E-MailDer Wahre Jacob – digital
Founded in 1879 in Hamburg the social democratic satire journal Der Wahre Jacob was published intermittently until 1933. For a long time it was the most widely read journal within the circle of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). After reprisals in the context of the Anti-Socialist Laws the magazine was continued in Stuttgart. From 1891 onwards the cover page was decorated with a four-colour printed caricature. Coloured satire pictures, caricatures, agitation pictures and illustrations gained an important role.
In 1923 hyperinflation forced Der Wahre Jacob to cease its publication. As late as October 1922 an issue was sold for 10 Mark, by mid-1923 the price had increased up to 20 million. On 12th October the very same year the journal wrote its farewell to the readers: "Dies ist des 'Jacobs' letzte Nummer! - Er starb an keinem Staatsanwalt, - Es macht kein Paragraph ihn kalt, - Er legte sich zum Winterschlummer, - edrängt vom Wucherergebot, - Erdrosselt von der Zeiten Not! […]." From 1924 to 1927 the humoristic journal was published under the title Lachen links, from July 1927 the name Der Wahre Jacob was again re-established.
Otto von Bismarck and the politics of the German Reich were the main target of ridicule. Characteristic for Der Wahre Jacob are its articles dealing with tendencies and current events of politics, in particular with the development of social democracy. Already in the year of Hitler's takeover the journal was prohibited because of its critical articles.
Chief editors were Wilhelm Blos (1879-1880; 1884-1887), Georg Bassler (1890-1900), Berthold Heymann (1901-1919) and Friedrich Wendel (1927-1933). Eminent authors of "Der Wahre Jacob" were Victor Adler, Wilhelm Blos, Arno Holz, Erich Mühsam, Clara Müller-Jahnke, Alexander Roda Roda, Emil Rosenow or Dr. Owlglass.
Prominent draughtsmen were Otto Emil Lau, who was responsible for the head-piece, Edmund Edel, Emil Erk, Fritz Grätz, Hans Gabriel Jentzsch, Otto Marcus, Rata Langa (Gabriele Galantara) or Erich Schilling.
From 1879 to 1917 the constant price per issue was 10 Pfennig. We do not know how many copies of Der Wahre Jacob were published in these first years. In 1887 the circulation was up to 40.000 copies and in 1890 up to 100.000. In 1912 the number had increased to 380.500, but during World War I it nearly decreased by half. In 1919 the journal was published again with 200.000 copies. Thus, its circulation was higher than any other social democratic journal in Germany.
Further Reading
- Achten, Udo [Hrsg.]: Lachen links: das republikanische Witzblatt 1924 bis 1927, Berlin / Bonn 1985
- Achten, Udo [Hrsg.]: Der wahre Jacob: ein halbes Jahrhundert in Faksimiles. Bonn 1994
- Der Wahre Jacob – Erschließungsprojekt der Herzogin Anna Amalia Bibliothek Weimar
- Ege, Konrad: Karikatur und Bildsatire im Deutschen Reich. Der 'Wahre Jacob', Hamburg 1879/80, Stuttgart 1884-1914. Mediengeschichte, Mitarbeiter, Chefredakteure, Grafik, Münster / Hamburg 1992
- Häckel, Manfred [Hrsg.]: Der Wahre Jacob. Lyrik und Prosa 1884-1905, Berlin 1959
- Koch, Ursula E.: Der Teufel in Berlin. Von der Märzrevolution bis zu Bismarcks Entlassung. Illustrierte politische Witzblätter einer Metropole 1848-1890, Köln 1991
- Pohl, Klaus-Dieter: Allegorie und Arbeiter. Bildagitatorische Didaktik und Repräsentation der SPD 1890 – 1914. Studien zum politischen Umgang mit bildender Kunst in den politisch-satirischen Zeitschriften „Der Wahre Jacob" und „Süddeutscher Postillon" sowie in den Maifestzeitungen, Univ., Diss., Osnabrück 1986
- Robertson, Ann: Karikatur im Kontext. Zur Entwicklung der sozialdemokratischen illustrierten satirischen Zeitschrift 'Der Wahre Jacob' zwischen Kaiserreich und Republik, Frankfurt a. M. 1992
- Schäfer, Julia: Vermessen-gezeichnet-verlacht – Judenbilder in populären Zeitschriften 1918-1933, Frankfurt / New York 2004
- Steinberg, Hans-Josef: Satirische Zeitschriften der deutschen sozialistischen Arbeiterbewegung, in: Arbeiterbewegung und Geschichte, hrsg. von Hans-Peter Harstick, Trier 1983
- Wendel, Friedrich: 50 Jahre Wahrer Jacob. Eine Festschrift, Berlin 1929
