She was probably the first investigative journalist in the German world. 1923, at the age of 24, Paula Schlier, who had previously published articles against the Nazis as a journalist, sneaked into the party leaflet of the NSDAP, the “Völkischer Beobachter”. Disguised as a secretary she also documented Hitler’s attempted putsch on November 8th/9th 1923. Her diary reports were published in 1926 as a celebrated first work by the Brenner publishing house in Innsbruck: “Petras Aufzeichnungen oder Konzept einer Jugend nach dem Diktat der Zeit” (Petra’s Records or the Concept of Youth under the Dictate of Time) was a statement against a world that was radicalising to the right. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Hitler putsch, Innsbruck-based Germanists Annette Steinsiek and Ursula A. Schneider have published a commentary on Paula Schlier’s report. Based on that, the Bavarian Broadcasting (BR) has produced the documentation “Hitlerputsch 1923. The Diary of Paula Schlier”.
Directed by: Oliver von Hamburger, with Lea von Acken
Germany 2023, 45min.; German
BR author Paula Lochte also realised a podcast series with three parts about the “forgotten hero” Paula Schlier bearing the title “Paula sucht Paula” (Paula Looking for Paula). The podcast episode “#MeToo vor 100 Jahren” (#MeToo 100 Years ago) addresses how Paula Schlier was one of the first women of letters calling out sexual harassment in the workplace and attacks against women and children.
Film discussion with
Annette Steinsiek and Ursula A. Schneider
Hosted by:
Joachim Leitner
cultural editor of Austrian daily newspaper Tiroler Tageszeitung
