Hier Zensur - wer dort? Antworten von gestern auf Fragen von heute

A lively and incisive look at the age‑old clash between literature and authority, this work traces the evolution of German censorship from its ecclesiastical roots in the late fifteenth century to the more secular struggles of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. With a tone that oscillates between scholarly insight and sharp satire, the author sketches the courtroom of the censor as a stage where princes, priests, playwrights and poets tumble into absurd confrontations.

The book is organized as a series of vivid vignettes—Friedrich II’s “royal freedom,” Joseph II’s reform attempts, the theatre bans of the Wöllner era, and the Napoleonic scramble for control—each illustrated with miniature portraits and witty anecdotes. These episodes reveal the tangled mix of politics, morality, and personal ambition that fueled the censor’s pen, while also exposing the bureaucratic quirks and theatrical farces that accompanied every decree.

Beyond its historical catalog, the narrative invites listeners to reflect on how yesterday’s battles over the printed word echo in today’s debates on free expression. By pairing past lessons with present‑day questions, it offers a thoughtful, entertaining guide to the perennial fight between light and darkness in the cultural sphere.