History of Broadcasting in Northern Germany 1945-1955

This project of the “Forschungsstelle Geschichte des Rundfunks in Norddeutschland” (FGRN) [Research Centre for the History of Broadcasting in Northern Germany] – a cooperative project between the Hans Bredow Institute with the NDR (North German Broadcasting), the WDR (West German Broadcasting) and the University of Hamburg (Department of Languages, Literature and Media I) – devoted itself to the media-historical transformation process occurring in the years immediately following the end of the Second World War. The subject of the investigation was the history of the Northwest German Broadcasting (NWDR), which started as a radio station of the British Military Government in May 1945 and was established on 1 January 1948 as the first public broadcasting institution in Germany.

As a first step, aspects of its organisational, institutional and communications history, which trace the struggle between the British and the Germans over a new broadcasting model in northwest Germany, were especially analysed. The public service model was asserted against various forms of resistance and was subjected to severe supervision when the German NWDR finally took over responsibility. Under the influence of a variety of political forces, the NWDR was dissolved as the central broadcasting institution for the entire British occupation zone at the end of 1955; the North German and the West German broadcasting were founded on 1 January 1956. A summary of these findings was published in the first volume of the Geschichte des Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunks [History of Northwest German Broadcasting] by the Hoffmann and Campe publishing house in December 2005; it was publicly presented on the occasion of a celebration in the guesthouse of the University of Hamburg.

As a second step, the research centre worked on the various programme offerings of the NWDR. Comprehensive studies regarding programming history were conducted, dealing with the informative, educational, cultural and entertainment programmes of the NWDR. In addition, the history of television, as it began in Hamburg, Berlin and Cologne after the end of the Second World War, and the content it offered, was presented. A comprehensive publication of these findings ensued in May 2008, with the second volume of the Geschichte des Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunks [History of Northwest German Broadcasting] by the Hoffmann and Campe publishing house. On 2 June 2008, the NDR and the FGRN issued an invitation to the foyer of the Radio House 12 at the NDR and presented the volume publicly with a framework programme tracing broadcasting history.

Simultaneously with its work in the two volumes of “NWDR History”, the research centre participated in a more extensive research project on the pre-history of the WDR.

Publications

  • Wagner, H.-U. (ed.) (2008): Die Geschichte des Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunks [The History of Northwest German Radio]. Vol. 2. Hamburg.

  • Hilgert, C. (2008): „1:0 für Dr. Pleister“. Der Sport im Hörfunk-Programm des NWDR [1:0 Dr. Pleister. Sports in the Radio Programme of the NWDR]. In: H.-U. Wagner (ed.),  Die Geschichte des Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunks [The History of the Northwest German Broadcasting]. Vol. 2. Hamburg, pp. 311-319.

  • Wagner, H.-U. (in print): “Eine Spielwiese mit Unendlichkeitscharakter” – Martin Walser und das Hörspiel [A Playground without Limits - Martin Walser and the Radio Play]. In: W. Schmitz (ed.), Über Martin Walser [On Martin Walser]. Dresden.

  • Fuge, J; Hilgert, C. (2008): Aktuell und überparteilich, aber nicht unpolitisch. Informationssendungen und politische Programmangebote im Hörfunk des NWDR [Current and Above Parties but Not Apolitical. Information and Political Programmes in NWDR Radio]. In: H.-U. Wagner (Ed.): Die Geschichte des Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunks; Vol. 2. Hamburg, pp. 105-149.

  • Fuge, J. (2008): “Erziehung zum Qualitätsgefühl”. Programme für “Zielgruppen”/“Der Lautsprecher als Lehrmittel” [Educating for a Sense of Quality. Programmes for Target Group/The Loudspeaker as a Teaching Tool]. Der Schulfunk. In: H.-U. Wagner (ed.), Die Geschichte des Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunks. Vol. 2. Hamburg, pp. 163-168/169-181.

  • Wagner, H.-U. (2008): Ein Nestor mit allem Nachdruck: Der Hörspielpapst Heinz Schwitzke [A Decided Nestor: The Pope of Radio Plays Heinz Schwitzke], MDR Figaro, 10 February 2008.

  • Hilgert, C. (2008): Review of Behmer, M.; Hasselbring, B. (eds.), Radiotage, Fernsehjahre. Interdisziplinäre Studien zur Rundfunkgeschichte nach 1945 [Radio Days. Television Years. Interdisciplinary Studies on Radio History after 1945] Münster 2006. In: H-Soz-u-Kult, 30.06.2008 (available).

  • Wagner, H.-U. (2008): Seekarten für die Rundfunk-Kapitäne. Die Hörerforschung des NWDR./“Mittler zwischen Kirche und Rundfunk”. Der Kirchenfunk./Auf schwierigem Terrain. Die Suche nach neuen Unterhaltungsformen [Charts for Radio Captains. Research into the Listeners by the NWDR/Channel between Church and Radio. Church radio/On Difficult Ground. Looking for New Forms of Entertainment]. In: Hans-Ulrich Wagner (ed.) Die Geschichte des Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunks. Vol. 2. Hamburg, pp. 49-68/182-195/207-228.

  • Hilgert, C. (2008): “1 : 0 für Dr. Pleister”. Der Sport im Fernsehen [1:0 to Dr. Pleister. Sport in Television]. In: H.-U. Wagner (Ed.): Die Geschichte des Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunks; Vol. 2. Hamburg, pp. 311-319.

  • Wagner, H.-U. (in print): [Review] “Hier spricht Hamburg”. Hamburg in der Nachkriegszeit. Rundfunkreportagen, Nachrichtensendungen, Hörspiele und Meldungen des Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunks (NWDR) 1945-1949 [Hamburg Calling. Hamburg Postwar. Radio Reporting, News Broadcasts, Radio Plays and Announcements of the NWDR 1945-1949]. Edited by Rita Bake. In: Zeitschrift des Vereins für Hamburgische Geschichte.

  • Hilgert, C. (2008): Mehr als “1 : 0-Berichterstattung”: Der Sport im Hörfunk-Programm des NWDR [More than 1:0 Reporting: Sports in the NWDR Radio Programme]. In: H.-U. Wagner (ed.): Die Geschichte des Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunks; Vol. 2. Hamburg, pp. 150-162.

  • Bleicher, J. K. (2008): Sportler, Gaukler, Komödianten. Unterhaltende Programmangebote im NWDR-Fernsehen [Sportsmen, Jugglers, Comedians. Entertaining Programme Offerings in the NWDR Television]. In: H.-U. Wagner (ed.), Die Geschichte des Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunks, Vol. 2. Hamburg, pp. 320-336.

  • Wagner, H.-U. (2008): “Das junge Europa formt sein Gesicht”. Die “Generation ohne Heimkehr” im europäischen Kontext [Young Europe Takes on a Face . The Generation without any Homecoming in the European Context]. In: G. Burgess, H.-G. Winter (eds.), “Generation ohne Heimkehr”. Heimat und Heimkehr in der “jungen Generation” der Nachkriegsliteratur. Dresden.

  • Wagner, H.-U. (2008): Das Hörspiel-Kapital und sein akustischer Mehrwert [Radio Plays as Capital and Their Acoustic Added Value], Der 57. Hörspielpreis der Kriegsblinden: Auf den Spuren der neuen deutschen Radiokunst. In: Funk-Korrespondenz 56, No. 9, 29.2.2008, pp. 3-8.

  • Wagner, H.-U. (2008): Harry Hermann Spitz (1899-1961). In: Lexikon verfolgter Musiker und Musikerinnen der NS-Zeit. [Dictionary of Persecuted Musicians] Hamburg.

  • Wagner, H.-U. (in print): Auf der Suche nach der konkreten geschichtlichen Stunde. Die “Rundfunkarbeit von Christen” – am Beispiel des NWDR-Köln [Looking for the Conrete Historical Moment. The Radio Work by Christians – the Example of the NWDR Cologne]. In: Th. Pittrof, W. Schmitz (Eds.), Wahrnehmung und Deutung der Geschichte in der literarischen und wissenschaftlichen Publizistik des deutschsprachigen Katholizismus. Freiburg.

  • Hilgert, C. (2007): Kommentare ohne Biss? Der NWDR im Konflikt mit der Politik [Toothless Commentary? The NWDR in Conflict with Politics]. In: Fernseh-Informationen 58 (2007), H. 8, pp. 18-20.

  • Wagner, H.-U. (2007): [Review] Radiotage, Fernsehjahre. Interdisziplinäre Studien zur Rundfunkgeschichte nach 1945 [Radio Days, TV Years. Interdisciplinary Studies on Broadcasting History after 1945]. In: Publizistik 52, no. 2, pp. 283f.

  • Wagner, H.-U. (2007): Eine “harte Nuss” als Geschenk. Vor 60 Jahren wurde in Hamburg die erste öffentlich-rechtliche Rundfunkanstalt ins Leben gerufen [A ‚Hard Case’ as a Gift. 60 Years ago the First Public Broadcasting House was Set up in Hamburg]. In: Fernseh-Informationen 58, no. 12, December, pp. 23-28.

  • Wagner, H.-U.; Rüden, P. von (eds.) (2007): Gyde Clausen: Walter Hilperts Rundfunkarbeit – Kontinuitäten und Brüche von der Weimarer Republik bis zur jungen BRD [Walter Hilpert's Broadcasting Work – Continuities and Breaks from the Weimar Republic to the Young BRD.]. Hamburg (Nordwestdeutsche Hefte zur Rundfunkgeschichte; 5).

  • Fuge, J. (2007): Appelle an das “Gute in dem Herrn Schwarzhörer”. Schwarzhörer als Konstante der Rundfunkgeschichte [An Appeal to the Good in Licence Dodgers. Licence Dodgers as a Constant Factor in Broadcasting History]. In: Das Archiv. Magazin für Post- und Telekommunikationsgeschichte 3, p. 6-13.

  • Wagner, H.-U. (2007): [review] Von wegen “leere” Schubladen! Studie zur zeitgenössischen Dramatik der ersten Nachkriegsjahre [On the Topic of ‚Empty’Drawers! A Study on Contemporary Drama from the First Postwar Years]. In: Jahresheft der Internationalen Wolfgang-Borchert-Gesellschaft 19, pp. 54-56.

  • Wagner, H.-U. (eds.) (2007): Dietrich Schwarzkopf: Ausbildung und Vertrauensbildung. Die Rundfunkschule des NWDR [Training and Building Confidence. The Broadcasting School of the NWDR]. (Nordwestdeutsche Hefte zur Rundfunkgeschichte; 6), Hamburg.

  • Hilgert, C. (2007): Rezension zu [Review of ] Clas Dammann, Stimme aus dem Äther – Fenster zur Welt. Die Anfänge von Radio und Fernsehen in Deutschland. In: M&K 55 (2), pp. 271-273.

  • Wagner, H.-U.; Rüden, P. von (eds.) (2006): Florian Huber: Re-education durch Rundfunk. Die Umerziehungspolitik der britischen Besatzungsmacht am Beispiel des NWDR 1945-1948 [Re-education through Broadcasting. The Policy of Re-education of the British Occupying Forces Using the Example of the NWDR 1945-1948]. Hamburg (Nordwestdeutsche Hefte zur Rundfunkgeschichte; Sonderheft).

  • Rüden, P. von; Wagner, H.-U. (eds.) (2005): Die Geschichte des Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunks [The History of the Northwest German Broadcasting Corporation]. Hamburg.

  • Rüden, P. von; Wagner, H.-U. (eds.) (2005): Vom NWDR zum WDR. Gespräche zur Programmgeschichte [From NWDR to WDR. Conversations on Programme History]. Hamburg (Nordwestdeutsche Hefte zur Rundfunkgeschichte; 3).

Events

  • “Die Geschichte des Nordwestdeutschen Rundfunks” [History of the Northwest German Broadcasting Corporation], presentation for the final volume on the project by the FGRN (H.-U. Wagner) and the NDR in Hamburg on 2 June 2008.

Lectures

  • "Medienvermittelter Kulturkontakt und Kulturkontakt in den Medien: Zur Debatte um die ‚Amerikanisierung‘ der westdeutschen Jugend im Hörfunk der 1950er Jahre" [Media-conveyed Cultural Contact and Cultural Contact in the Media; On the Debate about the 'Americanisation' of West German Adolescents in the Radio of the 1950's], lecture by C. Hilgert at the consultative meeting of topic-related DFG-Graduiertenkollegs (Bielefeld, Gießen, Leipzig, Rostock) "Kulturkontakt? Potential und Grenzen eines Begriffs" [Cultural Contact? Potential and Limits of a Concept] in Rostock-Warnemünde on 8 May 2009.

  • "Szenen einer Ehe. Die Literatur und der Rundfunk“ [Scenes from a Marriage. Literature and Broadcasting]. lecture by H.-U. Wagner in the context of the lecture series "Die Veröffentlichung von Literatur“ [Publishing Literature] at the University of Dresden on 2 December 2008.

  • "'Für Sie, für Sie – und ganz besonders für Sie'. Rundfunkgeschichte(n) im Norden" ['For you, for you - and especially for you'. Broadcasting (hi)stories in the North], module by H.-U. Wagner for the education of NDR programme trainees at the NDR in Hamburg on 1 December 2008.

  • "Forschungsstelle Geschichte des Rundfunks in Norddeutschland“ [Research Centre for the History of Broadcasting in North Germany], presentation by H.-U. Wagner at the annual conference of the Historic Commission of the ARD in Bremen on 19 November 2008.

  • “Struggling for a New Way of Broadcasting. The “Implementation” of the British Public Service-Model in Northwest Germany after World War II”, lecture by H.-U. Wagner at the 31st Annual Conference of the German Studies Association (GSA) in San Diego, USA, on 6 October 2007.

  • “Lessons of Democracy – Contested Coverage of Politics in Radio Programmes of ‘Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk’”, lecture by C. Hilgert and J. Fuge at the 31st Annual Symposium of the German Studies Association in San Diego, USA, on 6 October 2007.

  • Organisation and execution of the panel „Radio for a Post-War Society“, panel at the 31st Annual Conference of the German Studies Association (GSA) (H.-U. Wagner, with C. Hilgert, J. Fuge) in San Diego, USA, from 4 to 7 October 2007.

  • "Auf der Suche nach der konkreten geschichtlichen Stunde. Die Rundfunkarbeit von Christen – am Beispiel des NWDR Köln" [Looking for the Specific Historical Hour. Christian Broadcasting Work – the example of NWDR Cologne], lecture at the conference „Perception and Interpretation of History in German Catholic Literary and Academic Publishing“ in Dresden on 13 May 2007.

  • „Rundfunk und Region – Diskussion um die Gestaltung des Rundfunks in Nordwestdeutschland 1945-1955“ [Broadcasting and Religion – a Discussion on the Format of Broadcasting in Northwest Germany 1945-1955“], Lecture by J. Fuge and C. Hilgert at the conference „Dealing with the Consequences of Nazism and War in Lower Saxony after 1945“ (17. Meeting of the Working Group of 19th and 20th c. History at the Historical Commission for Lower Saxony and Bremen), 17. February 2007 in Hannover.

  • „Günter Eichs ‚Träume’“, H.-U. Wagner in a public conversation in the Literary Workshop at the Media Foundation of the City of Leipzig, 3. February 2007 in Leipzig.

  • “Von der Politisierung der Medien zur Medialisierung des Politischen" [From Politicising the Media to Mediating Politics], joint promoter and panel chair at the specialist group in communication history of the DGPuK study group broadcasting and the Centre for Contemporary Research“ at the conference in the German parliament in Berlin from 18 to 20 January 2007.

  • „Between Quality and Competition – ‚Room to manoeuvre“ in Public Broadcasting“, lecture at the conference „Relating Radio“ in Halle an der Saale, 5 October 2006.

Contact person

Dr. Hans-Ulrich Wagner

Research Centre for the History of Broadcasting in Northern Germany
Universität Hamburg
Department Sprache Literatur Medien
Von-Melle-Park 6
D - 20146 Hamburg

Tel. +49 (0)40 428 38 - 27 24
Fax +49 (0)40 428 38 - 35 53

E-Mail

Researchers

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