If you lived in Nazi Germany, you would have been very familiar with this photo. “The ideal German soldier” is the most famous Nazi propaganda photo of all time, and was used in drafting campaigns. But did you know that the soldier in question was a Jew?
Werner Goldberg was born to a Jewish father, and had been brutally bullied for his Jewish heritage in school. He was classified as a mischling (Mix-breed) under Nazi laws. Eventually, while downplaying his Jewish ancestry, he joined the German army. At one point, not knowing the truth about the soldier, a photographer took this iconic photograph of Werner. That photograph was used for propaganda purposes, with Nazi officials deciding that it was the ideal portrait of an Aryan soldier.
Eventually Werner was kicked out of the army for his Jewish ancestry. With a name like Goldberg, I don’t know what took them so long.
Later on, he used his fame and connections to try to prevent his father from being sent to a death camp. Eventually his father got sick and was sent to a Jewish hospital. People who went to “Jewish hospitals” were often sent straight to Auschwitz. Werner snuck into the hospital and basically smuggled his father out. He hid his father until the war ended.
Despite all that, some neo-nazis still use the photo, completely unaware of the story behind it.
In addition to the most famous photo of an Aryan man, did you know that the most famous photo of an Aryan woman is also of a Jew? The Nazi party announced a competition to find the most beautiful Aryan baby. A Jewish woman thought it would be funny to send in a picture of her baby daughter, Hessy Taft. Unexpectedly, Taft’s photo won, and a Jewish baby became the new “Perfect Aryan baby” that was used in much propaganda imagery.
yomommaco0chie on
Nobody in the Nazi government fit the idea of an ideal aryan.
thisismynewacct on
Don’t forget the ideal aryan baby was also Jewish
Top_Divide6886 on
I’m starting to think these Nazi’s weren’t good people.
Gandalfthebran on
If someone calls themselves an ‘Ideal Aryan’. Ask them their Gotra, and if they can recite Gayatri Mantra. If they can’t then they are a poser. Blues eyes and blonde hair my foot. Lol
Earlofargyll on
So much of the warrior ideal stuff in fascism has such blatantly hilarious gay undertones. Nazis really handpicked the most handsome man soldier and plastered the image everywhere.
Majorman_86 on
Only a master of evil, Darth.
TPrice1616 on
I just finished reading a book on the generation born in the Weimar era and it talked about the rise of Nazism and especially their youth programs since the subjects of the book were kids at the time. It mentioned one Nazi propagandist being laughed out of a classroom when he managed to pick the one Jewish student out as a perfect example of Aryan greatness.
Plus_Ad_2777 on
Ngl, for a Jewish guy, he looks very English, not North German or Scandinavian as was ideal for the SS, but very British, Irish, French and possibly SOUTH German all in one face. But I don’t see how HE became they’re ideal. And not some Dolph Lundgren type of individual.
TraditionalClub6337 on
When a country becomes a beauty pageant
Beautiful-Acadia5238 on
And H!tler had black hair. There are news who are more pale then him. I feel like this entire way of thinking that a group who look like a certain way is superior is a very weird idea.
JonathanUpp on
It’s almost like eugenics and nazi eugenics, in particular, are completely nonsensical, who could have guessed?……
Level_Hour6480 on
Antifascist Nazi-heads memes always baffle me.
Noncrediblepigeon on
A similar thing actually happened with the picture of a blonde baby. The fotographer chose a jewish baby on purpose in order to mock the nazis.
14 Comments
If you lived in Nazi Germany, you would have been very familiar with this photo. “The ideal German soldier” is the most famous Nazi propaganda photo of all time, and was used in drafting campaigns. But did you know that the soldier in question was a Jew?
Werner Goldberg was born to a Jewish father, and had been brutally bullied for his Jewish heritage in school. He was classified as a mischling (Mix-breed) under Nazi laws. Eventually, while downplaying his Jewish ancestry, he joined the German army. At one point, not knowing the truth about the soldier, a photographer took this iconic photograph of Werner. That photograph was used for propaganda purposes, with Nazi officials deciding that it was the ideal portrait of an Aryan soldier.
Eventually Werner was kicked out of the army for his Jewish ancestry. With a name like Goldberg, I don’t know what took them so long.
Later on, he used his fame and connections to try to prevent his father from being sent to a death camp. Eventually his father got sick and was sent to a Jewish hospital. People who went to “Jewish hospitals” were often sent straight to Auschwitz. Werner snuck into the hospital and basically smuggled his father out. He hid his father until the war ended.
Despite all that, some neo-nazis still use the photo, completely unaware of the story behind it.
In addition to the most famous photo of an Aryan man, did you know that the most famous photo of an Aryan woman is also of a Jew? The Nazi party announced a competition to find the most beautiful Aryan baby. A Jewish woman thought it would be funny to send in a picture of her baby daughter, Hessy Taft. Unexpectedly, Taft’s photo won, and a Jewish baby became the new “Perfect Aryan baby” that was used in much propaganda imagery.
Nobody in the Nazi government fit the idea of an ideal aryan.
Don’t forget the ideal aryan baby was also Jewish
I’m starting to think these Nazi’s weren’t good people.
If someone calls themselves an ‘Ideal Aryan’. Ask them their Gotra, and if they can recite Gayatri Mantra. If they can’t then they are a poser. Blues eyes and blonde hair my foot. Lol
So much of the warrior ideal stuff in fascism has such blatantly hilarious gay undertones. Nazis really handpicked the most handsome man soldier and plastered the image everywhere.
Only a master of evil, Darth.
I just finished reading a book on the generation born in the Weimar era and it talked about the rise of Nazism and especially their youth programs since the subjects of the book were kids at the time. It mentioned one Nazi propagandist being laughed out of a classroom when he managed to pick the one Jewish student out as a perfect example of Aryan greatness.
Ngl, for a Jewish guy, he looks very English, not North German or Scandinavian as was ideal for the SS, but very British, Irish, French and possibly SOUTH German all in one face. But I don’t see how HE became they’re ideal. And not some Dolph Lundgren type of individual.
When a country becomes a beauty pageant
And H!tler had black hair. There are news who are more pale then him. I feel like this entire way of thinking that a group who look like a certain way is superior is a very weird idea.
It’s almost like eugenics and nazi eugenics, in particular, are completely nonsensical, who could have guessed?……
Antifascist Nazi-heads memes always baffle me.
A similar thing actually happened with the picture of a blonde baby. The fotographer chose a jewish baby on purpose in order to mock the nazis.