Julius Streicher: Nazi Propagandist at Nuremberg Executed for Inciting the Holocaust

Julius Streicher was a Nazi propagandist whose antisemitic incitement helped fuel the Holocaust, leading to his execution after World War II. Julius Streicher stands as one of the most fanatical and dangerous propagandists of the Nazi regime. Born in 1885, he rose from an elementary school teacher to one of Adolf Hitler’s earliest and most devoted followers. As founder and publisher of the violently antisemitic newspaper Der Stürmer, Streicher played a central role in spreading hatred, dehumanization, and conspiracy myths that helped lay the psychological groundwork for the Holocaust. His crude caricatures, sexualized lies, and weekly calls for violence reached hundreds of thousands of Germans, turning him into the self-proclaimed “Jew-Baiter Number One.” Protected by Hitler and feared by many within the Nazi Party, Streicher used his position as Gauleiter of Franconia to enrich himself through Aryanization and terrorize Jews and political opponents. Even other Nazis viewed him as erratic, corrupt, and vulgar, but Hitler personally ensured that Streicher’s influence — and Der Stürmer — continued.After the war, Streicher was captured by U.S. forces and brought before the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg. Though he never personally killed anyone, prosecutors successfully argued that his relentless incitement made him complicit in crimes against humanity. His speeches and publications had fueled the hatred that enabled mass murder. Convicted, Streicher was executed by hanging on 16 October 1946, shouting “Heil Hitler!” in his final moments. This documentary explores how a schoolteacher became one of the most poisonous voices of the Third Reich — and why the Allies deemed his words deadly enough to warrant the ultimate punishment.This episode is part of the series High-Ranking officials of the Third Reich.Watch the full documentary and explore hundreds of historical films at:WorldHistory.tv