and other Jews were subject to unannounced house searches by the Gestapo, sometimes accompanied by threatening words and even beatings. (Burgess)

November, 1939 found the war in Europe at a standstill. In the newspaper, however,

Klemperer says: "In the newspaper we are ever more victorious. The catchphrase 'secure against a blockade' is out of date. Lately: 'German blockade more effective than English.'"

On November 8, 1939, German officers attempted to assassinate Hitler with a bomb in Munich. It failed. The Nazis immediately blamed England and the Jews, "We know the culprits: England and behind it Jewry. I was reckoning with arrest, concentration camp, perhaps the bullet...I had problems with my heart and pains in my chest." (V. Klemperer p318)

December, 1940 finds Klemperer more depressed, "the Jew, the Englishman -- nothing but collectives, no individual counts." (P364)

Jews unwelcome -- Jews prohibited. Situation with regard to Russia and USA puzzling. Abuse of Jews more immoderate, more repulsive than… READ MORE

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