The symbolic, socio-economic and exchange value of Imperial German and National Socialist medals and badges, 1701 to the present

This thesis examines the manufacture, use, exchange (including gift exchange), collecting and commodification of German medals and badges from the early 18th century until the present-day, with particular attention being given to the symbols that were deployed by the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP) between 1919 and 1945. It does so by focusing in particular on the construction of value through insignia, and how such badges and their symbolic and monetary value changed over time. In order to achieve this, the thesis adopts a chronological structure, which encompasses the creation of Prussia in 1701, the Napoleonic wars and the increased democratisation of military awards such as the Iron Cross during the Great War. The collapse of the Kaiserreich in 1918 was the major factor that led to the creation of the NSDAP under the eventual strangle-hold of Hitler, a fundamentally racist and anti-Semitic movement that continued the German tradition of awarding and wearing badges. The traditional symbols of Imperial Germany, such as the eagle, were then infused with the swastika, an emblem that was meant to signify anti-Semitism, thus creating a hybrid identity. This combination was then replicated en-masse, and eventually eclipsed all the symbols that had possessed symbolic significance in Germany’s past. After Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, millions of medals and badges were produced in an effort to create a racially based “People’s Community”, but the steel and iron that were required for munitions eventually led to substitute materials being utilised and developed in order to manufacture millions of politically oriented badges. The Second World War unleashed Nazi terror across Europe, and the conscripts and volunteers who took part in this fight for living-space were rewarded with medals that were modelled on those that had been instituted during Imperial times. The colonial conquest and occupation of the East by the Wehrmacht, the Order Police and the Waffen-SS surpassed the brutality of former wars that finally culminated in the Holocaust, and some of these horrific crimes and the perpetrators of them were perversely rewarded with medals and badges. Despite Nazism being thoroughly discredited, many of the Allied soldiers who occupied Germany took part in the age-old practice of obtaining trophies of war, which reconfigured the meaning of Nazi badges as souvenirs, and began the process of their increased commodification on an emerging secondary collectors’ market. In order to analyse the dynamics of this market, a “basket” of badges is examined that enables a discussion of the role that aesthetics, scarcity and authenticity have in determining the price of the artefacts. In summary, this thesis demonstrates how the symbolic, socio-economic and exchange value of German military and political medals and badges has changed substantially over time, provides a stimulus for scholars to conduct research in this under-developed area, and encourages collectors to investigate the artefacts that they collect in a more historically contextualised manner.

Derecho penal de las dictaduras en el Siglo XX

[ES]El siglo XX fue caracterizado por un desarrollo de las dictaduras, que, a través de un marco legal, realizaron políticas de exclusión y de represión contra aquellos que se mostraban opuestos al régimen. A partir de una definición de los “enemigos” como “peligrosos”, y a través de una lucha por la defensa de la comunidad, los gobiernos totalitarios crearon una legislación en base a estos términos, que propició el control social y en última instancia, el holocausto. El presente Trabajo tratará de abordar los orígenes de este Derecho, tanto en la dictadura nacionalsocialista, como en la franquista, la teoría y dogmática que las fundó y las políticas que se llevaron a cabo. Se realizará un análisis del mismo y una perspectiva actual a raíz de estos hechos.

Poética da superação a propósito da obra de Gonçalo M. Tavares

Tese de Doutoramento, Literatura, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais, Universidade do Algarve, 2016

Le silence, ce cri qui résonne dans l’écriture de Viviane Forrester

La literatura de la Shoá va unida al silencio desde sus orígenes como la escritura al silencio. Escribir sobre la Shoá y relatar la experiencia vivida en primera persona o mediante la transmisión generacional implica abandonar el silencio en el que, durante años, se buscó refugio. Con esta investigación centrada en la producción literaria de Viviane Forrester, nos adentramos en las distintas manifestaciones del silencio que caracterizan su escritura. El silencio es el grito que subyace en lo más profundo del ser que regresa de los campos, cual Lázaro de entre los muertos. Es un silencio que se convierte en grito porque la escritura de Forrester, casi en paralelo a la escritura fragmentaria de Blanchot, anuncia el livre à venir, aquel que logrará expresar el grito en el silencio sin fin de la palabra.

How monuments shape urban identity

Monuments in our society commemorate historical events, acts or heroes, and educate people about them. Monuments are landmarks that stand out from other buildings to give the city identity and order. This thesis asks how a monument can be designed to project a clear image at a distance and articulate a spatial experience at close range. Two important monuments that form part of the life of America serve as examples: (1) The Statue of Liberty, in the New York Harbor, that has become the visual icon of New York if not the nation and (2) The Holocaust Memorial in Miami Beach, Florida, that leads the visitor through a poignant experience at close range. The second part of the thesis is the design of a monument and museum for The Port of Miami, as part of the Port Boulevard Enhancement Project, sponsored by the Florida Foreign Trade Association, to celebrate the trade pioneers who helped Miami-Dade County achieve its prominence. The site for the monument is located at Biscayne Boulevard and Fifth Street, between Bayside Market Place and The American Airlines Arena in downtown Miami, at the Biscayne Bay.

La retroalimentación facial y su efecto en la evaluación de publicidad de humor

La hipótesis de retroalimentación facial planteada por Tomkins en 1962 sustenta que la activación de algunos músculos faciales envía información sensorial al cerebro y se induce entonces una experiencia emocional en el sujeto. Partiendo de dicha teoría y de investigaciones que la sustentan, el presente estudio se propuso confirmar el efecto de la emoción inducida a través de la retroalimentación facial sobre la evaluación de cinco tipos de humor en publicidad. Para ello se realizó un experimento con 60 hombres y 60 mujeres, que fueron asignados aleatoriamente a una de dos condiciones: estimulación de sonrisa –músculos hacia arriba- o inhibición de sonrisa –músculos hacía abajo-, mientras evaluaban 16 imágenes de publicidad de humor. A partir del análisis de los resultados se encontraron diferencias significativas entre las condiciones; en línea con la hipótesis formulada, los participantes expuestos a la condición estimulación de sonrisa –músculos hacía arriba- evaluaron más positivamente los comerciales. También se encontraron diferencias significativas en función del sexo y los tipos de humor evaluados. El estudio ofrece evidencia empírica de la teoría propuesta hace más de medio siglo y su efecto en el ámbito de la publicidad actual.

Caminos desde el otro: el retorno a la zona gris

El texto pretende realizar un análisis del concepto de la Zona Gris presentado por Primo Levi. Para ello, se analizan tres tensiones fundamentales de su obra; a saber: (1) Los hundidos y los salvados; (2) Los diversos sujetos de enunciación y (3) mundo animal vs mundo civilizado.