Alfred Haighton
Alfred Haighton | |||||||||
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fascist movement.
FascismFrom a privileged background, Haighton was born in H.A. Sinclair de Rochemont and in 1924 the two set up the Verbond van Actualisten, a group which looked for inspiration to Italian fascism.[1] The group broke down in 1927 and Haighton then put his money into a journal, De Bezem and eventually his own movement, the Fascistische Jongeren Bond. This movement was depleted in 1932 when his close ally Jan Baars broke from him to set up the General Dutch Fascist League (ANFB).[1]
NazismHaighton had become a strong National Front when this group absorbed the Zwart Front in 1940.[2] Officially a member of the NSNAP again he took little role in active politics and instead concentrated on his anti-Semitic writing and literary pursuits.[2]
LiteratureIn 1938 Haighton purchased the literary journal De Nieuwe Gids, a work that held a high reputation amongst the Dutch artistic set. Under Haighton however the once respected journal became intensely partisan, presenting a highly pro-Nazi Germany line.[3] Writers such as Jan Eekhout, a staunchly pro-Nazi novelist noted for his use of archaic and dialect Dutch words as part of an attempt to construct rustic literature, were featured and widely praised under Haighton.[4] The Dutch literary establishment reacted negatively to Haighton's stewardship of the magazine, to the point that by 1943 De Nieuwe Gids had only 98 registered subscribers.[3] Haighton died suddenly in Beekbergen that same year, from a heart attack.[2] References
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