Erich Everth

in Berlin; died 22 June 1934 in Leipzig) was a German art historian, journalist and scientist of newspaper and cultivation.

Everth received a PhD in 1909 at the philosophical department of the University of Leipzig by August Schmarsow and Johannes Volkelt.

In contrast to usual pamphlets full of chauvinism and heroism, Everth characterized the active soldier as a normal human being with problems and individual worries.

In November 1926, the 48-year-old art historian was appointed by Karl Bücher to be the first ordinary professor of the newly created chair for "Zeitungskunde" at the University of Leipzig.

As a result of the university's affiliation with state ideology during the Nazi era, the institute saw significant personnel and content changes, and Erich Everth, the former head and a proponent of a free press, was ousted and replaced by regime loyalist Hans A.

But the national press was celebrating as well, the German media proprietor Alfred Hugenberg himself was the leader of the DNVP, a party that was supporting the Nazis.

The reclusive worker Everth now takes a firm stand and shows that he is not going to stay inside the ivory tower of Academic elitism due to the incidents.

On the very last, from liberal und lefts-democratic politicians organised public event in central Berlin, the congress „Das Freie Wort“ (The Free Word) on 19 February 1933, Everth held a strong pleading in favor of the freedom of the press.

He joined Alfred Kantorowicz in the opinion, that „there are times, when the free word has to be defended not only with words, but with deeds.“ At this demonstration, where one could hear the call for freedom of thought for a last time, between 1000 and 2000 democratic or at least anti-Nazi minded intellectuals participated, for instance Käthe Kollwitz, Max Brauer, Willi Münzenberg, Adolf Grimme, Ferdinand Tönnies and Heinrich Mann.

While the Nazis distinguished themselves on the streets by rampaging hordes of SA and in communication policy by censorship and rushing propaganda, Everth fought to the last with all his might.

But it remained existentially incomprehensible for him, who now directed the fate of the German nation, especially since he had no illusions about their future under Adolf Hitlers rule.