VE301 radio receiver

The Nazis claimed to be creating a new kind of ‘racial community’ where class division would cease to exist. Their goal was total political conformity and submission, with all of society mobilised for the regime. Developing new channels of propaganda to reach every member of society was an important step towards achieving this. The Ministry of Propaganda, under the leadership of Joseph Goebbels, pushed for the introduction of radio receivers in all public institutions, and eventually every household. Listening to the radio became a part of the school curriculum. Upon coming to power, Goebbels seized control of the media, including the Reich Broadcasting Corporation (Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft). From that moment on, the content of radio programmes was shaped according to instructions from the Ministry of Propaganda. While previously concentrated more on education and culture, after 1933 broadcasts consisted of political content and more simple entertainment targeting a broader, less cultured audience. Jazz and swing music were forbidden. Despite strict ministry control, radio broadcasts became extremely popular among the public as a major form of entertainment and source of information, shaping opinions about the outside world. The People’s Receiver VE301 enabled the general public to listen to transmissions from national and local stations, controlled by the Nazis. Picking up foreign broadcasts was technically possible, but difficult due to the limited capacity of the receiver. During World War II, listening to foreign radio channels was prohibited in the Third Reich. The majority of Germans remained under the influence of Nazi popular (Volk) broadcasts until the end of the regime.