Underground Humour In Nazi Germany, 1933-1945 (Hardcover)

For the ordinary people of Nazi Germany, resistance rarely took the form of active political or economically disruptive activity. But a great many people expressed their disgust through jokes and humor. In "Underground Humour in Nazi Germany: 1933-1945," F. K. M. Hillenbrand compiles a collection of jokes, stories and cartoons representing covert popular opposition which took humorous form. Even this was dangerous, as an ill-judged moment of wit could lead to the camps; but the Nazis themselves recognized the impossibility of stopping anti-Nazi jokes.
Although wonderfully entertaining, "Underground Humour in Nazi Germany: 1933-45" is not a joke book, but a serious study of the uses of humor and word play, supplemented always with full translations and explanations when a joke is retold. Hillebrand explains not only how humor could be used subversively in the Third Reich, but also suggests the ways that people resist under any totalitarian conditions, not exclusively Nazi Germany. He emphasizes the importance of humor to societies under stress.
Revealing an important feature of the Third Reich's social history, "Underground Humour in Nazi Germany: 1933-45" is an invaluable contribution to our understanding of 20th century Germany.