Freedom and Plurality in Unity: The European Politics of <i>Der Monat</i>

Abstract

The German-language magazine Der Monat (1948–71) was one of the most impactfulpublications in post-war Germany. It promoted the re-orientation of the German peopleby offering political as well as philosophical essays and introduced international authorsto its readers. In the context of the Cold War, part of the magazine’s marketing strategywas to downplay how close its ties to the United States and American institutions inGermany 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 onlymade up of pro-Western, anti-Communist voices. By analysing the American originsof the magazine, the interplay between German readers, and the international voicesfeatured in Der Monat as well as the European politics of the editorial team and theway in which they were translated into editorial practices, this article aims to identifythe concepts of ‘freedom’ and ‘plurality’ as central to Der Monat’s self-image, and toexpose why the magazine’s opposition to the concept of ‘unity’ promoted by the SovietUnion can be seen as ironic.