Minister of Popular Culture
Ministro della Cultura Popolare
Longest serving
Dino Alfieri
11 June 1936 – 31 October 1939
AbbreviationMinCulPop
Member ofCouncil of Ministers
Grand Council of Fascism
Reports toDuce
SeatRome
Term lengthNo fixed term
Formation23 June 1935 (1935-06-23)
First holderGaleazzo Ciano
Final holderFernando Mezzasoma
Abolished25 April 1945 (1945-04-25)

The Ministry of Popular Culture (Italian: Ministero della Cultura Popolare, commonly abbreviated to MinCulPop) was a ministry of the Italian government from 1937 to 1944.

History

It was established by the Fascist government in 1922 as the Press Office of the Presidency of the Council, before being renamed to Press Office of the Head of Government in 1925. In 1934 it became the Secretariat for Press and Propaganda. It became a ministry in 1935 and was given its definitive designation in 1937.[1] During its existence, it controlled most of the literary and radio channels in Italy.[2] It was the Italian analogue of the German Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda.

The Ministry financed various Fascist publications, including La Difesa della Razza.[3] It famously outlawed the importation and translation of all American comic books, with the lone exception of Mickey Mouse, in 1938.[4]

The Ministry was officially suppressed by the Kingdom of Italy on 3 July 1944, having remained vacant ever since the overthrow of Benito Mussolini in the 25 Luglio coup a year earlier. During the Italian Social Republic, Mussolini revived the Ministry of Popular Culture and appointed Ferdinando Mezzasoma as its head.

List of ministers

Kingdom of Italy

Parties
  •   National Fascist Party
Coalitions
Portrait Name
(Born–Died)		 Term of office Party Government Ref.
Took office Left office Time in office
Minister of Press and Propaganda
Galeazzo Ciano
(1903–1944)		 23 June 1935 11 June 1936 354 days National Fascist Party Mussolini
Dino Alfieri
(1886–1966)		 11 June 1936 27 May 1937 350 days National Fascist Party
Minister of Popular Culture
Dino Alfieri
(1886–1966)		 27 May 1937 31 October 1939 2 years, 157 days National Fascist Party Mussolini
Alessandro Pavolini
(1903–1945)		 31 October 1939 6 February 1943 3 years, 98 days National Fascist Party
Gaetano Polverelli
(1886–1960)		 6 February 1943 25 July 1943 169 days National Fascist Party

Italian Social Republic

Parties
Coalitions
Portrait Name
(Born–Died)		 Term of office Party Government Ref.
Took office Left office Time in office
Minister of Popular Culture
Ferdinando Mezzasoma
(1907–1945)		 23 September 1943 25 April 1945 1 year, 274 days Republican Fascist Party Mussolini
(Social Republic)

See also

References

  1. ↑ Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany: the 'fascist' style of rule By Alexander J. De Grand
  2. ↑ Ezra Pound: the tragic years, 1925-1972 By James J. Wilhelm
  3. ↑ Francesco Cassata (2011). Building the New Man: Eugenics, Racial Science and Genetics in Twentieth-Century Italy. Budapest: Central European University Press. pp. 223–284. ISBN 9789639776838.
  4. ↑ "Eccetto topolino" di F. Gadducci, L. Gori, S. Lama - Il Foglio.it › Una fogliata di libri Archived 8 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine

Further reading


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.