“Strength Through Joy Organization” in the Ideological Fortification of Nazi Germany”

Abstract

The aim of this study is to examine the role, position, and function of the Organization of StrengthThrough Joy (Kraft durch Freude- KdF), which was established in 1933, in Nazi Germany. In thecontext of the projection on the social and economic structure of the aims of totalitarian regimes tointervene in social life without leaving any gap, in Nazi Germany, KdF organized events that affectedmany points of social life, especially holiday organizations, and strengthened the Nazi regime untilthe year it ended its actions, taking the principles and goals of national socialism at the center ofthese activities. At this point, the KdF first played a major role in increasing the trust and loyaltyregarding the Hitler government. Second, it constituted one of the transporter and application areasof the eugenics politics at the point of Nazism's project of creating a pure race. Finally, it contributedto the establishment of socio-economic and socio-cultural harmony between German society inaccordance with the ideological structure of Nazism, and to the cultural production based on thisharmony.