The poster was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1990.
Offset lithographic poster printed on off-white paper, adhered to a white linen backing. The poster has a black banner with large, white, German text across the top. In the lower right is a small logo consisting of a line of text arranged in a circle around three larger letters. In the center of the poster is a rectangular, yellow section with two lines of black, German text in a small font above a row of seven black-and-white photographic head shots of several individuals and a line of larger, German text below. The bottom third of the poster has a black background with a paragraph of small, yellow German text, punctuated with several underlined sentences. The poster is worn throughout with discolorations and tears along the margins.
No restrictions on access
No restrictions on use
overall: Height: 33.000 inches (83.82 cm) | Width: 48.000 inches (121.92 cm)
German propaganda poster issued during the week of September 30 to October 6, 1942, from the Parole der Woche (Word of the Week) series. The poster claims that United States President Franklin Roosevelt set up a committee of advisors dubbed “the Brain Trust,” comprised of Jews and Jewish sympathizers. The poster then shows photos of Roosevelt’s supposed advisory committee: Bernard M. Baruch, Henry Morgenthau, Felix Frankfurt, Sol Bloom, Fiorello La Guardia, Cordell Hull, and claims that they are the real rulers in the U.S. In reality, Roosevelt’s “Brain Trust” was established in 1932, during his presidential campaign. The group’s key members were Raymond Moley, Rexford Tugwell, and Adolph Berle. Other advisors worked with the group as needed. The men on the poster were all high-ranking state or federal officials, but were not necessarily a part of the “Brain Trust,” and had varying degrees of influence over U.S. policy. Their presence on this poster is a reflection of their ties to Judaism being misused to fit the Nazi narrative of the “Jewish Enemy.” The Nazis used propaganda to buttress public support for the war effort, shape public opinion, and reinforce antisemitic ideas. As part of their propaganda campaign, the Nazis created the Word of the Week Series of posters (also referred to as Wandzeitung, or wall newspapers), which began distribution on March 16, 1936. Each week, new posters were placed in public places and businesses to be viewed by as many people as possible. Posters were the primary medium for the series, but smaller pamphlets were also produced, which could be plastered on the back of correspondences. The posters targeted the Nazis’ early political adversaries, Jews, Communists, and Germany’s enemies during the war. The series was discontinued in 1943.
The Mask falls Word of the Week German antisemitic poster alleging Roosevelt's Brain Trust is comprised of Jews