Elvira Bauer. Trau Keinem Fuchs auf Grüner Heid; und Keinem Jüd bei seinem Eid! Ein Bilderbuch für Gross und Klein [“Trust No Fox in the Green Grass, nor a Jew at his Oath! A Picture Book for Young and Old.”]

(HOLOCAUST).

Stürmer-Verlag

Nürnberg

1936

Rhyming German Gothic text (Sütterlinschrift) printed in red and black, with illustrated color plates on facing pages. Opening blank inscribed by former owner, an American GI, with a few of his critical comments noted in English along margins of various pages.

Provenance: Gift of the war-time GI boyfriend of the consignor’s mother. Inscribed: “Bavaria, V-E Day, 1945… This [book] was found in the school house at Merkstein, between Aachen and Roumond [?]… Germans aren’t too subtle with the kids are they?” The soldier continues, suggesting that the book be kept in the library, but out of sight. This infamous children’s book was issued by Gauleiter Julius Streicher. It is illustrated with notorious imagery designed to inculcate children with extreme anti-Semitic values. Its female author, Elvira Bauer, was an 18-year old kindergarten teacher. Her book was distributed free of charge by the Stürmer-Verlag to pre-schools throughout Germany.