독일 68운동과 반(反)슈프링어 캠페인

The ‘68 movement and the anti-Springer-campaign in the Federal Republic of Germany

The main result of my study is the description of the anti-Springer-campaign as a strategic hub of the ‘68 Movement. First, the campaign was one of the most important projects of all APO-organizations. Not only different student organizations participated in it, but also not-student organizations. The campaign was the common denominator of all groups and actors involved in the APO. The campaign was a transmission belt of ‘68. At times it seemed as if the success of the entire APO movement would depend on the success of the campaign. The campaign was related directly and indirectly to other campaigns, because in these campaigns the Springer-group played an important role as opponent of the APO. The second important result of my study: The campaign did not fail. It culminated in the Springer-blockade. The demonstrators directed their outrage exclusively against the Springer-group. In the background was a in June 1967 in the context of anti-Springer-campaign beginning, long-lasting enlightenment about the newspapers of the Springer-group. Springer thereby had already been denounced as a major threat to the freedom of the press in Germany. Based on these previous efforts targeted by the attack, the thrust of leading up to the trial of Springer-blockade criticism and outrage was clearly defined. The impact of the campaign, particularly in relation to Springer’s sale of parts of his journals, was also significant. My work refutes therefore the thesis of the historian Wolfgang Kraushaar who understands the campaign as a “defeat”. The campaign also caused, as Rudolf Augstein realized, the emergence of the so-called editor movement in the media landscape of the Federal Republic. The third and final result: The 68 movement aimed at a revolution of perception. Until the Springer-blockade the anti-Springer-campaign was a campaign whose main feature was the enlightenment of the public. To obtain a conversion, not only the institutional structures needed to be changed, but also the consciousness of the people. This transformation of consciousness was seen as crucial to the success of the entire protest movement. The movement was based on a revolution of perception, a revolution by which the participants, supporters and spectators would change themselves. It was a revolution from below against the force exerted from above, from the opinion mastery, an attempt to break familiar patterns of perception, and to establish new criteria for the evaluation of social reality. The fight against Springer was a project with which the ‘68 movement tried to destabilize dominant patterns of perception which were deeply rooted in the minds of people, patterns of perception about the people and the world.