Hitler's desire for Purity and Antiquity

Hitler takes art during the Third Reich's regime as yet another way to demonstrate his internal desire to create a German nation based on "old world" values. The values that Hitler stood behind, however, were manipulated by his desire to wipe out any racial and social impurities that threatened his ideal Germany. By choosing art as a means of depicting what was acceptable and inappropriate for the German nation, Hitler was able to influence the masses and reach across classes. In order for Germany to be united under Hitler's agenda, Hitler needed to define what exactly they were to fight against, and by using art the country now had a "face" to put with Hitler's "enemy.

Hitler defined "bad art" in some very simple terms. The art had to embody a modern and innovative ideal, mainly through the abstract images in the paintings. When faces of mentally unstable individuals were placed next to these painting in the degenerate art exhibit, the masses were bombarded with images of what they should be fearful of and fight against in order to preserve a pure Germany.

For Hitler's "good art", antiquity, purity, health and strength resonated throughout the exhibitions. The paintings illustrated through concrete images this cookie cutter ideal - similar to what was witnessed in Riefenstahl's pans of the masses of soldiers - clean streets, clean and racially similar families, all coming together as one in this purified nation. There was to be nothing out of place, nothing that offended or threatened Germany.

The statues of naked men illustrated the emphasis Hitler placed on natural strength, agility, and health. There as no room for mistakes inside Hitler's regime and by reinforcing the standard of good health and hygiene the masses knew the exact expectations they needed to meet. Overall though it is their innately pure race and healthy mind which would keep them from being placed alongside the degenerate art pieces, allowing them to follow Hitler on his path to a traditionally sound and pure Germany.