The Proletarian Dream Socialism, Culture, and Emotion in Germany 1863-1933

Fig..John Heartfield,Finger hat die
Hand/Five Fingers Has the Hand(), KPD
election poster,Bundesarchiv-Bildarchiv.
CopyrightThe HeartfieldCommunity of
Heirs/Artists Rights Society (ARS), NewYork/
VG Bild-Kunst Bonn.

Fig..Heartfield’sKPD election posteron

the streets of Berlin, photograph.With per-

mission of Bundesarchiv-Bildarchiv.

Forthe KPD election campaign in 1928,the Dada provocateur-turned-com-
munist propagandist designedawell-known poster,5Finger hat die Hand
(Five Fingers Has the Hand), the first of several works included in later exhibi-
tions as perfect exemplars of politically committed art.Capturingthe gestus of
dissentinasimplegesture, Heartfield’scontribution can almostbetreated as
apolitical primeronthe representational practices through which“hand”and
“fist”cameto function as contingent and consecutive terms (see figure17.1).
The sense of urgencyconveyedbythe election poster mayevenhaveswayed
somevoters in cities such asBerlinto vote for the Communists. On20 May
1928,the dayofthe Reichstag election, the KPDreceivedasurprising 10.6 per-
cent of thevote (up 1.7percent), while the SPD remained the strongest party
with 29.8 percent.Meanwhile the NSDAP had to content itself withameager
2.6percent.Emboldened,the KPDleadership interpreted declining support for
the established partiesand widespread disaffection with democracy as confirma-

304 Chapter 17

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