ODAL was the precursor publication to Herbert Backe’s Deutsche Agrarpolitik, and edited by Walther Darre, it espoused and championed Darre’s Blut und Boden (blood and soil) ideology.

Darre was made Reich Minister for Food and Agriculture in 1933 and acquired the ministries publication Deutsche Agrarpolitik which started in July 1932. In August 1933 Darre revamped and relaunched it as ODAL and it stayed this way until December 1942 when Darre’s tenure at the Reich Ministry for Food and Agriculture ended and he was replaced by Herbert Backe.

Backe reverted the magazine back to its original title of Deutsche Agrarpolitik and started it afresh from Year 1. It was published from October 1942 to September 1943 (jahrgang 1) and from October 1943 to September 1944 (jahrgang 2). The September 1944 issue was also its last issue.

ODAL was published by the Verlag Blut und Boden (Blood and Soil) and was the mouthpiece of Walther Darré, Reich Minister of Food and Agriculture, with responsibility for food, farming and agriculture. Darré believed strongly in the belief that German racial identity was tied to the land and was one of the NSDAP’s leading ideologists in blood purity and ‘green’ Nazi style politics – “…we actually have in mind a modern form of medieval slavery which we must and will introduce..”

Issues of Odal are very rare and its mix of articles and striking imagery has made it a very sought after publication.