BERLIN: A poll shows a quarter of Germans believe there were at least some positive aspects to Nazi rule - a finding that comes after a popular talk show host was sacked for praising Nazi Germany's attitude towards motherhood.

Pollsters for the Forsa agency, commissioned by the weekly magazine Stern, asked whether National Socialism also had some "good sides [such as] the construction of the highway system, the elimination of unemployment, the low criminal rate [and] the encouragement of the family".

Forsa said 25 per cent of responded "yes", while 70 per cent said "no". The vice-president of Germany's Central Council of Jews, Dieter Graumann, said the poll should be considered a warning sign. "The result of the poll is ugly, disastrous and makes me sad and angry," Dr Graumann told the online Netzeitung.