In 1934, at the age of 26, Karajan was appointed general music director in Aachen, Germany. In order to be considered for the position, however, he had to join the Nazi party. His Nazi connections kept him working throughout the 1930s, and he made debuts with major organisations such as the Vienna State Opera, the Berlin Philharmonic, and the Berlin State Opera. After the war, however, he was forbidden to hold a conducting position because of his former political connections...