Abstract

Marrying nature and modern technology formed a cornerstone of the Nazi understanding of Germans’ relationship with the natural world. Germans were called to celebrate the beauty of Germany’s natural landscapes, and prewar policies generally reflected that desire: the beauty of the landscape was not to be destroyed. Construction and development were supposed to work through, rather than against, nature, in order to showcase the landscape. A prominent example of this philosophy remains the German highway system (Reichsautobahn), a stretch of which is portrayed in this painting by Wilhelm Dieninghoff from 1936. Dieninghoff was a Bavarian landscape painter whose works were exhibited in the Große Deutsche Kunstausstellung, and Hitler owned two of his landscape paintings. The Reichsautobahn (RAB) initiative was a massive, nation-wide construction project that represented a major domestic campaign for Hitler. He believed a series of roadways should link the country to aid economic productivity and help Germans experience all the corners of the country. Roadways were designed to give Germans a greater appreciation for the beauty surrounding them. On an economic level, this massive construction project served as job creation scheme to demonstrate Germany’s economic recovery under Hitler’s leadership.

Autobahn Construction (1936)

Source

Source: Wilhelm Dieninghoff, Autobahn construction, 1936. Oil on canvas. Grohmann Museum collection, Milwaukee School of Engineering.

© Grohmann Museum collection