Leave us in Peace! Pro-German propaganda poster warning of threats against France
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 43.875 inches (111.443 cm) | Width: 29.875 inches (75.883 cm)
Creator(s)
- G. Mazeyrie Imprimerie (Printer)
Archival History
The poster was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2009 by Gary and Nina Wexler.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Gary and Nina Wexler
Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Scope and Content
Allegorical pro-German propaganda poster depicting France under attack by hostile, foreign elements allied with the Françaises Libres [Free French] movement. France is symbolized by a couple caring for the land, representing the safety and stability of France. They are threatened by three wolves labelled Freemasonry, Jews, and de Gaulle, supported by Lies, a three-headed snake, who seek to stop the regeneration of France. France was occupied by Nazi Germany from June 1940- fall 1944. The Free French were those who sought to continue the war against Germany even though France had surrendered. Most of these resistance forces were eventually united under General Charles de Gaulle. Paris was liberated on August 25, 1944, and de Gaulle entered in triumph the next day.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Photolithographic poster on paper with an illustration of a man and a woman drawn in black and white, superimposed on a yellow map of France with a rising sunburst with the date 1941. The man stands with his left hand gripping the handle of a spade; his right hand is raised in a fist as he glares at the wolves. The woman kneels on the ground, ready to place a plant in the hole dug by the man. From the left, 3 black wolves lunge at the couple, labelled in French: Franc-Maçonnerie, le Juif, and de Gaulle [Freemasonry, the Jew, de Gaulle.] Beside them is a 3-headed snake poised to strike, labelled: Mensonge [Lie.] The title is printed across the top in red ink and the artist's signature in the lower right in black: Jé. There is a blue background and an unprinted white border.
back, bottom right, pencil : 27748.08A.28153 / Laissez-nous tranquilles [Leave us in peace]
Subjects
- World War, 1939-1945--Propaganda--Pictorial works.
- Propaganda--Germany--History--20th century.
- Antisemitism--France--History--20th century--Pictorial works.
- France--History--German occupation, 1940-1945--Posters.
- Antisemitism in art.
- Nazi propaganda--Posters.
Genre
- Object
- Posters