Banned in Berlin: Literary Censorship in Imperial Germany, 1871-1918

by Gary D. Stark

Imperial Germany’s governing elite frequently sought to censor literature that threatened established political, social, religious, and moral norms in the name of public peace, order, and security. It claimed and exercised a prerogative to intervene in literary life that was broader than that of its Western neighbors, but still not broad enough to prevent the literary community from challenging and subverting many of the social norms the state was most determined to defend. This study is the first systematic analysis in any language of state censorship of literature and theater in imperial Germany (1871–1918). To assess the role that formal state controls played in German literary and political life during this period, it examines the intent, function, contested legal basis, institutions, and everyday operations of literary censorship as well as its effectiveness and its impact on authors, publishers, and theater directors.

342 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Bill Wallace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of great anecdotes and a decent analysis of the issue, the writing is occasionally dry and repetitive. I read this book because I am looking for more information on the turn-of-the-century fight against Schund und Schmutz "pulp fiction" in Germany. There was some relevant content here -- especially the discussion of the career of Karl Brunner, a crusader against smut who came to see its value once he had an official censor role -- but this book is mostly concerned with higher art, modernist novels and plays, and political works. Although not exactly what I was looking for, there was plenty of entertainment and information here and I wish there was more on the topic -- and that some of the novels and plays discussed were available -- in English! For anyone with an interest in the history of censorship and especially the form it took at the birth of the "modern" world, this is an excellent book.