The Nature and Functions of the Reich Chamber of Motion Pictures
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The national socialistic State had to intervene at once in his field. It had to lift the motion pictures out of the sphere of influence of literalistic economic thinking, give them a sound economic foundation, and assign to them political and cultural missions to be fulfilled within the national socialistic state. [ . . . ]
The great significance of the motion picture in pointing the way to our people towards the creation of a national will, requires of all those who are active in the motion picture industry to become bearers and conveyors of culture. It is one of the most important duties of the Reich Chamber of Motion Pictures to see to it that the entire motion picture profession will become cognizant of this mission.
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The Nature and Functions of the Reich Chamber of Broadcasting
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Another aspect, however, no steps conspicuously into the foreground in the field of broadcasting: Campaigning for broadcast reception! Until the time of the seizure of power by National Socialism, Germany had considerably fallen behind several great civilized nations in the number of its radio listeners. Causes for this backwardness undoubtedly were: inefficiency, lack of ability and above all lack of resourcefulness and aggressiveness on the part of the broadcasting authorities of the time of the Weimar Republic [Systemzeit]. National Socialism effected thorough changes in that respect, and in due recognition of the necessities, initiated a strong propaganda which appealed to the people. [ . . . ]
It was inevitable that the Chamber had to become a factor in various aspects of the broadcasting economy, so that the goal of total dispersion of broadcasting among the German people could be as closely approached as possible. Department III – Economy and Technical Science – concerns itself with an immense number of problems arising in this connection. We mention the most important one: To plan the construction apparatus. The following results to be mentioned here, among others: the creation of the “People’s Receiver” [Volksempfänger], which because of its technical features and price level, started its triumphant career which has no comparison, in spite of all kinds of obstacles, with a total sale of 2 ½ million pieces, thus contributing considerably to the attainment of the high number of listeners today. [ . . . ]
Source of English translation: Extracts from the Manual of the Reich Chamber of Culture (1937). In United States Chief Counsel for the Prosecution of Axis Criminality, Nazi Conspiracy and Aggression, Volume V. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1946, Document 2529-PS, pp. 262-67; reprinted in Benjamin Sax and Dieter Kuntz, eds., INSIDE HITLER’S GERMANY: A DOCUMENTARY HISTORY OF LIFE IN THE THIRD REICH. 1st edition. Lexington, MA, and Toronto: D.C. Heath & Company, 1992, pp. 232-34.
Source of original German text: Hans Hinkel, ed., Handbuch der Reichskulturkammer, bearbeitet von Gerichtsassessor Günter Genz. Berlin: Deutscher Verlag für Politik und Wirtschaft GmbH, 1937, pp. 41, 92, 136, 273-74, 304-05.
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