German and European Studies. Writing and Rewriting the Reich : Women Journalists in the Nazi and Post-War Press

__Writing and Rewriting the Reich__ offers a comprehensive history of German women journalists throughout the Nazi era. "Writing and Rewriting the Reich tells the complex story of women journalists as both outsiders and insiders in the German press of the National Socialist and post-war years. From 1933 onward, Nazi press authorities valued female journalists as a means to influence the public through charm and subtlety rather than intimidation or militant language. Deborah Barton reveals that despite the deep sexism inherent in the Nazi press, some women were able to capitalize on the gaps between gender rhetoric and reality to establish prominent careers in both soft and hard news. Based on data collected on over 1,500 women journalists, Writing and Rewriting the Reich describes the professional opportunities open to women during the Nazi era, their gendered contribution to Nazi press and propaganda goals, and the ways in which their Third Reich experiences proved useful in post-war divided Germany. It draws on a range of sources including editorial proceedings, press association membership records, personal correspondence, newspapers, diaries, and memoirs. It also sheds light on both unknown journalists and famous figures including Margret Boveri, Ruth Andreas-Friedrich, and Ursula von Kardorff. Addressing the long-term influence of women journalists, Writing and Rewriting the Reich illuminates some of the most salient issues in the nature of Nazi propaganda, the depiction of wartime violence, and historical memory."-- Provided by publisher Contents 7 Illustrations 9 Acknowledgments 11 Abbreviations 15 Introduction 19 Part I: The Pre-War Years, 1933–1939 37 1. On the Peripheries of Power: Women Journalists in the Nazi Press 37 2. Prettying Up Politics and Normalizing Nazism, 1933–1939 67 3. Traversing Borders, Pushing Boundaries: Female Foreign Correspondents and the Lead-Up to War 94 Part II: The War Years, 1939–1945 131 4. Opportunity and Infuence on the Home Front, 1939–1945 131 5. The Beautifcation of Total War and Occupation 163 Part III: The Aftermath 197 6. New Patrons, New Entanglements: Transitioning to the Post-War Press 197 7. Rewriting the Third Reich: Female Journalists, Autobiography, and the Legacies of National Socialism 231 Conclusion: Infuence and Complicity 265 Notes 269 Bibliography 325 Index 357