Erich Everth

Studies

Everth had remarkably many directions of interest. In 1898 he matriculated himself at the Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität and studied philosophy and law. Later he changed to philosophy, art history and psychology. His most important teacher was Max Dessoir, who was struggling with the concept of a new systematic Science of Art.

Everth received a PhD in 1909 at the philosophical department of the University of Leipzig by August Schmarsow and Johannes Volkelt.

Journalism

Everth then worked for different newspapers, such as the Rheinisch-Westfälische Zeitung or the Magdeburgische Zeitung.

After the break-out of World War I Everth was a soldier at the eastern front at first, before he gained a role as consultant in the press office of Ober Ost and found time for publications again. In 1915 Everth published the pamphlet Von der Seele der Soldaten im Felde (About the soul of the soldier afield), which rapidly became one of the most dispersed texts under the German soldiers. No less than 20000 brochures were printed in 4 editions. In contrast to usual pamphlets full of chauvinism and heroism, Everth characterized the active soldier as a normal human being with problems and individual worries. Hermann Hesse appreciated in a review exactly this fine psychological sight of Erich Everth. After the war Everth went through some editorial departments of different newspapers, as there are the Leipziger Volkszeitung, the Berliner „Telegraphen Union“, the Vossische Zeitung, the Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung or the liberal Berliner Tageblatt.

He published numerous articles on an extremely wide spectrum of matters. Along the way of his editorial work he wrote a lot of essays or shorter texts on occasion. They confirm, what the political angle of the different editorial office already suggested: Everth did change his political views from an monarchic-national point to an advocate of democracy.

"Zeitungskunde": the first full professor

In November 1926, the 48-year-old art historian was appointed by Karl Bücher to be the first ordinary professor of the newly created chair for "Zeitungskunde" at the University of Leipzig. His concern was the methodological basement of the new academic discipline. Everth defined Zeitungskunde/Journalism as a discipline of integration without a special method. In fact it is for him possible to use different methods from other disciplines in various combinations. He restricted the object of "Zeitungskunde" to the newspaper, that means every printed periodical press. This press meets in Everths opinion not only economic but equally social needs in public life. The press is more than just a usual earning company but at least in parts has its own spirit and is partially a piece of art itself.

Fight against Nazism

When the Nazis rose to power in 1933 all the newspapers of the Nazis celebrated in capital letters. But the national press was celebrating as well, the German media proprietor Alfred Hugenberg himself was the leader of the DNVP, a party that was supporting the Nazis.

In this concert of like-minded there were few who intoned other melodies. And even less, that know how these concertos can end. To those belonged Everth, „a man of the more inconvenient sort, who was concerned for the Freedom of the press at first – a concern that should cost him his career and honour and probably even his will to live“ (Arnulf Kutsch). The reclusive worker Everth now takes a firm stand and shows that he is not going to stay inside the ivory tower of Academic elitism due to the incidents.

The Congress „Das Freie Wort“(The Free Word)

On the very last, from liberal und lefts-democratic politicians organised public event in central Berlin, the congress „Das Freie Wort“ (The Free Word) on February 19, 1933, Everth held a strong pleading in favor of the freedom of the press. He joined Alfred Kantorowicz in the opinion, that „there are times, when the free word has to be defended not only with words, but with deeds.“ At this demonstration, where one could hear the call for freedom of thought for a last time, between 1000 and 2000 democratic or at least anti-Nazi minded intellectuals participated, for instance Käthe Kollwitz, Max Brauer, Willi Münzenberg, Adolf Grimme, Ferdinand Tönnies and Heinrich Mann. Albert Einstein composed a public appeal for attendance on February 6. Before normal termination the demonstration was ended by SA violently. A few days later, on the other side of the plaza, the Reichstag was ablaze and the hereupon enforced Reichstag Fire Decree nullified many of the key civil liberties of German citizens.

Unsubstantiated dismissal

Political investigations against Everth were initiated then. A short period of time later he got a letter from the Saxon Ministry of Education, which stated that Everths attitude was "in no way compatible with the requirements that must be made to an academic teacher in the new state." On April 29, 1933 Everth was dismissed for supposedly "un-german" attitude. An explanatory statement that must have been especially devastating for the germanophile Everth. But he was the only one of the whole academic guild that had the courage to criticize the emergency regulations and the press policy of the Nazis. Everths forced retirement followed by September 30, 1933, although the investigation had revealed no justiciable evidence against him.

Disease and end

At the time of the forced retirement Everth was already seriously ill. Further resistance was therefore impossible for him. Everth, who had drawn all his life to the events underlying spiritual connections, who always focused more on the whole as to the little detail, must have been suffering particularly hard under the ever growing National Socialist "movement" and her brown aesthetics.

The dignified psychological observation, and the interdisciplinary view were Everths concern and talent. From this grew its Weltanschauung as well as the basic idea of his scientific theory. His sense of order had nothing in common with the designers and heralds of a Third Reich.

While the Nazis distinguished themselves on the streets by rampaging hordes of SA and in communication policy by censorship and rushing propaganda, Everth fought to the last with all his might. But it remained existentially incomprehensible for him, who now directed the fate of the German nation, especially since he had no illusions about their future under Adolf Hitlers rule. The cause of his illness and fast death are therefore definitely also to find in that social development of Germany. Everth himself noted this fact in one of his last letters.

When Erich Everth died on 22 June 1934 in Leipzig, the long List of Victims of National Socialism got another entry.

Since 2003 Leipzig's Media Foundation awards a scholarship named after Everth that so far has been used within the Department of Communication and Media Studies at the University of Leipzig.