“Der Stürmer, Fake News, and the Making of the ‘Jewish Criminal’ in Nazi Germany” by Katherine Hubler

While it is well-known that National Socialist propaganda frequently spread “fake news” about European Jews, few Nazi publications were as belligerent and unrestrained in their antisemitic attacks as Der Stürmer (The Stormtrooper).  Published by Julius Streicher between 1923 and 1945, Der Stürmer notably perpetuated the myth of Jewish criminality by soliciting public slander about German Jews—in the form of readers’ letters—and passing it off as fact.  With its lurid imagery, reader-sourced content, and public visibility (the paper was available to read at no-cost in public display cases), Der Stürmer prefigured contemporary methods of fomenting bigotry and spreading misinformation. Katherine Hubler, PhD, is an instructor and Ecampus coordinator with the OSU School of History, Philosophy, and Religion.