Pictures shape our reality and give the impression of objectivity. Today, it is almost impossible to convey information without pictures. Politicians are equally dependant on the visual. The >>portrayal>> of politicians in Germany from the twenties to the present day and the role of the mass media are the themes of this book.
The presidents of the Weimar Republic Friedrich Ebert and Paul von Hindenburg typified diverse political styles and directions. Photographs of the charismatic >>Fuhrer>> Adolf Hitler were used by the National Socialist regime to legitimise the political system, to integrate the masses into this system and to assure political domination.
In the Soviet Occupation Zone and the GDR in the period shortly after the Second World War, the cult of the Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin had great dominance. Despite the fact that personality cults were officially condemned during the course of destalinisation in the GDR, the SED gave prominence to both Walter Ulbricht and Erich Honecker as >>Builders of Socialism>> or as >>Fathers of the Nation>>.
In the Federal Republic of Germany, contrasting pictures competed within a democratic, pluralist public arena. In 1953, Konrad Adenauer was already emphasising the importance of personality. In 1961, Willy Brandt further developed this strategy following the example of the United States and is regarded as a >>German Kennedy>>. In the following decades, televisions established itself as the most important medium of all and today plays a paramount role in the conveying of political ideas and the portrayal of politicians.