Volksempfänger Case Study

“Volksempfänger” (German for people’s receiver)

The Volksempfänger was a radio device which was first presented to the public on August 18, 1933. The product was called the VE 301 which refers to the 30th January.The purpose and the low price of the Volksempfänger indicates that Joseph Goebbels used the device to manipulate as many germans as possible.

According to Jonischkies, Joseph Goebbels anticipated that the radio will be the most important media in the 20th century and is essential for the implementation of the Nazi politics. The Volksempfänger was introduced in August 1933 during the Großen Deutschen Funkausstellung in Berlin (The Big German Radio Show in Berlin) and included two different channels and all companies which produced

In comparison, the Volksempfänger VE301W constructed in 1933 and a former prize of RM 76,--, the Siemens Aetherzepp 47WL constructed in 1933/34 with a former prize of RM

Furthermore in the opinion of Hadamovsky “not one Volksgenosse should not own a radio” (quoted in Reinie). Blohm also points out that the radio and the Volksempfänger serves not only as a device for entertainment but also as indoctrination, education and to build a unity of the german people. Even in the process of producing the Volksempfänger jewish companies were not allowed to produce, sale or deliver the devices (Blohm). These information clearly indicate that Joseph Goebbels and other Nazi leaders created and used the Volksempfänger to manipulate the as many german people as possible to a great extend. To even further expand the audience Goebbels created the Deutscher Kleinempfänger (german small receiver) in 1938 with a former price of only RM 35,-- (Bremer Rundfunkmuseum e.V.) The production of the new smaller and cheaper radio shows that the goal was to get to as all people in Germany. Since more and more people had access to radios ,especially Goebbels radio, his influence