Presenter(s)

Sarah Theewis

Comments

9:00-10:15, Kennedy Union Ballroom

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Description

Alfred Rosenberg was born in Revel, Estonia. After Moving to Munich in 1918, he became one of the founding members of Der Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei [The National- Socialist German Workers Party] (NSDAP). Rosenberg is known primarily for being one of the leading NS ideologues and the head of the Eastern Occupied Territories. In 1930, Alfred Rosenberg wrote one of his most famous publications, Der Mythus des 20. Jahrhunderts [The Myth of the 20th Century]. In this three part publication, Rosenberg uses the concept of the Volk as a defining factor for NS ideology. The Volk is a German term that describes the concept of a group of peoples. A word that encompasses blood, culture, tradition, language, heritage and nationalism. The concept of the Volk , a German word first used in the 16th century, was used by Rosenberg to describe a people while simultaneously attempting to disenfranchise, discrimi- nate and challenge the existence of different cultures within their ‘society.’ Jewish people, Roma individuals and anyone who did not fit the mold of the German Volk were subjected to harsh treatment and persecution. The corpus of this analysis consists of Der Mythus des 20. Jahrhundert, Rosenberg’s diary from 1934–1944, and his autobiography, The Memoir of Alfred Rosenberg, written during the Nuremberg trials. Throughout Rosenberg’s life, his concept and use of the Volk manifested through these works, showing the change in his ideology and by proxy the ideology of the NSDAP within the confines of Christianity. The ideas of the Volk during the third Reich will set the stage for other Authoritarian Nationalist states. As Authoritarian Nationalism is on the rise in the 21st century by many developed nations, the study of the Volk helps to understand how Christianity conforms within modern political spheres. The structure of different modern political parties foster the same sentiments on Christianity as the NSDAP, which allows for an analytical and historical approach to under- standing nationalist authoritarianism.

Publication Date

4-23-2025

Project Designation

Honors Thesis

Primary Advisor

Oliver Knabe

Primary Advisor's Department

Global Languages and Cultures

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Alfred Rosenberg: An Analysis of the Volk from 1930-1944

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