Reichspost (newspaper)

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Title of the Reichspost

The Reichspost was an Austrian daily newspaper for “the Christian people of Austria-Hungary ”, which was published in Vienna and mainly addressed to the Catholic readership.

The newspaper, which is related to the Christian Social Party but is not run as a party organ, first appeared on January 1, 1894. It was co-founded by Friedrich X. von Dalberg . In July 1896, Friedrich Funder began working for the Reichspost . In 1902 he was promoted to editor-in-chief and in 1904 also took over the function of editor. Funder, a highly educated journalist and staunch monarchist, dominated the newspaper until the “ Anschluss ” in March 1938. Among other things, he was considered a close confidante of Ignaz Seipel .

The Reichspost was designed for politically interested groups, the Catholic clergy and for Catholic readers of the middle class. She took a politically conservative and economically anti-Semitic line. Funder, on the other hand, was close to the “ trialist ”, Slav-friendly reform stance of the heir to the throne, Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Este . Until the end of the Danube Monarchy, the Reichspost remained loyal to the emperor. In 1918, Prelate Ignaz Seipel took over the chairmanship of the “Herold” sponsoring association, which was founded in 1912 and which he retained and only let it rest when he was Chancellor (1922–1924, 1927–1929).

With the end of the monarchy, the paper fell into a deep economic crisis and was temporarily dependent on subsidies from Dutch and American bishops. The Herold publishing house took over the printing from January 1, 1919, renamed the Herold publishing house limited partnership on shares from October 1, 1922 (the association remained personally liable partner). (This still exists today under the name Herold Druck und Verlag AG - not to be confused with Herold Business Data , which has nothing to do with it.)

As a result, the publishing house acquired the "Albrecht Dürer" printing company in Bandgasse in 1928, a previously German national company. From 1929 onwards, the commercially successful Kleine Volksblatt was produced there, which subsequently had to repeatedly provide funds to the Herold association in order to finance the prestigious but deficit Reichspost . The situation here was similar to that in the social democratic sector: here too, since 1927, a small-format mass newspaper ( Das Kleine Blatt ) had to finance the losses of the “more sophisticated” Arbeiter-Zeitung .

In the First Republic, the Reichspost remained on the (civil) line of government. In the debate about the Schattendorf trial , for example, the newspaper clearly backed the accused members of the German-Austria Frontline Fighters Association . On July 15, 1927, therefore, not only did the Palace of Justice fire , but the Reichspost building was also set on fire by demonstrators. The damage remained limited, however, and production could be fully resumed after three days.

The Reichspost appeared daily in two editions, which were sold as morning and evening papers. In 1937 the edition reached around 30,000 on weekdays and 45,000 copies were printed on Sundays. In addition to this newspaper, the publishing house also published the Wiener Mondagsblatt , the Badener Volksblatt and the Neue Wochenblatt for the quarter under the Manhartsberg .

The suspension took place on September 30, 1938 under pressure from the Nazi regime, according to which newspapers that supported the Austro-Fascist corporate state (1934–1938) should no longer appear. Immediately after the German troops marched in, Friedrich Funder was arrested and taken to the Dachau concentration camp.

Organization of the newspaper

  • Editor:
    • until December 20, 1919 - Heinrich Ambros
    • until June 30, 1922 - Karl Fürlinger
    • until September 30, 1938 - Karl Schiffleitner
  • Chief editor (1937) - Hans Maurer
  • Foreign Policy Department (1937) - Urbas
  • Domestic Policy (1937) - Dr. Walter
  • Correspondent in Berlin (1937) - Winternitz

literature

  • Karl Bömer (Hrsg.): Handbook of the world press. A representation of the newspaper industry in all countries. 3rd, completely revised edition. Armanen-Verlag, Leipzig a. a. 1937.
  • Mathias Peschta: The employees of the Catholic daily newspaper “Die Reichspost” and the National Socialist takeover in Austria. A collective biographical study. Vienna 2008 (Vienna, University, diploma thesis, 2008).
  • Gottfried Pfaffenberger: The "Reichspost" and the Christian-social movement. The fighting time up to the turn of the century with special consideration of the founding epoch. Vienna 1948 (Vienna, university, dissertation, 1948).
  • Ulrich Weinzierl : The culture of the Reichspost. In: Franz Kadrnoska (Ed.): Aufbruch und Untergang. Austrian culture between 1918 and 1938. Europaverlag, Vienna / Munich / Zurich 1981, ISBN 3-203-50785-4 , pp. 325–344.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Jana Bisová: The eunuches of Worms in Bohemia and Moravia . In: Kurt Andermann (Hrsg.): Ritteradel in the Old Kingdom. Die Kämmerer von Worms named by Dalberg = work of the Hessian Historical Commission NF Bd. 31. Hessische Historical Commission, Darmstadt 2009. ISBN 978-3-88443-054-5 , pp. 289-316 (312).