Goering Lapses into Yiddishism in Warning to Defeatist Officials

The following circular, it is reported, was issued by Captain Hermann Wilhelm Goering, Prussian Minister of the Interior, to all subordinates in his department:

“It has recently been noted in several instances that officials, employees and workers give utterance, in the course of conversations with others, to expressions which tend to show dissatisfaction with the measures taken by the national government and to sow distrust. It is a question of individuals who might very aptly be termed “Miesmacher” (slanderers.) I wish to notify all officials, employees and workers that in the future such methods will be regarded as the continuation of Marxist propaganda and that Meismacher will therefore be considered disguised Marxists, who in this manner carry on Communist activities. I also request all officials, employees and workers whose duties include the supervision of personnel to take note of such cases and to make such individuals known to me by name immediately. Any omission of such reporting I shall consider an open avowal of alliance with these agitators and instigators.”

Captain Goering’s use of the word ‘meis macher,’ obviously derived in part from the Yiddish word, ‘mies’, meaning ugly, is curious in view of the Nazi demand that all Yiddish words that have worked their way into the German vocabularly—like ‘schnorrer,’ ‘kosher’, etc—be expelled from the writings and speeches of all true Aryans—Editor’s note.