The Spread of Nazi Propaganda from Flanders Publishing Hall
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Julia Mitchell
CoPIs:
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College:
The College of Health Professions and Human Services
Major:
Holocaust and Genocide Studies
Faculty Research Advisor(s):
Adara Goldberg
Abstract:
From 1939 to 1941, Scotch Plains, New Jersey was home to the largest Nazi printing press in the United States. Situated on the corner of Front Street and Flanders Avenue, Flanders Publishing Hall was a collaborative effort between New Jersey citizens and Nazi German officials, disseminating Nazi-approved publications across the U.S. in the period leading up to America entering World War II. Locally, the press ran out of the home of Adolf Hauck, a Plainfield High School teacher, who, with his sons, established the press in the basement of their family home. Internationally, this press was monitored and funded by Nazis in Germany, notably Joseph Goebbels, the chief propagandist for the Nazi Party. American-born Nazi George Sylvester Viereck acted as the middleman for this operation, receiving a stipend from the Nazi Party to maintain Flanders Hall, and serving as its chief financier. Viereck’s publications were also published by Flanders.
Flanders Hall stands out as a unique manifestation of American isolationism and pro-Nazi efforts following World War I, and highlights the Nazi state’s desire to keep America from entering the war. Laced with antisemitic rhetoric, the propaganda published by Flanders Hall largely focused on delegitimizing Great Britain and urging Americans not to support them in the war. This research study showcases the methods and variety of the Nazi propaganda targeted towards Americans from 1939 to 1941, ending immediately before the bombing of Pearl Harbor.