Social History of the Media

Since the late nineteenth century, modern mass media have increasingly shaped European societies. Whether politics, economics or culture, there is hardly an area of social life that has not been changed by the dissemination of newspapers, films, radio or the World Wide Web. The projects of this study area examine this process by analysing the interdependencies between the proliferation and transformation of media on the one hand and social changes on the other hand.

Forschung

Projekte

Berlin visit by Konrad Adenauer (Federal Chancellor) to the sector border, August 1961; Journalists of the Ost-Wochenschau, Photo: Landesarchiv Berlin/Johann Willa, F Rep. 290 (02) Nr. 0077007

Media History in the Cold War

Christoph Classen

Research project

The project analyses the history of mass media relations and interdependencies in the Federal Republic of Germany and the GDR until the end of the Cold War. Which reflexes, competitions and cooperations characterised their relationship, and how did it evolve? Was it primarily a propaganda war or did the mass media – especially public broadcasting – create a “bridge over troubled water” in the conflict between the two Germanys? How did the collapse of Communism affect this relationship?

The media heritage of the GDR

Frank Bösch, Christoph Classen, Jürgen Danyel

The BMBF joint project investigates the emergence, transformation and use of GDR-related media. Mass media and private media as well as their usage environments are analysed. In addition to the research projects, the network is developing a handbook on GDR film, a new website with oral history interviews and a portal on GDR narrow film.