In the Nazi worldview, there was a close link between the German spirit and productive labor for the advancement of the Volksgemeinschaft. Tapping the full potential of worker productivity rested on improving worker morale and increasing worker support for the regime more generally. In 1934, the “Beauty of Labor” [Schönheit der Arbeit or SdA] program was established by the Nazi workers’ association, the German Labor Front, led by Robert Ley. SdA operated in tandem with “Strength Through Joy” [Kraft durch Freude or KdF], a second Labor Front initiative that offered vacations and other leisure activities for workers. Together, the two programs aimed to improve public satisfaction with the regime and increase labor output.

SdA’s specific aim was to improve the visual aesthetics and functional design of factories and other work sites. This poster depicts the kinds of improvements that SdA recommended for a factory, e.g. clean, orderly design elements. The desired result was a safer and more enjoyable work environment devoid of clutter and dirty, unpleasant elements. The SdA program was always only instructional in nature. While it encouraged Germans to view cleaner work environments as important and provided guidance on how to make improvements, it did not provide funds to make necessary changes. Paying for improvements remained the responsibility of factory owners and managers, or workers themselves.