30th November 1941, evening
What has happened in our midst is something unique—inconceivable in France, for example. And the French will never have a chief like the Duce.
Category: Table talks (commercial translation)
Night of 1st December 1941
German women married to Jews — “Decent” Jews — The Jews and the Fourth Commandment—The preservation of the race.
Walter Hewel questioned whether it was right to reproach a woman for not having taken the decision, after 1933, to obtain a divorce from a Jewish husband. He questioned, incidentally, whether the desire to obtain a divorce in such circumstances did not rather betoken a conformism that, from a humane point of view, was not very creditable.
G.D. interposed that the fact that a German woman had been capable of marrying a Jew was the proof of a lack of racial instinct on her part, and that one could infer from this fact that she had ceased to form a part of the community. The Fuehrer interrupted: Don’t say that. Ten years ago, our intellectual class hadn’t the least idea of what a Jew is.
Obviously, our racial laws demand great strictness on the part of the individual. But to judge of their value, one mustn’t let oneself be guided by particular cases. It is necessary to bear in mind that in acting as I do I am avoiding innumerable conflicts for the future.
I’m convinced that there are Jews in Germany who’ve behaved correctly—in the sense that they’ve invariably refrained from doing injury to the German idea. It’s difficult to estimate how many of them there are, but what I also know is that none of them has entered into conflict with his co-racialists in order to defend the German idea against them. I remember a Jewess who wrote against Eisner in the Bayrischer Kurier. But it wasn’t in the interests of Germany that she became Eisner’s adversary, but for reasons of opportunism. She drew attention to the fact that, if people persevered in Eisner’s path, it might call down reprisals on the Jews. It’s the same tune as in the Fourth Commandment. As soon as the Jews lay down an ethical principle, it’s with the object of some personal gain!
Probably many Jews are not aware of the destructive power they represent. Now, he who destroys life is himself risking death. That’s the secret of what is happening to the Jews. Whose fault is it when a cat devours a mouse? The fault of the mouse, who has never done any harm to a cat?
This destructive rôle of the Jew has in a way a providential explanation. If nature wanted the Jew to be the ferment that causes peoples to decay, thus providing these peoples with an opportunity for a healthy reaction, in that case people like St. Paul and Trotsky are, from our point of view, the most valuable.
By the fact of their presence, they provoke the defensive reaction of the attacked organism. Dietrich Eckart once told me that in all his life he had known just one good Jew: Otto Weininger, who killed himself on the day when he realised that the Jew lives upon the decay of peoples.
It is remarkable that the half-caste Jew, to the second or third generation, has a tendency to start flirting again with pure Jews. But from the seventh generation onwards, it seems the purity of the Aryan blood is restored. In the long run nature eliminates the noxious elements.
13th December 1941, midday
SPECIAL GUESTS: RIBBENTROP, ROSENBERG, GOEBBELS, TERBOVEN AND REICHSLEITER BOUHLER
Time to solve the religious problem—Condemnation of the organised falsehood—The SS and religion—Negro taboos and the Eucharist —The Mussolini makes a mistake.
The war will be over one day. I shall then consider that my life’s final task will be to solve the religious problem. Only then will the life of the German native be guaranteed once and for all.
I don’t interfere in matters of belief. Therefore I can’t allow churchmen to interfere with temporal affairs. The organised lie must be smashed. The State must remain the absolute master.
When I was younger, I thought it was necessary to set about matters with dynamite. I’ve since realised that there’s room for a little subtlety. The rotten branch falls of itself. The final state must be: in St. Peter’s Chair, a senile officiant; facing him, a few sinister old women, as gaga and as poor in spirit as anyone could wish.
The young and healthy are on our side. Against a Church that identifies itself with the State, as in England, I have nothing to say. But, even so, it’s impossible eternally to hold humanity in bondage with lies. After all, it was only between the sixth and eighth centuries that Christianity was imposed on our peoples by princes who had an alliance of interests with the shavelings. Our peoples had previously succeeded in living all right without this religion. I have six divisions of SS composed of men absolutely indifferent in matters of religion. It doesn’t prevent them from going to their deaths with serenity in their souls.
Christianity is an invention of sick brains: one could imagine nothing more senseless, nor any more indecent way of turning the idea of the Godhead into a mockery. A negro with his taboos is crushingly superior to the human being who seriously believes in Transubstantiation.
I begin to lose all respect for humanity when I think that some people on our side, ministers or generals, are capable of believing that we cannot triumph without the blessing of the Church. Such a notion is excusable in little children who have learnt nothing else.
For thirty years the Germans tore each other to pieces simply in order to know whether or not they should take Communion in both kinds. There’s nothing lower than religious notions like that. From that point of view, one can envy the Japanese. They have a religion which is very simple and brings them into contact with nature.
In my view, H. S. Chamberlain was mistaken in regarding Christianity as a reality upon the spiritual level.
What a happy inspiration, to have kept the clergy out of the Party! On the 21st March 1933, at Potsdam, the question was raised: with the Church, or without the Church? I conquered the State despite the malediction pronounced on us by both creeds. On that day, we went directly to the tomb of the kings whilst the others were visiting religious services. Supposing that at that period I’d made a pact with the Churches, I’d to-day be sharing the lot of the Duce. By nature the Duce is a free-thinker, but he decided to choose the path of concessions. For my part, in his place I’d have taken the path of revolution.
I’d have entered the Vatican and thrown everybody out—reserving the right to apologise later: “Excuse me, it was a mistake.” But the result would have been, they’d have been outside!
When all is said, we have no reason to wish that the Italians and Spaniards should free themselves from the drug of Christianity. Let’s be the only people who are immunised against the disease.
14th December 1941, midday
Incompatibility of National Socialism and Christianity— The Popes of the Renaissance—A poisoned source.
Kerrl, with the noblest of intentions, wanted to attempt a synthesis between National Socialism and Christianity. I don’t believe the thing’s possible, and I see the obstacle in Christianity itself.
I think I could have come to an understanding with the Popes of the Renaissance. Obviously, their Christianity was a danger on the practical level—and, on the propaganda level, it continued to be a lie. But a Pope, even a criminal one, who protects great artists and spreads beauty around him, is nevertheless more sympathetic to me than the Protestant minister who drinks from the poisoned spring.
Pure Christianity—the Christianity of the catacombs—is concerned with translating the Christian doctrine into facts. It leads quite simply to the annihilation of mankind. It is merely whole-hearted Bolshevism, under a tinsel of metaphysics.
14th December 1941, evening
Pan-Germanic supporters and the Austrian Christian Socialists—Schönerer and Lueger—Anti-Semitism in Vienna.
Lueger, who had belonged to the Pan-Germanist movement, went over to the Christian-Social party, for he thought that anti-Semitism was the only means of saving the State. Now, in Vienna, anti-Semitism could never have any foundation but a religious one. From the point of view of race, about 50 per cent of the population of Vienna was not German. The number of Jews, amongst a million eight hundred thousand inhabitants, was close on three hundred thousand. But the Czechs of Vienna were anti-Semitic. Lueger succeeded in filling thirty-six of the hundred and forty-eight seats of the Vienna Municipal Council with anti-Semites.
When I arrived in Vienna, I was a fanatical opponent of Lueger. As a Pan-German, and as a supporter of Schönerer, I was accordingly an enemy of the Christian-Socials. Yet in the course of my stay in Vienna I couldn’t help acquiring a feeling of great respect for Lueger personally. It was at the City Hall that I first heard him speak. I had to wage a battle with myself on that occasion, for I was filled with the resolve to detest Lueger, and I couldn’t refrain from admiring him. He was an extraordinary orator.
Night of 17th-18th December 1941
SPECIAL GUEST: DR. GOEBBELS
A new calendar?
I was faced with that question when we first took power. Should we preserve the Christian chronology, or should we inaugurate a new era?
Night of 23rd-24th December 1941
The Museum at Linz—Belittling of great paintings by Jewish critics—Incompetence of the bourgeois leaders— The Venus of Bordone.
It occurs to me that already Linz Museum can bear comparison with no-matter-which museum in New York. In the years 1890 to 1900, one could still form great collections. After that, it became practically impossible to lay one’s hand on the truly great works. The Jews mounted guard and monopolised the lot. If I’d had money sooner, I’d have been able to keep in Germany a number of works that have emigrated. It’s lucky I got there finally. Otherwise we’d have nothing left but rubbish, for the Jews do their business in works of real value.
They made use of literature to achieve this. What we should blame is, firstly, the cowardice of our bourgeoisie, and, next, the state of society (for which the bourgeoisie is equally responsible) whereby only a tiny fraction of the population is interested in art. The Jew was able to say to himself: “These Germans, who accept perverse pictures of the crucified Christ, are capable of swallowing other horrors, too, if one can persuade them that these horrors are beautiful!” The people was not concerned in such matters. It was all the affair of the so-called élite, who believed in their own competence, whereas in reality they were not capable of telling the difference between what was beautiful and what was ugly. This set-up was useful to me at the period when, although I still hadn’t much money, I began to buy.
Another thing that was useful to me, in England, was the fact that certain works, by reason of their subjects, did not fit in with the conformist morals of society. So it was that I was able to take possession of the admirable Venus by Bordone, which formerly belonged to the Duke of Kent. I’m delighted that I succeeded in obtaining in England some works of the highest level in exchange for some horrors boosted by the Jewish critics. Those are real forgers’ tactics on the Jews’ part, for they’re perfectly well aware of the worthlessness of the works they’re boosting.
They’ve used this transvaluation of values to buy, surreptitiously and at a favourable price, the masterpieces they had depreciated.
Night of 28th-29th December 1941
Man, alone amongst the living creatures, tries to deny the laws of nature.
Night of 1st-2nd January 1942
You cannot avoid God
—The marriage ceremony.
Discussing a letter from Frau von Oeynhausen, Chr. Sehr, examined the possibility of replacing religious instruction in schools by a course of general philosophy, so that children should not lose the sense of respect in the presence of things that transcend our understanding.
Someone proposed that this new type of instruction should not be described as “philosophy.” It would be more like an exegesis of National Socialism. The Fuehrer gave his opinion: It’s impossible to escape the problem of God. When I have the time, I’ll work out the formulae to be used on great occasions.
We must have something perfect both in thought and in form. It’s my opinion that we should organise marriage in such a way that couples do not present themselves one by one before the officer of the civil authority. If each couple assembles a following of ten relatives or friends, with fifty couples we shall have five hundred participants—all the elements of a majestic ceremony!
3rd January 1942, midday
If there was a country that had particular reasons to avoid war, it was certainly Great Britain. The only way for her to keep her Empire was to have a strong air force and a strong navy. That was all she needed.