1939 Nazi rally at Madison Square Garden

Uncommon card · No. 157528

On February 20, 1939, a Nazi rally took place at Madison Square Garden, organized by the German American Bund. More than 20,000 people attended, and Fritz Julius Kuhn was a featured speaker. The Bund billed the event, which took place two days before George Washington's Birthday, as a pro-"Americanism" rally; the stage at the event featured a huge portrait of George Washington with swastikas on each side of it. Anti-Nazi counter-protesters gathered outside and on three occasions, they attempted to break through the lines of police officers who were guarding the rally. The power of the Bund rapidly declined after the rally. This was not due to the outbreak of World War II, instead, it was due to Kuhn's imprisonment for embezzlement by the end of the year and his successors' prosecution for espionage.

Read on Wikipedia · Image Department of Defense. Department of the Army. Office of the Chief Signal Officer. (09/18/1947 - 02/28/1964); ARC Identifier 36068 / Local Identifier 111-OF-2 1943, Public domain