Pages: [1]   Go Down

Author Topic: The lost hams during the Weimar Republic in Germany  (Read 282 times)

K6EE

  • Member
  • Posts: 20
The lost hams during the Weimar Republic in Germany
« on: October 06, 2022, 12:16:39 AM »

Amateur radio was largely "verboten" during the Weimar Republic (1918-1933) in Germany, prohibited by an old Prussian law. There were only a few official transmission licenses, for city and university radio clubs, and a few technology companies. Even shortwave receiving required an official permission and for most citizens licenses were totally unreachable.

This (dire) situation led to a quite well organized activity of hundreds of unauthorized clandestine ham stations, some prominently participating in the international ham traffic. Never before there has been a systematic compilation revealing the identity of unauthorized and authorized stations during this time. Here is a first attempt:   
https://mediarxiv.org/rz64t

This callbook might be helpful if you want to identify old QSL card from that period (anonymous for safety reasons).
Further, it contains a brief summary of the historic situation of ham radio in Germany, as well as brief biographic notes for operators, when available. Definitely work in progress, if you have any further information, please reach out..

vy 73, Fritz
Logged

K6LP

  • Member
  • Posts: 16
    • HomeURL
Re: The lost hams during the Weimar Republic in Germany
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2022, 04:32:37 AM »

Thank you for posting this. It appears that the following regime from 1933 on was far more liberal for Amateurfunk than the supposedly libertine Weimar Republic! Even during WWII some amateurs were allowed to operate: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kriegsfunksendegenehmigung 

73 Kevin K6LP
Logged

K6EE

  • Member
  • Posts: 20
Re: The lost hams during the Weimar Republic in Germany
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2022, 09:25:52 AM »

Kevin,

The Weimar Republic was a democracy but took over a lot of restrictive laws from the Kaiserreich. Conversely, the regime after 1933 turned quickly to a dictatorship but in terms of amateur radio gave a bit more access.  Compared to other western countries, the number of legal stations was still dismally low. Some people say the regime recognized the value of ham radio for propaganda, I think they just realized the unimportance of keeping the Prussian Telegraphengesetz in place. Anyway, the period after 1933 needs no coverage, the call signs during these years are listed in the US callbooks, (besides the few Kriegsgenehmigungen, but the list is also available online).

Best, Fritz   
Logged
Pages: [1]   Go Up