Neues Deutschland
Encyclopedia
Neues Deutschland (New Germany) is a national German daily newspaper
. It was the official party newspaper of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany
(SED), which governed the German Democratic Republic (GDR - East Germany), and as such served as one of the party's most important organs. More than the other newspapers in the GDR, ND not only endorsed all policy decisions of the government, frequently changing its editorial position to support the new party line, but it also sought to elevate the prestige of each member of the leadership, perhaps most importantly Erich Honecker
. It currently has its headquarters
in Berlin
and retains a socialist outlook. The newspaper is both politically and financially tied to the The Left
(Die Linke) party, a direct heir to the SED, which owns the publishing house and printing presses.
(SPD) and the Communist Party of Germany
(KPD) merged to form the SED in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany. The first edition of ND was published on 23 April 1946 in conjunction with the founding of the SED. ND replaced the SPD’s Das Volk and the KPD’s Deutsche Volkszeitung. Before the reunification of Germany in October 1990, ND had a circulation of a million and was second only to the state youth newspaper junge Welt
in readership.
ND was one of the most important propaganda
tools for the SED and the SED's key piece of media used to maintain their control of the state. ND had a very heavy focus on East German party and government leaders. For example, on 16 March 1987, in the edition produced for the opening of the Leipzig
Fair, there were over 41 photographs of SED Secretary-General Erich Honecker
. In contrast to other GDR newspapers, ND used high quality paper and printing materials and was not affected by the traditional item deficiencies common in the GDR.
After reunification, NDs readership diminished greatly. In 2006, ND had a circulation of 45,247. Like most large newspapers in Germany currently, ND has a problem in that the majority of its readers are over 60 years old. ND produces both national edition and a regional edition for Berlin
and Brandenburg
.
Jürgen Reents, who has political roots in both the Party of Democratic Socialism and the Green Party
, has been the editor in chief of ND since 1999. One of his major goals has been to transform NDs image from a propaganda leaflet to a more respected newspaper. In October 2005 the editors moved from Elsenbrücke to Franz-Mehring Platz in Berlin. Three months later, Olaf Koppe took over management of the newspaper.
party. The twin goals of the newspaper are to give those in eastern Germany a voice and to represent the democratic socialist viewpoint without being the organ of Die Linke or any other political party. While eastern German themes dominate the features and the community pages, the political section looks at leftist politics throughout Germany. Authors and politicians from diverse political backgrounds have also been represented on the pages of the newspaper. For example, Friedrich Schorlemmer
, a known critic of Die Linke and the political left in general, has been a guest writer.
Other traditional sections of a newspaper are also included, such as an advice page, a television
guide, notifications and classifieds, opinion columns, and theme sections dealing with health
, environment
, and other issues. The letters to the editor are often cited as examples of viewpoints of the Left party from other media sources. As with most daily German newspapers, ND is published daily Monday through Friday, with a weekend edition published on Saturdays.
In November 2006, the newspaper also started a youth insert called Sacco and Vanzetti
. Beginning in March 2007, ND has successfully started publishing online.
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
. It was the official party newspaper of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany
Socialist Unity Party of Germany
The Socialist Unity Party of Germany was the governing party of the German Democratic Republic from its formation on 7 October 1949 until the elections of March 1990. The SED was a communist political party with a Marxist-Leninist ideology...
(SED), which governed the German Democratic Republic (GDR - East Germany), and as such served as one of the party's most important organs. More than the other newspapers in the GDR, ND not only endorsed all policy decisions of the government, frequently changing its editorial position to support the new party line, but it also sought to elevate the prestige of each member of the leadership, perhaps most importantly Erich Honecker
Erich Honecker
Erich Honecker was a German communist politician who led the German Democratic Republic as General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1971 until 1989, serving as Head of State as well from Willi Stoph's relinquishment of that post in 1976....
. It currently has its headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and retains a socialist outlook. The newspaper is both politically and financially tied to the The Left
The Left (Germany)
The Left , also commonly referred to as the Left Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Germany. The Left is the most left-wing party of the five represented in the Bundestag....
(Die Linke) party, a direct heir to the SED, which owns the publishing house and printing presses.
East Germany
ND was formed in 1946 as a Lizenzzeitung after the Social Democratic Party of GermanySocial Democratic Party of Germany
The Social Democratic Party of Germany is a social-democratic political party in Germany...
(SPD) and the Communist Party of Germany
Communist Party of Germany
The Communist Party of Germany was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period until it was banned in 1956...
(KPD) merged to form the SED in the Soviet occupation zone of Germany. The first edition of ND was published on 23 April 1946 in conjunction with the founding of the SED. ND replaced the SPD’s Das Volk and the KPD’s Deutsche Volkszeitung. Before the reunification of Germany in October 1990, ND had a circulation of a million and was second only to the state youth newspaper junge Welt
Junge Welt
junge Welt is a German daily newspaper published in Berlin. The jW describes itself as a left and Marxist newspaperIt was first published on 12 February 1947 in the Soviet Sector of Berlin. junge Welt became the official newspaper of the Central Council of the Free German Youth on 12 November 1947...
in readership.
ND was one of the most important propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
tools for the SED and the SED's key piece of media used to maintain their control of the state. ND had a very heavy focus on East German party and government leaders. For example, on 16 March 1987, in the edition produced for the opening of the Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
Fair, there were over 41 photographs of SED Secretary-General Erich Honecker
Erich Honecker
Erich Honecker was a German communist politician who led the German Democratic Republic as General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1971 until 1989, serving as Head of State as well from Willi Stoph's relinquishment of that post in 1976....
. In contrast to other GDR newspapers, ND used high quality paper and printing materials and was not affected by the traditional item deficiencies common in the GDR.
After Reunification
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
.
Jürgen Reents, who has political roots in both the Party of Democratic Socialism and the Green Party
Alliance '90/The Greens
Alliance '90/The Greens is a green political party in Germany, formed from the merger of the German Green Party and Alliance 90 in 1993. Its leaders are Claudia Roth and Cem Özdemir...
, has been the editor in chief of ND since 1999. One of his major goals has been to transform NDs image from a propaganda leaflet to a more respected newspaper. In October 2005 the editors moved from Elsenbrücke to Franz-Mehring Platz in Berlin. Three months later, Olaf Koppe took over management of the newspaper.
Profile
ND is still oriented towards a socialist viewpoint and is owned partially by The LeftThe Left (Germany)
The Left , also commonly referred to as the Left Party , is a democratic socialist political party in Germany. The Left is the most left-wing party of the five represented in the Bundestag....
party. The twin goals of the newspaper are to give those in eastern Germany a voice and to represent the democratic socialist viewpoint without being the organ of Die Linke or any other political party. While eastern German themes dominate the features and the community pages, the political section looks at leftist politics throughout Germany. Authors and politicians from diverse political backgrounds have also been represented on the pages of the newspaper. For example, Friedrich Schorlemmer
Friedrich Schorlemmer
Friedrich Schorlemmer , is a German Protestant theologian. He was a prominent member of the civil rights movement in the German Democratic Republic and has continued to take part in politics after German reunification in 1990....
, a known critic of Die Linke and the political left in general, has been a guest writer.
Other traditional sections of a newspaper are also included, such as an advice page, a television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
guide, notifications and classifieds, opinion columns, and theme sections dealing with health
Health
Health is the level of functional or metabolic efficiency of a living being. In humans, it is the general condition of a person's mind, body and spirit, usually meaning to be free from illness, injury or pain...
, environment
Environmentalism
Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...
, and other issues. The letters to the editor are often cited as examples of viewpoints of the Left party from other media sources. As with most daily German newspapers, ND is published daily Monday through Friday, with a weekend edition published on Saturdays.
In November 2006, the newspaper also started a youth insert called Sacco and Vanzetti
Sacco and Vanzetti
Ferdinando Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were anarchists who were convicted of murdering two men during a 1920 armed robbery in South Braintree, Massachusetts, United States...
. Beginning in March 2007, ND has successfully started publishing online.