Do not make a Halifax Satirical drawing by Karl Schwesig depicting Hitler greeting a British diplomat
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 10.625 inches (26.988 cm) | Width: 14.125 inches (35.878 cm)
Creator(s)
- Karl Schwesig (Artist)
- Karl Schwesig (Subject)
Biographical History
Karl Schwesig was born on June 19, 1898, in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. His father was a miner. From 1916 to 1918, Schwesig served in the German Army during the First World War (1914-1918). In 1918, Schwesig began studying at the Academy of Fine Arts in Dusseldorf. In 1921, he left the conservative academy and joined the Junge Rhineland artist group. In 1924, Schwesig cofounded the satirical magazine Die Peitsche (The Whip). The right wing Nazi Party was growing rapidly in popularity duirng the 1920s and Schwesig was an outspoken anti-Nazi. He joined the Communist Party in the late 1920’s. Hitler came to power in Germany in January 1933 and the country was soon ruled by a Nazi dictatorship. On July 11, 1933, Schwesig was arrested for his anti-Nazi commentary. He was detained by the SA and interrogated for the names of colleagues who also resisted the Nazis. He was sent to Ulmer Höhe prison in Dusseldorf. In 1934, he was convicted of treason and served his sentence in Bendahl prison in Wuppertal. After his release on November 18, 1934, Schwesig was granted political asylum in Belgium and lived in Antwerp. In 1937, his German citizenship was revoked and his property in Germany was confiscated by the Nazi regime. On May 10, 1940, Germany invaded Belgium. Schwesig was arrested and deported to St. Cyprien internment camp in Vichy France. In October, he was moved to Gurs internment camp after St. Cyprien was destroyed by flooding. In February 1941, he was transferred to Noé internment camp. In March 1943, he was sent to Nexon internment camp and classified as a politcal prisoner. In June, Schwesig was sent to Fort Romainville prison in Paris and in July to Ulmer Höhe prison in Dusseldorf. Throughout his imprisonment, Schwesig drew images of daily life in the camps. Schwesig was liberated in Ulmer Höhe after American forces captured Dusseldorf on April 17, 1945. The war ended when Germany surrendered on May 7. Schwesig stayed in Dusseldorf. He died, age 57, in 1955.
Archival History
The drawing was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1988.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection
Scope and Content
Satirical ink drawing created by Karl Schwesig in February 1938 in Antwerp, depicting Hitler kissing the hand of a British man in front of his home of Berchtesgaden. It is part of a series of eight satirical drawings published in an illegal newspaper, the Kolner Rosenmontags-Zeitung (Cologne Rose Monday Newspaper). The newspaper was printed in Cologne and distributed at the Cologne Carnival on Rose Monday before Lent in early 1938. The printer was unable to smuggle the dangerous drawings out of Germany, so he kept them in his shop, where they were damaged by a fire during the war. After Hitler came to power in January 1933, Schwesig, a Communist, was arrested and imprisoned for 16 months. After his release in 1935, he lived in Antwerp, Belgium. On May 10, 1940, Germany invaded Belgium. Schwesig was arrested and sent to Vichy France, where he was held in St. Cyprien, Gurs, Noe, and Nexon internment camps. In 1943, he was sent to Ulmer Hoeh prison in Dusseldorf, where he was liberated by American forces in April 1945.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Drawing in ink on paper depicting Adolf Hitler and a British man on a large rectangular float with 2 wheels. Hitler is wearing a uniform with a swastika armband and has exaggerated features, with a very large nose and furrowed brow. He is kneeling on the ground, hunched over and kissing the hand of a haughty looking British man. The British man is wearing a top hat with the British flag on the side, a tailcoat, striped pants, and a monocle. There is a signpost to left labeled BERCHTESGADEN ADOLFSHUTTE, pointing to 4 buildings in the back, one with a swastika on it. There are mountains and trees behind the buildings, and another mountain on the right with the text GOTT STraFe ENGLAND. To the left of the float are 3 men wearing top hats and sunglasses, marching while reading newspapers labeled TIMES. The artwork title is written on the side of the float. The paper is burned on the left side.
front, upper left corner, red pencil : IV. front, lower right corner, pencil: L sp back, upper center, red pencil : IV. back, lower left corner, stamped, black ink : Nachlaß Karl Schwesig [Estate Karl Schwesig]
People
- Schwesig, Karl, 1898-1955.
- Hitler, Adolf, 1889-1945--Caricatures and cartoons.
Subjects
- Political prisoners--France--Biography.
- Artists--Germany--Biography.
- Anti-Nazi movement in art.
- World War, 1939--1945--Prisoners and prisons, German.
- Political refugees--France.
Genre
- Art
- Object