Bidspirit auction | ”Hela Fought for the Third

”Hela Fought for the Third Reich” - An exceptionally harsh antisemitic publication disguised as an innocent ”youth novel.” Leipzig, 1934 - Hella kämpft für's dritte Reich Roman Von Brigitte von Arnim - Hela Fought for the Third Reich. A novel by Brigitta von Arnim, published by A. H. Payneg. Leipzig, 1934 - First edition. German. An exceptionally harsh antisemitic publication disguised as a youth novel, dealing with two German sisters, one married to an Aryan German who is an enthusiastic supporter of Adolf Hitler, and the other married to a wealthy Jew. German. Extremely rare. A plot story for young adults about two German sisters - Lotte and Hela Heinrot. The story follows Hela's journey from an ordinary German girl without nationalistic views to a young girl with an active Nazi consciousness, who becomes a leader of a group supporting Adolf Hitler during the struggle of German youth for the rise of the Nazi party from 1931 until Hitler's rise to power in 1933. This occurs while her sister, who chose to marry a wealthy Jew, experiences disappointment and suffering in her marriage and ultimately regrets having defiled racial purity, not following her sister's path. The plot opens with the event of Hela’s sister, Lotte, getting engaged to a Jewish lawyer named Siegfried Goldman. Lotte's mother is pleased with her daughter's relationship with the Jew because he is wealthy and will ensure a stable life. ”She wanted to see her daughter settling down.” Meanwhile, Hela befriends a German boy named Will Patterson, who becomes interested in the Nazi movement. The book highlights the stark moral contrast between the Jewish Goldman and the Nazi Will Patterson:  ”Siegfried is a Jew who holds the view that the supreme goal of a person is to earn as much money as possible, whereas Patterson is interested in the national community and believes in one leader.” The relationship between Lotte and the Jewish Goldman is portrayed as a bleak one, with ups and downs, while the relationship between Hela and the German Patterson is described as the ideal one: ”They walked side by side, two beautiful, young Germans...”. The message of Aryan racial superiority and Jewish inferiority runs throughout the book as a continuous part of the plot. For example, in one of the encounters between Hela and Patterson in the forest, Patterson turns to her and says: ”How can your sister marry a Jew?!” Hela now also became serious. ”Yes, I don’t understand it either. I would never do that, even though I don't really know why not. It's probably a matter of instinct. But in your eyes, the Nazis, is it really a crime?” ”Yes, ” said Will Patterson, ”it is. A sin against blood. Animals are raised with great effort and maintain the purity of their breed. But when it comes to humans, these basic laws of nature don't seem to matter, do they? We can allow ourselves to bring in bastards!? Animals avoid that.” And he continued preaching : ”We will take care of it!” said Will Patterson, and again, that serious look she loved and admired appeared on his face. ”That's why we shout: Germany, awaken! One day, she will awaken, even if large parts of the people are still asleep today...”. The relationship between Hela and Patterson strengthens, creating tensions between her and her sister, who is engaged to a Jew. The Jewish Siegfried is described as a hedonist with no purpose in life, while Patterson is portrayed as a hero fighting for a noble ideal. As the plot progresses, Hela discovers her Aryan roots with the help of her German friend: ”He awakened her sense of history, so that little by little, she started to become interested in it herself. He asked her about her ancestors, and she had to admit that she knew almost nothing about them. 'Here too, we will create change!' said Will Patterson. 'People have lost their sense of tradition. They forgot they are a responsible link in a long chain of generations. They need to reflect again on their ancestors, on the land of their home, the source of their strength...”. The antisemitic message becomes more and more extreme as the plot progresses. In one instance, a debate takes place between the two sisters when Lotte tries to convince Hela to attend the birthday party of their friend Siegfried, the Jew, but Hela strongly refuses. She expresses vehement racist views, claiming that Jews belong to an ”inferior race, ” that they are fundamentally different, like Africans or Chinese: ”Think about it! He's a Jew!” ”So what?” Lotte Heinrot replied aggressively. ”Why shouldn't he be one? Are they second-class people?” Lotte tries to defend Siegfried, claiming that he is just like them – Protestant, born and raised in Germany. For her, there is no reason to see him as ”other.” But Hela insists that it is a matter of race, not religion, and that he cannot change his identity. Eventually, Lotte is persuaded and attends the party. Siegfried's Jewish friends are described as ”terrible people.” When in their presence,