Gelöbnis treuester Gefolgschaft

Faithful vow allegiance was a pledge of allegiance of 88 German writers and poets for Adolf Hitler, which was printed on 26 October 1933, Vossische newspaper and propagated by the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin. It was simultaneously published in other newspapers such as the Frankfurter Zeitung, in order to achieve the widest possible distribution, after the withdrawal of Germany on 14 October 1933 is made from the League of Nations at the behest of Hitler and on 4 October 1933, the government, the editor of Law had adopted, paving the way for the co-ordination of the entire German press was free. This law took effect January 1, 1934 in force, saving an estimated 1300 journalists lost their jobs.

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The signatories declared:

"Peace, work, freedom and honor are the most sacred possessions of any nation and the requirement of a sincere coexistence among peoples. The consciousness of power and of recovered unity, our sincere desire to serve the inner and outer peace without reservation, the deep conviction of our tasks to rebuild the empire and our resolve to do nothing, which is not compatible with our and the Fatherland honor, lead us in this solemn hour in front of you, Mr. Chancellor, the vow solemnly faithful allegiance lay. "

Signatory

The 88 signatories were:

Reactions of writers

The writer Hanns Martin Elster (1886-1983) submitted on October 28, 1933 at the Reich Association of German writers filing an opposition, because his name was not listed and therefore the wrong impression could arise that " those writers who are not mentioned in the list of names, are not entitled to the pledge of allegiance and the leader. "

Even Rudolf G. Binding protested in 1934 because they had quite the opposite set him out without asking on the list, but said that he would have used too much of " the new age ", " than that I by the public and also the Lord Chancellor may surprise a solemn vow - Gefolgschafts. "

Joseph Wulf listed some Mentioned contradictory: " The document is hardly very credible, because some signed only to protect their publishers in this way, see Oskar Loerke: Diaries 1903-1939, Heidelberg / Darmstadt 1955, p 345; Otto Flake: It is evening, Gütersloh 1960, pp. 448f; also RG Binding protested in a letter dated 30 October 1933, the Reich Association of German writers, however, that his name was wrongly under the pledge of allegiance - RG Binding: The letters, Hamburg 1957, pp. 216-217; also confirmed the following two letters properly, that the signatures of party officials without the knowledge of the persons concerned have been caused. " Note, however, that it is Flake is later own details that are unverifiable.

Otto Flake was sharply criticized for his signature, among others, by Thomas Mann, Bertolt Brecht and Alfred Döblin.

Subsequent reaction

Two and a half years after the end of the Second World War, Thomas Mann spoke to the pledge list: " The fact that HL hero and Loerke stand on it, makes me very much affected. The rest of the little people is quite in place. "