Zentralverlag der NSDAP


Figure 1.--The Zentralverlag was the NAZI Party publishing house which among other works publihed 'Mein Kampf'. It also publishe Hitler Youth publications which was very lucrative because all German children had to join the HJ at age 10 years. This is a photograph from the HJ book, 'Pimpf' which illustrated an article entitled, 'Die Pimfenprobe beftanden'. A pimpf was the name for the boys in the younger division of the HJ, similar to Cubs in Scouting.

Zentralverlag der NSDAP was the central publishing house for the NAZI Party. NSDAP was the abreviation for the National Socialist German Workers Party. The corporate orgins were a small Munich publishing company founded by Franz Eher. This is why on title pages it often reads Franz Eher, Nachfolger GmbH, variously abbreviated. Nachfolger means Successors. We are not sure why they continued to mention Eher. The Party purchased the company for 115,000 Papiermark (1920). The Zentralverlag published NAZI Party propaganda tracts, but did not limit itself to such material because it needed to make money to support its operations. It published novels, maps, song books, calendars, and other items. It published all the important NAZI newspapers, including the Völkischer Beobachter and the Illustrierter Beobachter. They of course published Hitler's Mein Kampf (1925). Reich Press Leader Max Amann, took over management of the firm in the 1930s. Using the power of the power of the NAZI police state, he acquired many other publications and publishing houses, turning the Zentralverlag into one of the largest publishing concerns in the world.

NAZI Party Publishing House

Zentralverlag der NSDAP was the central publishing house for the NAZI Party. NSDAP was the abreviation for the National Socialist German Workers Party.

Corporate History

The corporate orgins were a small Munich publishing company founded by Franz Eher. The firm was founded by Eher as the Münchener Beobachter (1887). Eher registered the company in the Munich Handelsregister (1901). After Eher died, Rudolf von Sebottendorf took over the firm (1918). He incorporated the company in the difficult days following Woeld War I to avoid bankruptcy (1919). The NAZI Party purchased the company for 115,000 Papiermark (1920). For some reason, they continued to use Franz Eher on the title pages, adding Nachfolger GmbH, variously abbreviated. Nachfolger means Successors. We are not sure why they continued to mention Eher. GmbH GmbH is Genossenschaft mit beschränkter Haftung which means Ltd.-- a corporation or limited liability company.

Material Published

The Zentralverlag published NAZI Party propaganda tracts, but did not limit itself to such material because it needed to make money to support its operations. It published novels, maps, song books, calendars, and other items. It published all the important NAZI newspapers, including the Völkischer Beobachter and the Illustrierter Beobachter. They of course published Hitler's Mein Kampf (1925). After the NAZI seizure of power, all kinds og Government contracts were awards. They published all the Hitler Youth material. As every German child had to join the HJ, this was a particularly lucrative relationship.

Location

The corporate headquarters were located in Munich. The Zentralverlag after the NAZI seizure of power (1933)steadily expanded its operations. Branch offices were opened in Berlin. And the company outgrew the original Munich offices. More offices were opened in Munich.

Management

The Zentralverlag was managed by Rolf Rienhard as Chief Administrator (1933-43). He was replaced by Wilhelm Baur who during the last years of the Third Reich. The real force behind the Zentralverlag, however was Reich Press Leader Max Amann.

Max Amann (1902-57)

Max Amann was born in Munich (1902). Despite his youth, he joined the German Army during World War I. It was there he met then Corporal Adolf Hitler. Even though younger, Amann was the company seargeant. After the War, he attended business school and got a job in a Munich law firm. Amann was an early menber of the NAZI Party. He is virtually the only one of Hitler's World war I associates to become an important NAZI position. Hitler chose him as his personal financial adviser and appointed him the Party's business manager. And after the party purchased the Eher pubkishing concern, became the director of Eher Verlag which was eventually renamed Zentralverlag Among the early operations was the Party newspaper, thev Volkische Beobachter, the name Beobachter was the first name of the Eher concern. Amann participated in Hitler's abortive Beer Hall Putsch. After seving a brief prison term, he won election to the Munich city council. He won election to the Reichstag as aAZI delegate (1933). Hitler appointed him President of the Reich Association of German Newspaper Publisher (1933). He served as both Reich Press Leader and president of the Reich Press Chamber. From these positions, Amann rapidly gained control over the Germann newspaper industry. He had the authority to close any privately owned newspaper or magazine in Germant. Within 4 years, a thousand German newspapers disappeared. [Shrier, p. 246.] Some of the closed newspapers were taken over by the Zentralverlag, but others were simply cloesd down. This also benefitted the Zentralverlag by eliminating competitors. Between Amann and Propaganda Minister Goebells, the NAZIs quickly established complete control over the German press. Amann and Goebbels apparently worked well together, but did not always agree on tactical matters, especially when money was involved, such as differences over Der Angriff, the Berlin NAZI newspaper. [Lemmons, pp. 34-36.] While Goebbels as Propaganda Ministry theoretically was in control, Otto Dietrich and Amann because they had direct access to Hitler, could not be dictated to by Goebbels. And Goebbels understood this and as a result worked cooperatively with them. [Manvell and Fraekel, p. 182.] Amann closed down any newspaper that dared to criticise Hitler and the NAZIs. They were then purchased for nominal sums by the Zentralverlag in which Amann played a central role. Amann had personal access to Hitler because of personal friendship. Anmann, Goebbels, and Heinrich Hoffman were among Hitler's favorites when he wanted a break from work. [Lambert, p.267.] Amann benefitted enormously from these tranactions. He basically controlled the world's largest newspaper and publishing company. One estimate reveals that his personal fortune incrased from 0.1 million in 1933 to 3.8 million marks in 1944. [Shrier, p. 246.] After the NAZI surrender (1945), he was arrested by the Allies. He was tried for war crimes and received a 10 year sentence (1948). His property was seized and all pension rights were anulled. After release from prison, he died aauper (1957).

Expansion

Using the power of the power of the NAZI police state, Amann acquired many other publications and publishing houses, turning the Zentralverlag into aublishing empire. Firms owned by Jews, like Ullstein House, were quickly seized as were newspapers associated with the Socialists and Communists and some religious groups. Some publications were simply seized. Then the Zentralverlag simply purchased the paper for a fraction of its value. Usually they were the only bidder when the seized propery was put up for sale. Amann also acquired other publishing concerns using the same tactics. Other publishing concerns were similarly acquired. As a result, by the time of World War II, the Zentralverlag had become one of the largest publishing concerns in the world with the most important newspapers and magazines published in the Third Reich. The last major acquisition was the Alfred Hugenberg newspapers (1943). Hugenberg was a right-wing politican who helped Hitler seize power, but was disenchanted when his nationalist Party was shut down.

German Press

Control of the German press proved very lucrative for the Zentralverlag. And acquiring or closing down copetitors was a great business model. The only real problem was that the once lively German press became repititive and dull. This affected readership as circulation dropped. People had not motive to read more than one newspaper as they all said basically the same thing. Both Amann and Goebells as a result appealed to the editors they now controlled to do something about the monontony that they thenmselves had produced (1934). Amann told his editors that he was disturbed by 'the present far-reaching uniformity of the press, which is not arioduct of government measures and does not conform to the will of the governmenmt." One editor, Ehm Welke of the Gruene Post who was not fully aware of the machinations of the NAZI state, openly criticized the Propaganda Ministry for red tape and the heavy hand of censorship which he explained was why the press had become so dull. The result was that his publication was closed for 3 months. Welke himself was immediately fired. He was then arrested and incarcerated in one of the new concentratiion camps. [Shrier, p. 246.]

Allied Occupation

After the NAZI surrender (!945), the Allies banned the Zentralverlag and dismantled its holdings. The company's offices and copywrited material became (including Mein Kampf) became the property of the state of Bavaria.

Sources

Lambert, Angela. The Lost Life of Eva Braun.

Lemmons, Russel. Goebbels and Der Angriff.

Manvell, Roger and Heinrich Fraekel. Doctor Goebbels: His Life and Death.

Shrier, William L. Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.






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Created: 11:10 PM 7/30/2011
Last updated: 11:10 PM 7/30/2011