German Cultural Policy in the Reich Province of Danzig-West Prussia: A Short Characteristic

Abstract

An important element of the ethnic and racial policy pursued by the German occupant in the Reich Province of Danzig-West Prussia was cultural policy (Kulturpolitik)� Admittedly, since the first days of occupation the German authorities attached great importance to matters of culture – however, in the Nazi reality there was no cultural policy understood as encouragement and support offered by state authorities for independent, artistic creativity in its varied forms� The Nazis “controlled” culture, which played an important role in the process of creating a new reality in the annexed Polish territories� In the present paper, the author discusses selected issues illustrating the organization and forms of German cultural life in the Danzig-West Germany Province of the Reich� In outlining the German cultural policy, two main aspects were taken into account: culture as just another component of the broader Ger— ABSTRAKT —