Der Giftpilz
| Author | Ernst Hiemer |
|---|---|
| Language | German |
| Publisher | Julius Streicher |
Publication date | 1938 |
| Publication place | Germany |
| Media type |
Der Giftpilz is a children's book published by Julius Streicher in 1938. The title is German for "the toadstool" or "the poisoned mushroom". The book was intended as anti-Semitic propaganda. The text is by Ernst Hiemer, with illustrations by the illustrator Philipp Rupprecht (a.k.a. Fips).
The book was intended to "educate" children about the Jews. In a series of stories, it tells how to distinguish Jews from non-jews. It also warns children not to trust their Jewish classmates, or even Jews who converted to Christianity. In some instances, it is implied that Jews will try to molest children. In addition, the book warns of Jews in various occupations- Jewish businessmen, lawyers, tradesmen, and kosher butchers, who in one chapter are described torturing an animal to death. The same chapter also accuses the Jews of kidnapping Christian children to use their blood in Matzohs. One of the final chapters blames the Jews for the death of Jesus, who is called the greatest enemy of the Jews of all time. There is an entire chapter containing numerous false quotations from the Talmud. The book claims that the Talmud forbids Jews to do manual labour, and that Jews are only permitted to engage in trade, and that non-Jews are meant to be slaves. The chapter further states that Talmudic law allows Jews to cheat non-Jews, and asks Jews to enslave the non-Jewish population. None of the quotations appear in the actual Talmud.
A copy of the book is on display at the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC. An English-language translation of the book was produced by a US Nazi leader Gary Lauck and thereafter marketed on his website for $10. Lauck also recently produced an Estonian language translation in 2007 and claims to be working on translations into many other languages.[1] The Estonian security police has investigated the case under the section of Estonian penal code criminalising incitement to social hatred, but concluded that it is unlikely to have the jurisdiction or means to prosecute the author, as under American law websites are covered by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.[2]