Hörspiel in the lab: The politics of interdisciplinary radio research in Germany (1928–45)

Abstract

This article focuses on the establishment of new laboratories for radio research in Germany between 1928 and 1945, whereby the new discipline of radio studies and the collective work of artists, engineers and humanities scholars crucially advanced the development of the German Hörspiel (radio play). In turn, the embedding of the Hörspiel in these new ‘radio labs’ serves as an instructive prism for understanding the interdisciplinary and simultaneously highly political nature of these endeavours. Examining three case studies for radio research in this period, in Berlin, Leipzig and Freiburg, the article demonstrates how each adapted the laboratory culture of the engineering sciences to the needs of research in the humanities and their relationship to changing political conditions during the Weimar and National Socialist periods. It highlights a forgotten chapter in radio history and humanities research, particularly amidst the current enthusiasm for ‘humanities labs’ in the era of digital humanities.