An Orderly Society

What Carl Helmecke might have seen in Germany was the image that the Nazi government wanted him to see. In contrast to what was to come, the Nazi administration put forth the image of a happy and orderly society. Propaganda like the book, Die Nationalsozialistischen Musterbetriebe or the National Socialist Model Plants contained examples of exemplary German companies.

The book also housed more than 200 stereographs showing the progress of industry in Germany under Nazi leadership. The photographs, which appear in 3-D when viewed through a stereograph viewer, depict clean, orderly, and modern workplaces along with happy, industrious workers. The images also highlight the many benefits available to workers including modern housing, company restaurants, and recreational facilities. The Nazi swastika is often prominent in the photos as a reminder of the successes of the Nazi Party.3

A restaurant in one of Hitler’s model factories, circa 1937

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Stereo photo showing workers in one of the model factories, circa 1937

Stereo photo with workers sitting in an assembly hall. The Nazi swastika is displayed prominently at the front of the hall, circa 1937