Excerpt from Freedom of the Press in the German Republic, 1918-1933

The story of the German press and its freedom in relation to the government of the Weimar republic is revealed less by a series of dramatic events than by the relatively monotonous routine of everyday contacts. Like all phases and facets of history, the exper iences of the German press during the period under consideration are of course not lacking in landmarks bringing out in bold relief trends and developments which otherwise could be perceived only with diffi culty. Examples are the cases of the Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung, of Fechenbach, of the Weltbiihne and Das Andere Deutschland (all of which are discussed subsequently), as well as such specific events as the waves of assassination and defamation, in which the role of the nationalist press as one of the chief gravediggers of the republic forces itself even upon the most sympathetic observer. However, any exaggerated reliance on such high lights can result in nothing but a distorted picture. A realistic appraisal will have to depend to a greater extent on the plight of the press in its day-to day relations with the government. Matters such as frequency and length of suppression of newspapers, the nature of administrative and judicial punishment, the degree of intimidation, the motivations of the various agencies of the government have to be ascertained. The dramatic key cases bear upon such questions only tangentially. Unhappily, the necessary information on the day-to-day routine relations between government and press frequently is not avail able. Much of the obscurity is due to the extensive administrative jurisdiction to which the press was subjected as well as to the federal devolution of authority. However, even judicial decisions in press cases are often shrouded in mystery. Only rarely were such decisions published, and then only in meager excerpts not normally revealing the identity of the newspapers nvolved.

The story of the German press can therefore be gathered only through careful extraction from reliable newspapers, Reichs tag debates on interpellations and legislation, texts of laws and agrees, and scholarly discussions. Additional illustrative ma terial could be obtained from the partisan press of the left and of the right. However, their doubtful reliability made it appear in advisable to include them among the sources for this study. In spite of these methodological difficulties the condition of the press in the Weimar republic is clear and unequivocal. So, equally, is the predicament of the republican government in defending its existence against a subversive press in the face of institutional impediments.

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