Judge Dennis Davis and Professor David Peimer
The Trial of Adolf Hitler: Legalities and Propaganda, Part 2
Summary
A continuing discussion of how Hitler used his 1924 trial as a political and theatrical stage to showcase his charisma and narcissistic qualities, and how Hitler was ultimately absolved due to the conservative nature of the presiding judge. Part 2 of 2.
Judge Dennis Davis
Dennis Davis is a judge of the High Court of South Africa and judge president of the Competition Appeals Court of South Africa. He has held professorial appointments at the University of Cape Town and University of the Witwatersrand, as well as numerous visiting appointments at Cambridge, Harvard, New York University, and others. He has authored eleven books, including Lawfare: Judging Politics in South Africa.
Professor David Peimer
David Peimer is a Professor of Literature, Film and Theatre in the UK. He has worked for the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, New York University (Global Division) and was a Fulbright Scholar at Columbia University. Born in South Africa, David has won numerous awards for playwriting and directing in New York, UK, Berlin, EU Parliament (Brussels), Athens, Budapest, Zululand and more. He has most recently directed Dame Janet Suzman in his own play, Joanna’s Story, at London Jewish Book Week. He has published widely with books including: Armed Response: Plays from South Africa, the digital book, Theatre in the Camps. He is on the board of the Pinter Centre (London), and has been involved with the Mandela Foundation, Vaclav Havel Foundation and directed a range of plays at Mr Havel’s Prague theatre.
Well, I think from my perspective, I would say that if it happens, they’ll seize it as an opportunity. And because the irony always of prison is martyrdom and how that can be used later at a certain point. I think that Hitler realised it pretty early on… In the ancient Greek times, ancient Greek theatre, it was often banishment and exile… It was a gift that he got from the government. He became a hero, he used the six months.
As Germany got into more and more trouble, he was able to articulate a vision of a world. He was able to speak across boundaries to the way in which people felt that their conditions could be explained.