About Julius Streicher
Known as a prominent member of the Nazi Party, Julius Streicher was a German politician and the founder and publisher of the anti-Semitic newspaper Der Stürmer, one of the Nazi Party’s most utilized propaganda tools. Streicher has been described as ‘the worst of the anti-Semites.’
Politics and Nazism
Heavily influenced by anti-Semitism in pre-war Germany, Streicher joined the German nationalist Protection and Defense Federation, the largest and most active anti-Semitic organization in Germany. He then joined the German Socialist Party in 1920 and attempted to direct the party to a more anti-Semitic direction. His efforts were met with opposition and Streicher left the group to join the German Working Community in 1921. This group also opposed his obsessive hatred for Jewish people and foreign races and later that year Streicher joined the Nazi Party. After hearing Adolf Hitler speak, he believed that it was his destiny to serve the dictator.
Der Stürmer and Other Publications
In 1923 Streicher began publishing the weekly newspaper which was used for anti-Semitic propaganda and smear campaigns. He also published three anti-Semitic children’s books.
The Start of Streicher’s Demise
Despite his strong association with Adolf Hitler and his financial success through his publications, Streicher was viewed as unpredictable and unstable by high-ranking officials and had enemies in the party. His explosive temper and reckless ambition lead to an attempt to publicly humiliate Reich Marshall Hermann Goering, after which he was stripped of his posts in the party and declared as ‘unfit for leadership.’
Conviction and Death
After the war ended in May 1945, Streicher was captured by US forces and placed on trial at the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. There he was convicted on the charge of crimes against humanity and executed by hanging.
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