Freedom and Plurality in Unity: The European Politics of Der Monat

Abstract

The German-language magazine Der Monat (1948–71) was one of the most impactful publications in post-war Germany. It promoted the re-orientation of the German people by offering political as well as philosophical essays and introduced international authors to its readers. In the context of the Cold War, part of the magazine’s marketing strategy was to downplay how close its ties to the United States and American institutions in Germany were and to push its international self-image to the forefront. Thus, Der Monat presented itself as a forum for free and open discussions. But this forum was clearly only made up of pro-Western, anti-Communist voices. By analysing the American origins of the magazine, the interplay between German readers, and the international voices featured in Der Monat as well as the European politics of the editorial team and the way in which they were translated into editorial practices, this article aims to identify the concepts of ‘freedom’ and ‘plurality’ as central to Der Monat’s self-image, and to expose why the magazine’s opposition to the concept of ‘unity’ promoted by the Soviet Union can be seen as ironic.

Keywords

• Der Monat
• Cold War
• Melvin J. Lasky
• editorial practices
• anti-Communist agenda
• European unification