Through Belgium with Open Eyes - German Propaganda Booklet after the Nazi Occupation of Belgium - Brussels, 1941 - ...

Through Belgium with Open Eyes - German Propaganda Booklet after the Nazi Occupation of Belgium - Brussels, 1941 - First Edition

Mit offenen Augen durch Belgien - Through Belgium with Open Eyes - German propaganda booklet disguised as a tourist guide after the Nazi occupation of Belgium - claiming that the natural and historical character of Belgium is more "German" than "French", and that the Germanness of Belgium is actually a return to its true origins. Published by Druckerei, Steenlandt - the propaganda department of Belgium at the military commander for Belgium and Northern France, Brussels under German occupation, c. 1941 - first edition, German.

A propaganda pamphlet disguised as a tourist guide, describing Belgium for the "tourist" as a historically and presently German country, in order to present a false representation that the German occupation of Belgium is not an unethical act of force, but rather the country's return to its true German origins, and that Belgium's return to its German roots is an important part of the reshaping of Europe. The entire booklet is deliberately written in German (see below). The guide deals with getting to know the country in terms of geography, history and culture, accompanied by various maps and diagrams, with the descriptions accompanying the maps emphasizing the "Germanness" of the country. For example, in describing the borders: "The country has an eventful history border between Germany and the west, a state that is economically and politically important for the reshaping of Europe...". It is also claimed that Belgium is rich in coal mining industry because "the great states of Germany and France preferred this development" and that it still cannot match the amount of coal production in the German Reich which produces 7 times more coal, and also constantly compares Belgium to Germany, for example: "With an area of 30,000 sq km Belgium is not much larger than the Rhineland province and it is about 1/20 the size of the German Reich... More than 8 million live in Belgium. The population density is significantly higher than in Germany".

When the guide moves on to describe important sites worth visiting, it specifically chooses sites that are "strongholds of the Flemish earls" and notes their "Flemish" history associated with the nationalist movement that opposed French rule. At the end of this chapter the guide writes: "We walk on the blood-soaked soil of those young volunteer battalions who stormed here with the name of Germany on their lips, the heroes of World War I who left us a binding legacy. We will win today the battle they could not win then".

The guide rewrites the ancient history of Belgium, describing it as the history of the German nation, so that after Roman rule was not stable, it was the ancient Germanic tribes, and especially the Franks who maintained the Germanic nature of the country, and that the most important monasteries in Belgium were founded during the reign of the Frankish emperor Charlemagne in 800 AD. "Everywhere we encounter the magnificent creations of Gothic art".

A special chapter in the guide deals with the demand to speak German again in Belgium and stop speaking French. The guide writes that "the new Kingdom of Belgium until World War I was brilliant on the outside, but it contained many unhealthy germs, the most burning issue was that of ethnicity and language. A special chapter in our little book tells what things looked like in the "democratic free state" entirely dominated by French influence". It is claimed here that the establishment of the separate state of Belgium by breaking up Holland was a ploy of French diplomacy, when in 1830 French was declared the sole official language in Belgium, forcing the 250,000 Germans living there to adopt the foreign French language, and having to speak their native German at home behind closed doors. "Their language was suppressed, their culture and national identity erased". And so it was written: "Germans really should not be ashamed of their German language, in fact it is much more beautiful and rich than French, and spoken much more than French, not only in Europe but all over the world..." And like every Nazi propaganda booklet one cannot fail to mention the Jews, and so it was written in that chapter: "The Jews from Russia to Spain identified early on that it is much more suitable for comprehension ... In their international communication they use the German language, should we as owners of this language fall behind them? The prevalent belief that Belgium is a French speaking country is a big mistake... It is very easy to get by with the German language in Brussels....Remember friends that the French language served in this country to fight Germany, remember that your native German language is your most beautiful possession, so do not speak French unless absolutely necessary" and concludes: "Stop speaking French, we speak German!".

Towards the end, the guide invites the tourist and visitor to come and stay at the "soldier's house" in order to absorb the right atmosphere, "Where you happily sing German songs, where you meet friends again? Where can you do something for your people? We lovingly invite you: come visit us at the soldier's house!"

32 p. 17 cm. Stains on cover. Good condition.