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History: GDR Poster Art

GDR Poster Art and Chile

GDR Poster Art and Nicaragua

GDR Poster Art and other Latin American Countries

GDR Poster Art and other Developing Nations

Anti-USA Posters

Latin America and Germany in the 1930's and 1940's

A surge in German geopolitical interest in Latin America occurred in the 1930's as Germany and Italy sought greater influence in Latin America and a tighter connection to the German and Italian populations there. In Chile, a national socialist party had developed in the early 1930's, an immitation of the Nazi party, which caused outrage among the Chilean left. Similarly, socialist movements developed in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil, but these either faded away or were overshadowed by other parties, such as the Peronist movement in Argentina ans the Estado Novo of Vargas in Brazil.

In the 1940's Hitler sought greater influence in Latin America, as the United States at this time began to seek greater military security in Latin America, particularly in the Carribean and South America. The Panama Canal, having been recently opened in 1914, was also a sensitive and vital area requiring US protection. Hitler though that the German populations in the southern cone nations of Brazil, Argentina, Chile and Uruguay would be eager to join the "fatherland" and even form separatist colonies, but most of these german populations, especially in Brazil, were loyal to their "new world" nations.

Germany's interest in Latin America continued throughout the Cold War in both the GDR and BRD. The former East German government put together propaganda campaigns for its citizens, attempting to instill solidarity between the GDR and Latin American countries in the hearts, minds, and pocketbooks of the people. East Germans were particularly drawn to Latin American icons like Che and Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Therefore, GDR citizens actively contributed to the Solidarity Account.

The Solidarity Account, or Solidaritaetskonto, was established in 1973 by the Solidarity Committee in the GDR to collect public funds and use them towards battling illiteracy, disease, hunger, and US aggression and imperialism in developing countries around the world. Posters were used to promote awareness in the GDR of the needs in developing countries, and to urge the GDR citizens to donate funds to this cause.

"Spend"

Heinz Behling

Like numerous other propaganda posters depicting Latin America, this one encourages East German citizens to donate money towards the account "444" (Konto 444). These funds would be used to help Latin Americans fight for their freedom, build schools and hospitals, and bring other educational and health related supplies to the Latin American peoples.

"Solidarity with the People from El Salvador"

Victor Contreras Tapia (1983?)

This mostly gray poster artistically depicts an El Salvadoran family dressed in white (implying innocence) against a colorful landscape background representing the beauty of their homeland.

"Our Solidarity with El Salvador"

Dietrich Kaufmann (1982)

This poster features three workers, one of whom is holding a sword, behind a pieta in a field. The artist shows the importance of religion, the family and hard work in El Salvador.