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The ''Kreuzzeitung'' received most of its information from younger diplomats.<ref>Ursula E. Koch: ''Berliner Presse und europäisches Geschehen 1871'' [The Berlin Press and European Events 1871]''.'' Colloquium Verlag, 1978, p. 76.</ref> The first foreign correspondents it was able to attract were [[Johann Georg Ludwig Hesekiel|George Hesekiel]] in Paris and, from 1851, [[Theodor Fontane]] in London. Later the ''Kreuzzeitung'' had permanent staff in all European capitals. Until then, reports from foreign newspapers were sometimes passed off as the paper's own work. What today violates copyright law was a widespread practice at the time, and not only among German newspaper writers. Even the [[Times of london|Times of London]] translated complete articles from the ''Kreuzzeitung'', unhesitatingly citing their "own Berlin correspondent" as the source.<ref>Heide Streiter-Buscher: ''Theodor Fontane. Unechte Korrespondenzen'' [Theodor Fontane. Spurious Correspondences]''.'' Walter de Gruyter, 1996, p. 36</ref>
Fontane worked in London not just for the {{Lang|de|Neue Preußische Zeitung}}. He sometimes reported directly to the German ambassador [[Albrecht von Bernstorff (diplomat, born 1809)|Albrecht von Bernstorff]] and released press reports in support of Prussian foreign policy to English and German newspapers.<ref>Edgar Bauer: ''Konfidentenberichte über die europäische Emigration in London 1852–1861'' [Reports of Confidential Informers about European Emigration in London]. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, 1989, p. 271.</ref> At the same time he traveled to Copenhagen and wrote regular articles for the ''Kreuzzeitung'' about the [[Second Schleswig War|German-Danish War]]. In his biography Fontane maintained that he "found no [[Byzantinism]] or cowardly hypocrisy whatsoever" at the ''Kreuzzeitung'' and that Friedrich Julius Stahl's motto applied in the editorial office: "Gentlemen, let us not forget that even the most conservative paper is still more paper than conservative."<ref>Eckhard Heftrich: T''heodor Fontane und Thomas Mann. Vorträge des Internationalen Kolloquiums in Lübeck 1997'' [Theodor Fontane and Tomas Mann. Lectures of the International Colloquium in Lübeck 1997]. Klostermann Vittorio GmbH, 1998, p. 60.</ref> What was meant by this was that the presentation of various opinions, which should on principle be passed on without any judgment by the author, was part of a newspaper's sales success. In 1870 Fontane moved to the ''[[Vossische Zeitung]]'' as a theater critic.
The newspaper was printed by the Heinicke printing house in Berlin from 1852 to 1908. The publisher, Ferdinand Heinicke, also assumed responsibility for the content of the paper as the so-called ‘sitting editor’ who was the sole person liable in legal disputes and lawsuits. This protected the ''Kreuzzeitung's'' editors from such entanglements.<ref>Ursula E. Koch: ''Berliner Presse und europäisches Geschehen 1871'' [The Berlin Press and European events 1871]. Colloquium Verlag, 1978, p. 72.</ref>
== Trends during the imperial period ==
In 1861 the circulation was 7,100 and increased to around 9,500 by 1874. Despite its relatively small circulation, it stood at the intersection of politics and journalism and was at the height of its power. Almost all newspapers in Germany and abroad regularly used introductory sentences such as "According to the ''Kreuzzeitung'' ...", "Well-informed ''Kreuzzeitung'' sources have learned ...", "As the ''Kreuzzeitung'' reports ...", etc. After 1868 Bismarck used the notorious Reptile Fund – money diverted for political purposes from elsewhere in the budget or to pay bribes – in order to influence the press and implement his policies. Evidence shows that the {{Lang|de|Neue Preußische Zeitung}} did not receive any funds from these "black coffers". The editors even dared to question such propaganda methods in two articles.<ref>Karl Ernst Jarcke, George P. Phillips, Guido Görres, Josef Edmund Jörg, Georg Maria von Jochner: ''Historisch-politische Blätter für das katholische Deutschland'' [Historical-political Newspapers for Catholic Germany]''.'' Vol. 75. Literarisch-artistische Anstalt, München 1875, p. 471.</ref> As an economically self-supporting joint-stock company, the ''Kreuzzeitung'' was in principle independent of the crown and the government. Likewise, it was never a party newspaper or the mouthpiece of a particular party. Until its last issue in 1939, the paper had no party affiliation.<ref>Kurt Franke: ''Demokratie Lernen in Berlin: 1. Berliner Forum zur politischen Bildung 1989'' [Learning Democracy in Berlin. 1 Berlin Forum on Political Education]''.'' Springer-Verlag, 2013, p. 71 (Zeitungskundlicher Teil 15).</ref> Rather, the ''Kreuzzeitung'' represented the link between all conservative forces.<ref>Heide Streiter-Buscher: ''Theodor Fontane. Unechte Korrespondenzen'' [Theodor Fontane. Spurious Correspondences]''.'' Walter de Gruyter, 1996, p. 20.</ref>
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The ''Kreuzzeitung'' in the same way supported the monarchist wing of the [[German National People's Party]] (DNVP), which was led by [[Kuno von Westarp]]. For a time it was seen as the party best suited for implementing the ''Kreuzzeitung's'' own beliefs. Those included rejecting the Republic as constituted, the [[Treaty of Versailles]], and the [[World War I reparations|reparation demands]] of the victorious powers.<ref name="Karsten Schilling 2011, p. 411">Karsten Schilling: ''Das zerstörte Erbe: Berliner Zeitungen der Weimarerer Republik im Portrait'' [The Destroyed Legacy: Berlin Newspapers of the Weimar Republic in Portrait]''.'' Dissertation. Norderstedt 2011, p. 411.</ref> A fundamentally Christian attitude admittedly always played a decisive role. Alfred Hugenberg's policy of rapprochement with the [[Nazi Party]] met with criticism from the editor-in-chief as well as the corporate board of the ''Kreuzzeitung''. Specifically, they rejected in principle the exaggerated portrayal of Germanness by the German Nationalists as well as by [[Nazism|National Socialism]] itself.<ref>Heinz Dietrich Fischer: ''Deutsche Zeitungen des 17. bis 20. Jahrhunderts'' [German Newspapers of the 17th through 20th centuries]''.'' Verlag Dokumentation, 1972, p. 224.</ref> The ''Kreuzzeitung'' openly rebuked the "Ur-Germanic fantasies" and the "neo-Communist terrorist actions of the National Socialist Party". It not only accused the Nazi Party of "betraying the idea of the nation"; it repeatedly described the way "millions of Germans are falling for the brown pied-pipery".<ref>''„Entartung des Wahlkampfes“'' [Degeneration of election campaigns]. In: ''Neue Kreuzzeitung,'' 8. Oktober 1932 (Ausgabe B).</ref><ref>Dirk Blasius: ''Weimars Ende. Bürgerkrieg und Politik 1930-1933'' [Weimar’s End: Civil War and Politics]. Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2005, p. 107.</ref> Finally, in a major article on 5 December 1929, the editor-in-chief emphasized that the ''Kreuzzeitung'' was not the “megaphone of the DNVP" and "not in any way a German nationalist party organ".
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 102-06206, Graf Kuno von Westarp.jpg|thumb|left|267x267px|Count von Westarp (pictured here in the center in July 1928) was a member of the board of the ''Kreuzzeitung'' from 1919 to 1932.]]
The ''Kreuzzeitung'' also supported the paramilitary [[Der Stahlhelm, Bund der Frontsoldaten|Stahlhelm]], but only conditionally in the person of [[Theodor Duesterberg]], whom the National Socialists had discredited because of his "not purely Aryan origin".<ref>Heinrich Brüning: ''Memoiren 1918–1934'' [Memoirs 1918-1934]''.'' Deutsche Verlags-Anstalt, 1970, p. 467.</ref> During Duesterberg's candidacy in the [[1932 German presidential election]]
The Stahlhelm had over 500,000 members and the DNVP almost one million. Both groups had their own party newspapers. Their members were never part of the target group of the ''Kreuzzeitung'', whose circulation remained constant at 7,200 until 1932. At no time did the paper come under the ownership of the Stahlhelm or the DNVP. [[Franz Seldte]], the national leader of the Stahlhelm, owned Frundsberg Publishers in Berlin, through which he distributed several publications for the Stahlhelm. [[Alfred Hugenberg]] owned more than 1,600 German newspapers, so that he too did not at any time need the ''Kreuzzeitung'' as a megaphone or party newspaper, although he would gladly have taken it over for reasons of prestige.<ref>Dankwart Guratzsch: ''Macht durch Organisation. Die Grundlegung des Hugenbergschen Presseimperiums'' [Power through Organization. The Foundation of Hugenberg's Press Empire]''.'' Bertelsmann, 1974, p. 27 ff.</ref> The ''Kreuzzeitung's'' target group always remained the conservative upper class. This included the members of the German Gentlemen's Club. All of the ''Kreuzzeitung's'' corporate board belonged to it, as did Georg Foertsch as editor-in-chief. Many of the Gentlemen's Club's approximately 5,000 members were readers of the ''Kreuzzeitung''. They also provided the paper with information and gave it financial aid during the [[Hyperinflation in the Weimar Republic|period of hyperinflation]].<ref name="Kurt Koszyk 1970, p. 205"/>
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During the hyperinflation of 1922/23, the ''Kreuzzeitung'' fell into existential difficulties financially. Its reserves continuously fell and it lost all of its real estate. Foertsch managed to keep the business going by means of private donations from members of the Gentlemen's Club. In order to prevent a takeover by the Hugenberg Group, he agreed in September 1926 to form an association with Helmut Rauschenbusch, who was also a member of the Gentlemen's Club and publisher of the ''Deutsche Tageszeitung'' (''German Daily Newspaper''). They founded the Berlin Central Printers Ltd. which printed the ''Kreuzzeitung'' and the ''Deutsche Tageszeitung'' beginning in January 1927.<ref>Burkhard Treude: ''Konservative Presse und Nationalsozialismus: Inhaltsanalyse der Neuen Preußischen (Kreuz-) Zeitung am Ende der Weimarer Republik'' [Conservative Press and National Socialism: Content Analysis of the Neue Preußische (Kreuz-) Zeitung at the End of the Weimar Republic]''.'' Studienverlag Dr. N. Brockmeyer, 1975, p. 17.</ref> Although some employees such as the journalist Joachim Nehring supplied articles for both papers, the editorial offices of the ''Kreuzzeitung'' and the ''Deutsche Tageszeitung'' remained independent.
The issue of 1 March 1929 brought a significant change to the paper. The {{Lang|de|Neue Preußische (Kreuz-) Zeitung}} officially became the {{Lang|de|Neue Preußische Kreuzzeitung}}. The editors expressed the change to their readers as follows:<blockquote>"As of today our paper appears in a different garb. For the alteration to our masthead the following consideration was decisive: Our newspaper, founded in 1848 under the name '{{Lang|de|Neue Preußische Zeitung}}', very soon came generally to be called in public simply the ''Kreuzzeitung'' after its emblem, the Iron Cross. Even today, our paper is known at home and abroad almost exclusively by this name. Likewise, in political respects the word ''Kreuzzeitung'' has for decades been an established term based on the Iron Cross with its inscription 'With God for King and Fatherland'. Indeed, for Christian-conservative thought and action, this cross with its accompanying words is a firm symbol for which we fight, now as in the past. We thus remain true to our great tradition with its roots in Prussia and Prussian royalty."</blockquote>But not only the name was changed. For reasons of economy the paper was published only once instead of twice a day, although at the same time it appeared on Mondays as well. This did not result in an increase in circulation. At this time some 4,700 different daily and weekly newspapers were published throughout the Reich.<ref>Otto Altendorfer, Ludwig Hilmer: ''Medienmanagement,'' Band 2: ''Medienpraxis. Mediengeschichte. Medienordnung'' [Media Management, Vol 2: Media Practice. Media history. Media Organization]''.'' Springer-Verlag, 2015, p. 164.</ref> Never before or since have there been more newspapers in Germany. Smaller and ‘independent’ publishers were subject to enormous competitive pressure. Mergers took place almost weekly. With the onset of the [[Great Depression]]
In terms of circulation and content nothing changed for the ''Kreuzzeitung''. Its target readership remained the same: the nobility, large landowners, industrialists, senior officers and civil servants. Foertsch and Rauschenbusch got along well together, with the result that from then on the same publishing house produced two daily newspapers for an identical target group. Both the ''Kreuzzeitung'' and the ''Deutsche Tageszeitung'' retained their individual departments and editors-in-chief. Then in the spring of 1932 the ''Kreuzzeitung'' was dealt another blow. On 3 April 1932, it had to report in a large announcement that its "editor-in-chief, Major (ret.) Georg Foertsch, died suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 60 during the night of April 2, after having performed his editorial duties as usual into the evening hours just the day before". The ''[[Die Weltbühne|Weltbühne]]'' headlined "''Kreuz-Zeitung'' ( † ): A reptile perishes and dies the deserved national death."<ref>Carl von Ossietzky: ''Die Neue Weltbühne: Wochenschrift für Politik, Kunst, Wirtschaft.'' Band 30, Ausgaben 27–52 [The ''New Weltbühne'': Weekly journal of politics, art, economics. Volume 30, issues 27-52]. Verlag der Weltbühne, 1934, p. 1435.</ref> This did not mean the death of Georg Foertsch per se, but rather that due to his death the paper had become leaderless and would inevitably perish because of its various stakeholders and spheres of interest.<ref>Larry Eugene Jones, Wolfram Pyta: ''Ich bin der letzte Preusse: der politische Lebensweg des konservativen Politikers Kuno Graf von Westarp'' [I am the Last Prussian: the Political Life of the Conservative Politician Kuno Graf von Westarp]''.'' Böhlau Verlag, 2006, p. 29 f.</ref>
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After numerous changes in the editorial staff and its leadership, the remaining subscribers of the newspaper knew by the summer of 1937 that the ''Kreuzzeitung's'' days were numbered. Until then the National Socialists had shown a certain consideration for the old-style conservative readers of the paper that was so rich in tradition. On 29 August 1937 the grace period ended. The front page read: "As of today we have taken over the ''Kreuzzeitung.''” [[Joseph Goebbels]] had appointed Erich Schwarzer, a staunch National Socialist, as the new editor-in-chief and integrated the ''Kreuzzeitung'', along with other bourgeois conservative media, into the German Publishers. Until that time the editors of the ''Kreuzzeitung'' had still provided some reports thoroughly worth reading such as those by Hans Georg von Studnitz, who during a six-month stay in India in 1937 interviewed [[Mahatma Gandhi|Gandhi]] and [[Jawaharlal Nehru|Nehru]], among others. Some of the old members of the editorial staff reacted to the new tone set by Erich Schwarzer by resigning, others by a kind of ‘work to rule’.<ref>Norbert Frei, Johannes Schmitz: ''Journalismus im Dritten Reich'' [Journalism in the Third Reich]''.'' C.H. Beck, 2011, p. 47.</ref>
The last editor-in-chief, Eugen Mündler, was named in May 1938. The ''Kreuzzeitung'' – or what was left of it – appeared under his direction with text from the {{Lang|de|Berliner Tageblatt}}. Readers received the last issue of the ''Kreuzzeitung'' on 31 January 1939
== Editors-in-chief ==
* 1848–1854 [[Hermann Wagener]]
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* Wilhelm Conrad Gomoll
* [[Siegfried Hirsch]]
*
* [[Otto Hoetzsch]]
* Helene von Krause, pseudonym: C. v. Hellen
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* Adolf Stein
* Hans Stelter
* [[Countess Louise Auguste Henriette of Stolberg-Stolberg|Louise zu Stolberg]], under a pseudonym
* Rudolph Stratz, theater critic
* Hans Georg von Studnitz, Asia correspondent
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{{italic title}}
[[Category:1848 establishments in
[[Category:1939 disestablishments in Germany]]
[[Category:Defunct newspapers published in Germany]]
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[[Category:Newspapers established in 1848]]
[[Category:Publications disestablished in 1939]]
[[Category:Kreuzzeitung| ]]
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