Deep in the Heart of the American Heartland, a virulent German-language newspaper with national distribution disseminated Nazi print propaganda among its devoted readership. Taking aim at Jews, Germany’s enemies and American leaders, the Staats-Anzeiger advocated the aims of Hitler’s Third Reich and tried to discourage U.S. involvement in Europe’s growing disaster.

Born to German immigrants, this Iowa native became an avid Nazi propagandist. Educated in Germany, married to a German and in Berlin until the war’s end, Kaltenbach was one of most important “radio traitors” to push Nazi Germany’s agenda. Having become fully acculturated in his adopted country, the U.S. government indicted Kaltenbach for treason after it entered WWII.

an Email sent to TRACES' Bulletin Board:

Subject: pro-Nazi Americans
Name: [withheld upon request]
Date: 10 June 2004
     I want to tell my story about my early encounter with the Nazis. It was about 1943. My parents worked days, and I was instructed to go to the home of one of my first grade classmates and wait for them to pick me up after they had finished work The family I stayed with was sort of an after-school care family—a German family. The mother and father were not around much but the German-speaking grandmother took care of us children. She was very good to us, and I have no complaints.
     I remember that the basement of the house was packed with food, and German men would stop in during the day and evening play cards, drink beer and smoke cigars—all speaking in German. I had no idea what was going on.
     The youngest boy in the family (he must have been about 4 or 5 years old) asked me if I wanted to see his father’s secret room. Being a curious child I told him I would. He then led me to a secret stairway where we ascended some stairs into a large attic room. The room was carpeted; there was blackout on the windows, a big desk, a Nazi flag, and boxes of guns and ammunition. The little boy opened one of the boxes and gave me a Nazi arm band, telling me I should wear it or I might be killed. I wore it home! My parents were shocked, made me burn the arm band and forbid me ever to go back to that house again. I remember the name of the family and the house is still there. My parents and grandparents never spoke of the incident, and I doubt if they ever reported it.
     I never knew quite what it was all about. Would you have any idea what was going on there?

(the Kaltenbach image courtesy of the State Historical Society of Iowa; the Staats-Anzeiger image courtesy of the State Historical Society of North Dakota)