Johannes Banzhaf

Johannes Banzhaf (born December 20, 1907 in Geislingen an der Steige , † May 7, 1968 in Bielefeld ) was a German publisher .

Life

Banzhaf was a senior employee of the Bertelsmann publishing house during the National Socialist era. From 1939 to 1943 he was production manager there. The two anthologies of humor he edited, Lustiges Volk and Lachendes Leben, were among the most successful publications of the Nazi era, with print runs of over 800,000 and 900,000 copies respectively. The Fritz Müller-Partenkirchen book published by Banzhaf also had a circulation of 385,000.

Between 1943 and 1945 he was imprisoned on charges of corruption . The main subject of the proceedings were so-called "blank paper checks". These were blank forms, with the help of which Matthias Lackas , who had a business connection with Banzhaf , was able to efficiently skim off the available paper contingents, whereby he entered a corresponding, invented book project from Bertelsmann Verlag in the form. Incidentally, Banzhaf's activities to maintain his UK position were also part of the proceedings.

After 1945, together with Theodor Berthoud, he founded a publishing house closely related to Bertelsmann.

Publications

• Walter Flex . A picture of his life leaders and friends, vol. 14. Acker-Verlag, Berlin 1934
• Funny people. A cheerful story book. Edited by Johannes Banzhaf, with 25 drawings by Fritz Koch-Gotha . C. Bertelsmann, Gütersloh 1937, later editions were u. a. illustrated by Horst Lemke .
• Laughing life. A book full of hearty humor. Edited by Johannes Banzhaf, with 25 drawings by Fritz Koch-Gotha. C. Bertelsmann, Gütersloh 1939
• Fritz Müller-Partenkirchen : The happy Fritz Müller-Partenkirchen book. Edited by Johannes Banzhaf. C. Bertelsmann, Gütersloh 1940
• Melody of the night. Narrative. Thomas, Kempen a. Lower Rhine 1943
• Thunderstorm over Heinsdorf. Christl. Allianz, Fellbach 1948
• Miracle of love. Christmas stories. Edited by Johannes Banzhaf. Railway, Constance 1968

literature

• Christian Adam: Reading under Hitler: authors, bestsellers, readers in the Third Reich. Galliani, Berlin 2010, ISBN 978-3-86971-027-3
• Hans-Eugen Bühler, Olaf Simons: The dazzling business of Matthias Lackas. Corruption investigations in the publishing world of the Third Reich. Pierre Marteau, Cologne 2004
• Saul Friedländer , Norbert Frei , Trutz Rendtorff, Reinhard Wittmann u. a .: Bertelsmann in the Third Reich. Bertelsmann, Gütersloh 2002
• R. Gööck: Books for millions. Fritz Wixforth and the history of Bertelsmann. Gütersloh 1968
• A life for the good book. Mourning for Johannes Banzhaf. In: Neue Westfälische , Gütersloh of May 10, 1968

Web links

• Banzhaf, Johannes - Article on polunbi.de
• Johannes Banzhaf in the Lexicon of Westphalian Authors