Netherlandish Reports in German Newspapers, 1605-1650

Abstract

The shift away from case-studies on individual newspapers towards the study of the geography and space of news is one of the most profound changes in the recent history in the historiography of the newspaper. The new medium that came about at the beginning of the seventeenth century succeeded in parts because it could rely on an efficient international network which transported news. First, this article focusses on the influence as well as the importance of the Netherlandish press for publishers in Germany. It will uncover the exact origin and measure the amount and frequency of Netherlandish news in the German press. This will be done on the basis of a bibliographical analysis of all surviving German periodicals printed between 1609 and 1650. Netherlandish reports formed part of the backbone of international coverage in German newspapers. Secondly it traces the intellectual and economic influence of Netherlandish publishers. Many of the early publishers failed to establish a business model that would turn their newspaper into a lucrative enterprise. Some of those who managed to keep their periodicals running owned part of their success to the adaptation and appropriation of business models developed in the Northern and Southern Netherlands.