Apparently, interest in Adolf Hitler is on the rise according to a study which has been conducted by the research team at German Media Control. This interest is largely based in media, and includes book sales as well as documentary viewership and production. This interest has been growing since last year, with literally hundreds of documentaries on the Nazi regime being produced and shown, roughly half of them concentrating on Adolf Hitler himself.
While documentary production is in the hundreds, book sales are in the thousands. They cover just about every facet of the Nazi leader’s life in power, from military concerns to his political views and policies. Many of the books and documentaries in question actually name Adolf Hitler in their titles, even when the focus is on the German side of the war at large. Over one hundred documentaries aired in 2014 so far have been on a single television channel. The ZDF Info network is known for its concentration on historical documentaries, but the fact that many of these center around WWII appears notable.
This is not a bad thing, since the focus is on history and not on current Nazi sympathizers, which would concern many. In fact, it seems to be a push to educate today’s youth on the era that came before them. Younger generations of Germans do not know as much about Adolf Hitler as those who lived through his reign, so it is understandable that there would be a push to educate them in this field, The Telegraph reports.
Another possible reason for this increase is that Germany has been under criticism lately for a perceived tendency of denial when it comes to the world wars. This has come to greater light in view of the WWI centenary, as well as the many important WWII events such as D-Day which are celebrating their 70th anniversaries this year. Understanding Adolf Hitler is an important way for young Germans to learn how his rise to power affected their country, even those who did not agree with his views. Some of the youth inevitably have relatives who fought for the Third Reich, and are possibly trying to understand how this could have happened.
It is doubtful that Adolf Hitler is making any sort of comeback in terms of actual views, as the rising interest has been entirely historical. While some may hear of the study and immediately assume that the youth in Germany is polishing up on their socialism, it is more likely that they are doing the opposite. Ever since the end of WWII, Germany has been vigilant against extreme patriotism and all that Adolf Hitler brought with it. It now appears that the newer generations are sharing that vigilance through education.