Article with Audio Discussion.
The Gottbegnadeten-Liste, translating to “God-gifted list” or “Important Artist Exempt List”, was a significant document compiled in Nazi Germany during the final stages of the Second World War (1) . Assembled in August 1944 by the Reichsministerium für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda (Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda) under Joseph Goebbels , it comprised a list of German artists deemed crucial to the Nazi regime (1) . The name “Gottbegnadeten-Liste” itself was derived from the official file title of the document used by the Propaganda Ministry (2) .
Purpose and Context
The primary purpose of the Gottbegnadeten-Liste was to exempt designated artists from military mobilisation as the war drew to a close and the regime implemented a “total war effort” (1) . By September 1944, a “Totale Kriegseinsatz der Kulturschaffenden” (total war deployment of cultural creators) was decreed, and theatres were closed . However, a select minority of 1,041 individuals from the approximately 140,000 members of the Reichskulturkammer (Reich Culture Chamber) were considered to have “besonderere Bedeutung für das nationalsozialistische Regime” (particular importance for the National Socialist regime) and were thus excluded. These individuals were registered in specific lists by Goebbels’ ministry .