Berufung und Rufmord. Pressekampagnen zur Personalentwicklung an den österreichischen Hochschulen 1918 bis 1933

The article deals with the impact of periodicals on the personnel development at Austrian Universities in the First Republic. It shows an effective cooperation between German national and Christian-Social newspapers, members of anti-Semite professor networks and officials of the Deutsche Studentenschaft (German student body). The Deutschösterreichische Tageszeitung (German Austrian daily newspaper) turned out to be the most influential newspaper regarding university policy. It published lists of (supposed) Jewish university teachers and internal information from sessions of the professorial council and thereby influenced votes and provoked student riots. On the other hand, the social democrat and liberal press queried about the influence of non-scientific criteria on personnel decisions. Due to insufficient support in the student body as well as in the professorate these initiatives remained ineffective. From 1925 some left wing and liberal periodicals started to copy the policy of their opponents: They published names of anti-Semite university teachers – such of Jewish descent.