Possible Nazi connections to Nannen: historians are working on the history of the “Stern”.

The history of the magazine “Stern” becomes the subject of research: Munich historians are particularly investigating the years 1948 to 1983 and a possible Nazi involvement of the “Stern” founder Nannen.

Historians should examine the history of the magazine “Stern” for connections to the Nazi era. The media group Bertelsmann has commissioned the Institute for Contemporary History (IfZ) in Munich with the independent investigation, as the parent company of the “Stern” announced.

In particular, the way in which the “Stern” founder and long-time editor-in-chief and publisher Henri Nannen (1913-1996) dealt with National Socialism became a subject of research for the IfZ. According to Bertelsmann, the focus is on open exchange and transparency.

The Bertelsmann Executive Board initiated the research contract in close cooperation with the participating subsidiaries and institutions, the company announced in Gütersloh. These included the management of RTL Germany, under whose umbrella the “Stern” has been based since a corporate restructuring, the “Stern” editor-in-chief and the Henri Nannen School for Journalism.

In May, a contribution of the research format “STRG_F” des NDR initiated the debate with details of Nannen’s past during the Second World War. The Nannen Prize for outstanding journalism was then awarded once as the “Stern Prize”. The deletion of the name from the imprint of the magazine and a renaming of the Henri Nannen School are further discussed.

Years 1948 to 1983 in focus

The historical analysis should look at the years from the founding of “Stern” in 1948 until Nannen’s departure in 1983. The focus is on the question of “political, personal and content-related interdependencies and connections at the time of National Socialism,” it said.

Project planned for several years

Based on existing research, further analyzes are to be carried out, for example on topics, texts and the imagery of the “Stern”. The extensive image archive, which was handed over to the Bavarian State Library for development in 2018, should be included.

The aim is to create a factual basis for the public debate about Nannen’s possible involvement in the Nazis, to supplement existing research and to expand the current state of knowledge on the history of German journalism after 1945. The project is designed to last several years. A scientific conference is also being considered, at which an initial inventory could be made.