1033:, a monthly magazine designed to construct an ideological bridge between German and American intellectuals and, as explicitly set forth by Lasky, to ease the passage of American foreign policy interests by supporting 'the general objectives of U.S. policy in Germany and Europe. Set up with General Clay's backing on 1 October 1948, under Lasky's editorship, it was printed initially into Munich and airlifted into Berlin aboard the allied cargo planes on which the city depended during the blockade."
1079:(1999), p. 85. "Wisner returned to the problem of Melvin Lasky, whose peacock presence throughout the Berlin conference had so infuriated him. His earlier command to have Lasky removed from centre-stage having been so blatantly ignored, he wrote an angry internal memo, 'Berlin Congress for Cultural Freedom: Activities of Melvin Lasky,' stating that Lasky's visibility was 'a major blunder and was recognized as such by our best friends in the State Department . . .'"
546:
1167:, dated 10 May 1966, which stated: 'We know of no "indirect" benefactions. . . we are our own masters and part of nobody's propaganda,' and defended the 'independent record of the Congress for Cultural Freedom in defending writers and artists in both East and West against misdemeanors of all governments including that of the US."
173:. While Lasky admitted he knew of the CIA's role as a funding source before it was made public in 1966, allegations that he was a CIA agent have not been substantiated by evidence. In 1947, Lasky wrote an influential document that made the case for a cultural Cold War intended to win over European intellectuals.
1050:
was financed through 'confidential funds' of the
Marshall Plan, then from the coffers of the Central Intelligence Agency, then with Ford Foundation money, and then again with CIA dollars. For its financing alone, the magazine was absolutely a productâand an exemplar ofâAmerican Cold War strategies in
299:
The time-honored U.S. formula of 'shed light and the people will find their own way' exaggerated the possibilities in
Germany (and in Europe) for an easy conversion . . . It would be foolish to expect to wean a primitive savage away from his conviction in mysterious jungle-herbs simply by the
300:
dissemination of modern scientific and medical information . . . We have not succeeded in combatting the variety of factorsâpolitical, psychological, culturalâwhich work against U.S. foreign policy, and in particular against the success of the
Marshall Plan in Europe.
416:, criticized Lasky for making American sponsorship of the conference too obvious. Although temporarily expelled from the CCF by Wisner, Lasky was included again in 1953 as a member of the "Tri-Magazine Editorial Committee", which established policies and topics for
428:. As part of this committee, Lasky argued that these magazines must express some dissent against the American government or risk being exposed as propaganda. Furthermore, Lasky contributed to sustaining West Berlin's role as a symbol of transatlantic solidarity.
320:
continued as a prominent highbrow
Germanophone journal, incorporating essays and articles from many Western European and North America intellectuals as well as dissidents from the Eastern Bloc. Contributors included
851:(1999), p. 44. "And what of Melvin Lasky? Was he not an ideal candidate to join the swelling ranks of the CIA? It would later be alleged that Lasky had become an agent. This he consistently denied. Like Thaxter in
598:
opened the Lasky Center for
Transatlantic Studies, a research center associated with the university's American Studies department. The Lasky Center is home to Lasky's personal library and papers. Its director is
1148:. . . nor the deliberate philistinism of Encounter's editor Melvin Lasky, whom Berry reports as having described Stephen Spender's bookish part in that magazine as 'Elizabeth Bowen and all that crap'.
291:
which became known as "The Melvin Lasky
Proposal". In this document, Lasky argued for a more aggressive campaign of cultural and psychological operations to combat the Soviet Union in the
492:
to represent the point of view of the anti-Communist, anti-Totalitarian Left, and reportedly favored the journal's political side over its more purely cultural endeavors. He remained at
456:
quarterly without Lasky's involvement as editor-in-chief, but Lasky remained publisher along with his German wife Helga
Hegewisch, while the journal's new editor-in-chief was
31:
855:, the rumour 'greatly added to his mysteriousness.' His constant presence at the forefront of the CIA's cultural Cold War for the next two decades would not go unnoticed."
236:
378:
1311:
1220:
1291:
743:
795:
488:, the original editor and founder, in 1958 and helped turn the young magazine into one of the most highly regarded periodicals in Europe. Lasky steered
232:
266:. During this time, Lasky was an outspoken critic of the United States' earlier reluctance to intervene to stop the genocide of European Jews.
316:. Its purpose was to support U.S. foreign policy and win over German intellectuals views that were socially progressive but anti-communist.
1184:
confession: he admitted to
Kermode that he had known of CIA support for some years now, but that he could not possibly say this publicly."
970:
811:
148:
1276:
220:
in New York and was editor from 1942 to 1943. Lasky wrote an editorial during this time criticizing the Allies for failing to address
1326:
1316:
1281:
697:
1286:
1261:
595:
620:
537:
and other publications revealed the CIA's relationship to the CCF and its publications, embarrassing many who were involved.
782:
1266:
1321:
1306:
1301:
642:
631:
1271:
1224:
1296:
764:
752:
578:
675:
653:
910:
573:
Newiger) with whom he had two children, Vivienne Lasky and Oliver Lasky, and to German novelist Helga
Hegewisch.
664:
468:
appearing in
Germany since 1997 has nothing to do with the former journal's socio-political concept and design.
726:
512:
413:
401:
240:
163:
686:
871:
251:
190:
944:
169:
From 1950 to 1963, the CIA covertly supported the CCF and a number of its publications, including
738:
576:
Lasky died in May 2004 of a heart ailment. A portion of Lasky's unpublished memoirs appears in
201:
87:
978:
1163:(1999), p. 378. "Spender added his signature to that of Kristol and Lasky in a letter to the
142:(15 January 1920 â 19 May 2004) was an American journalist, intellectual, and member of the
1256:
1251:
1063:
The CIA Under Reagan, Bush & Casey The Evolution of the Agency from Roosevelt to Reagan
719:
531:(recruited as editor in 1965) that he had known about CIA funding for some years. In 1967,
480:
154:
374:
8:
533:
205:
143:
478:
In the English-speaking world, Lasky was best known for his role as Editor-in-Chief of
1195:
778:
760:
748:
195:
515:(CCF). Lasky denied knowledge of CIA funding in a 1966 letter (written jointly with
819:
1133:"Nil desperandum: Articles of Faith: the story of British intellectual journalism"
821:
A Brief Encounter: Melvin Lasky is a legend. Better yet, he dislikes Maureen Dowd.
370:
350:
612:
1962. âAfrica for beginners, a travellerâs notebookâ library of Congress 62-15206
520:
461:
397:
the journal "would not have been able to survive financially without CIA funds".
390:
338:
313:
283:
130:
600:
516:
485:
386:
346:
330:
322:
288:
263:
1245:
803:
528:
326:
305:
221:
213:
186:
1114:
770:
710:
409:
394:
342:
247:
228:
125:
1132:
945:"Melvin Lasky: Cold warrior who edited the CIA-funded Encounter magazine"
940:
405:
382:
366:
362:
334:
918:
358:
209:
816:, The David S. Wyman Institute for Holocaust Studies, January 23, 2006
354:
212:
but at 22 moved away from communism entirely because of disgust with
182:
277:
After Lasky left the Army, he became a German correspondent for the
158:, one of many journals revealed to have been secretly funded by the
827:
436:
292:
440:
and temporarily ceased publication in 1971. From 1978 until 1987,
255:
68:
757:
The Cultural Cold War: The CIA and the World of Arts and Letters
259:
64:
30:
1121:. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008, pp. 42, 73, 130.
672:
Voices in a Revolution: The Collapse of East German Communism
661:
European Notebooks: New Societies and Old Politics, 1954-1985
545:
312:("The Month"), airlifted into Berlin during the 1948 Soviet
589:
508:
457:
159:
540:
650:
Utopia and Revolution: On the Origins of a Metaphor
744:Who Paid the Piper? CIA and the Cultural Cold War
464:. A new economy and marketing publication called
262:, where he worked for American military governor
1243:
1180:(1999), p. 384. "This was the moment of Lasky's
899:(Vol. 3) (Transaction Publishers: 2005), p. 274.
865:
863:
861:
460:politician and later German Minister of Culture
805:Cold Warrior: Saying goodbye to Melvin J. Lasky
239:and former Director of European Affairs at the
897:Media Warfare: The Americanization of Language
777:. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2008,
694:Profanity, Obscenity and the Media, Volume Two
683:Media Warfare: The Americanization of Language
308:funding to create the German-language journal
176:
858:
797:Melvin J. Lasky, 84; Outspoken Anti-Communist
639:The Language of Journalism: Newspaper Culture
553:Lasky was the author of many books including
389:. The journal also received funding from the
1312:United States Army personnel of World War II
193:, where he wrote for the student newspaper,
569:. He was married twice, to Brigitte Lasky (
404:(CCF) at a 1950 conference he organized in
287:. In 1947, Lasky sent a message to General
231:, an influential entertainment lawyer, and
1292:Recipients of the Order of Merit of Berlin
1187:
1221:"Lasky Center for Transatlantic Studies"
933:
908:
544:
527:. However, Lasky confessed privately to
269:
224:directly in their World War II efforts.
1130:
902:
393:and the CIA. According to CIA official
152:in 1948 and, from 1958 to 1991, edited
1244:
968:
911:"François Bondy & Melvin J. Lasky"
596:Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
590:Lasky Center for Transatlantic Studies
1193:
1060:
869:
939:
909:Botsford, Keith (FallâWinter 2004).
824:, Wall Street Journal, April 6, 2001
1131:Bagnall, Nicholas (17 March 2003).
507:had long received funding from the
496:until the magazine folded in 1991.
235:, the President and founder of the
13:
1046:(1999), p. 30. "Across the years,
969:Medoff, Rachel (23 January 2006).
606:
258:after the war, making his home in
208:. He briefly considered himself a
14:
1338:
1277:20th-century American journalists
789:
579:News from the Republic of Letters
541:Other activities and private life
617:The Use and Abuse of Sovietology
146:. He founded the German journal
29:
1327:Propaganda in the United States
1317:American expatriates in Germany
1282:City College of New York alumni
1213:
1170:
1153:
1124:
1108:
1095:
1082:
1069:
1065:. Acropolis Books. p. 152.
1054:
1036:
1029:(1999), p. 30. "The result was
971:"Letters They Wouldn't Publish"
800:, Washington Post, May 27, 2004
732:
1019:
1006:
993:
962:
889:
841:
250:as a combat historian for the
200:He continued his education at
1:
1287:University of Michigan alumni
1262:Writers from New York (state)
870:Lasky, Melvin (21 May 2004).
835:
813:Letters They Wouldn't Publish
808:, Reason Online, June 2, 2004
727:Congress for Cultural Freedom
513:Congress for Cultural Freedom
414:Office of Policy Coordination
402:Congress for Cultural Freedom
241:American Enterprise Institute
164:Congress for Cultural Freedom
1223:. LMU Munich. Archived from
471:
227:He was the older brother of
7:
1267:Jewish American journalists
704:
304:Soon after, Lasky received
216:. He began working for the
177:Early life and World War II
10:
1343:
1322:American magazine founders
1307:21st-century American Jews
1302:20th-century American Jews
1194:Stern, Sol (Winter 2010).
628:On the Barricades, and Off
567:The Language of Journalism
400:Lasky helped to found the
97:Editor, journalist, author
1272:American male journalists
563:On the Barricades and Off
121:
111:
101:
93:
83:
75:
49:
37:
28:
21:
1297:American anti-communists
1196:"The Ramparts I Watched"
739:Saunders, Francis Stonor
559:Voices in the Revolution
191:City College of New York
105:Brigitte (Newiger) Lasky
917:(14/15). Archived from
759:, 2000, The New Press,
549:Lasky's grave in Berlin
237:Fabergé Arts Foundation
1061:Cline, Ray S. (1981).
698:Transaction Publishers
687:Transaction Publishers
676:Transaction Publishers
665:Transaction Publishers
654:Transaction Publishers
643:Transaction Publishers
632:Transaction Publishers
621:Transaction Publishers
550:
446:Der Monat (Neue Folge)
302:
202:University of Michigan
88:University of Michigan
1012:quoted in: Saunders,
594:In October 2010, the
555:Utopia and Revolution
548:
297:
1051:the cultural field."
379:Peter de Mendelssohn
254:. Lasky remained in
915:Republic of Letters
829:Republic of Letters
452:) re-surfaced as a
206:Columbia University
144:anti-Communist left
16:American journalist
715:(German Knowledge)
584:The Berlin Journal
551:
525:The New York Times
181:Lasky was born in
140:Melvin Jonah Lasky
23:Melvin Jonah Lasky
1227:on 6 January 2013
1178:Cultural Cold War
1161:Cultural Cold War
1119:Kennedy in Berlin
1103:Cultural Cold War
1090:Cultural Cold War
1077:Cultural Cold War
1044:Cultural Cold War
1027:Cultural Cold War
1014:Cultural Cold War
1001:Cultural Cold War
895:Melvin J. Lasky,
849:Cultural Cold War
783:978-0-521-85824-3
775:Kennedy in Berlin
450:Der Monat (N. F.)
375:Richard Löwenthal
137:
136:
44:New York, NY, USA
1334:
1237:
1236:
1234:
1232:
1217:
1211:
1210:
1208:
1206:
1191:
1185:
1174:
1168:
1157:
1151:
1150:
1145:
1143:
1128:
1122:
1112:
1106:
1099:
1093:
1092:(1999), p. 217."
1086:
1080:
1073:
1067:
1066:
1058:
1052:
1040:
1034:
1023:
1017:
1010:
1004:
997:
991:
990:
988:
986:
981:on 20 March 2012
977:. Archived from
966:
960:
959:
957:
955:
937:
931:
930:
928:
926:
921:on 19 April 2012
906:
900:
893:
887:
886:
884:
882:
867:
856:
845:
747:, 1999, Granta,
586:, Spring, 2007.
582:, as well as in
233:Joyce Lasky Reed
189:and schooled at
133:(brother-in-law)
60:
58:
41:January 15, 1920
33:
19:
18:
1342:
1341:
1337:
1336:
1335:
1333:
1332:
1331:
1242:
1241:
1240:
1230:
1228:
1219:
1218:
1214:
1204:
1202:
1192:
1188:
1175:
1171:
1158:
1154:
1141:
1139:
1129:
1125:
1113:
1109:
1105:(1999), p. 218"
1100:
1096:
1087:
1083:
1074:
1070:
1059:
1055:
1041:
1037:
1024:
1020:
1011:
1007:
998:
994:
984:
982:
967:
963:
953:
951:
943:(21 May 2004).
938:
934:
924:
922:
907:
903:
894:
890:
880:
878:
868:
859:
853:Humboldt's Gift
846:
842:
838:
792:
735:
707:
609:
607:Published works
592:
543:
521:Stephen Spender
484:. He succeeded
476:
462:Michael Naumann
412:, of the CIA's
391:Ford Foundation
339:Arthur Koestler
284:Partisan Review
275:
179:
131:David R. Altman
129:
116:
107:Helga Hegewisch
106:
84:Alma mater
71:
62:
56:
54:
45:
42:
24:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1340:
1330:
1329:
1324:
1319:
1314:
1309:
1304:
1299:
1294:
1289:
1284:
1279:
1274:
1269:
1264:
1259:
1254:
1239:
1238:
1212:
1186:
1169:
1165:New York Times
1152:
1123:
1107:
1094:
1081:
1068:
1053:
1035:
1018:
1016:(1999), p. 29.
1005:
1003:(1999), p. 28.
992:
975:New York Times
961:
932:
901:
888:
872:"Melvin Lasky"
857:
839:
837:
834:
833:
832:
825:
817:
809:
801:
791:
790:External links
788:
787:
786:
768:
734:
731:
730:
729:
724:
716:
706:
703:
702:
701:
690:
679:
668:
657:
646:
635:
624:
613:
608:
605:
601:Christof Mauch
591:
588:
542:
539:
517:Irving Kristol
486:Irving Kristol
475:
470:
387:Hermann Kesten
371:Milovan Djilas
347:Ignazio Silone
331:Franz Borkenau
323:Theodor Adorno
289:Lucius D. Clay
274:
268:
264:Lucius D. Clay
178:
175:
135:
134:
123:
119:
118:
115:Vivienne Lasky
113:
109:
108:
103:
99:
98:
95:
91:
90:
85:
81:
80:
77:
73:
72:
63:
61:(aged 84)
51:
47:
46:
43:
39:
35:
34:
26:
25:
22:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1339:
1328:
1325:
1323:
1320:
1318:
1315:
1313:
1310:
1308:
1305:
1303:
1300:
1298:
1295:
1293:
1290:
1288:
1285:
1283:
1280:
1278:
1275:
1273:
1270:
1268:
1265:
1263:
1260:
1258:
1255:
1253:
1250:
1249:
1247:
1226:
1222:
1216:
1201:
1197:
1190:
1183:
1179:
1173:
1166:
1162:
1156:
1149:
1138:
1137:New Statesman
1134:
1127:
1120:
1116:
1111:
1104:
1098:
1091:
1085:
1078:
1072:
1064:
1057:
1049:
1045:
1039:
1032:
1028:
1022:
1015:
1009:
1002:
996:
980:
976:
972:
965:
950:
946:
942:
936:
920:
916:
912:
905:
898:
892:
877:
876:The Telegraph
873:
866:
864:
862:
854:
850:
844:
840:
831:
830:
826:
823:
822:
818:
815:
814:
810:
807:
806:
802:
799:
798:
794:
793:
784:
780:
776:
772:
769:
766:
765:1-56584-596-X
762:
758:
754:
753:1-86207-029-6
750:
746:
745:
740:
737:
736:
728:
725:
722:
721:
717:
714:
713:
709:
708:
699:
695:
691:
688:
684:
680:
677:
673:
669:
666:
662:
658:
655:
651:
647:
644:
640:
636:
633:
629:
625:
622:
618:
614:
611:
610:
604:
602:
597:
587:
585:
581:
580:
574:
572:
568:
564:
560:
556:
547:
538:
536:
535:
530:
529:Frank Kermode
526:
522:
518:
514:
510:
506:
502:
497:
495:
491:
487:
483:
482:
474:
469:
467:
463:
459:
455:
451:
447:
443:
439:
438:
433:
429:
427:
423:
419:
415:
411:
407:
403:
398:
396:
392:
388:
384:
380:
376:
372:
368:
364:
360:
356:
352:
351:Heinrich Böll
348:
344:
340:
336:
332:
328:
327:Hannah Arendt
324:
319:
315:
311:
307:
306:Marshall Plan
301:
296:
295:. It reads:
294:
290:
286:
285:
280:
273:
267:
265:
261:
257:
253:
249:
246:He served in
244:
242:
238:
234:
230:
225:
223:
222:The Holocaust
219:
215:
211:
207:
203:
199:
197:
192:
188:
187:New York City
184:
174:
172:
167:
165:
161:
157:
156:
151:
150:
145:
141:
132:
127:
124:
120:
114:
110:
104:
100:
96:
94:Occupation(s)
92:
89:
86:
82:
78:
74:
70:
66:
52:
48:
40:
36:
32:
27:
20:
1231:17 September
1229:. Retrieved
1225:the original
1215:
1205:17 September
1203:. Retrieved
1200:City Journal
1199:
1189:
1181:
1177:
1172:
1164:
1160:
1155:
1147:
1142:17 September
1140:. Retrieved
1136:
1126:
1118:
1115:Andreas Daum
1110:
1102:
1097:
1089:
1084:
1076:
1071:
1062:
1056:
1047:
1043:
1038:
1030:
1026:
1021:
1013:
1008:
1000:
995:
985:17 September
983:. Retrieved
979:the original
974:
964:
954:17 September
952:. Retrieved
949:The Guardian
948:
941:Roth, Andrew
935:
925:17 September
923:. Retrieved
919:the original
914:
904:
896:
891:
881:17 September
879:. Retrieved
875:
852:
848:
843:
828:
820:
812:
804:
796:
774:
771:Andreas Daum
756:
742:
733:Bibliography
718:
711:
693:
682:
671:
660:
649:
638:
627:
616:
593:
583:
577:
575:
570:
566:
562:
558:
554:
552:
532:
524:
504:
500:
498:
493:
489:
479:
477:
472:
465:
453:
449:
445:
444:(now titled
441:
435:
434:was sold to
431:
430:
425:
421:
417:
410:Frank Wisner
399:
395:Ray S. Cline
343:Raymond Aron
317:
309:
303:
298:
282:
281:and for the
278:
276:
271:
270:Germany and
248:World War II
245:
229:Floria Lasky
226:
217:
194:
180:
170:
168:
162:through the
153:
147:
139:
138:
126:Floria Lasky
117:Oliver Lasky
53:May 19, 2004
1257:2004 deaths
1252:1920 births
511:-sponsored
406:West Berlin
383:Hilde Spiel
367:Saul Bellow
363:T. S. Eliot
335:Thomas Mann
76:Nationality
1246:Categories
1182:soi-disant
1176:Saunders,
1159:Saunders,
1101:Saunders,
1088:Saunders,
1075:Saunders,
1042:Saunders,
1025:Saunders,
999:Saunders,
847:Saunders,
836:References
723:(magazine)
448:or simply
359:Max Frisch
279:New Leader
218:New Leader
210:Trotskyist
196:The Campus
57:2004-05-20
1048:Der Monat
1031:Der Monat
720:Encounter
712:Der Monat
505:Der Monat
501:Encounter
494:Encounter
490:Encounter
481:Encounter
473:Encounter
466:Der Monat
442:Der Monat
432:Der Monat
426:Encounter
418:Der Monat
355:Hans Sahl
318:Der Monat
310:Der Monat
272:Der Monat
183:The Bronx
171:Encounter
155:Encounter
149:Der Monat
102:Spouse(s)
705:See also
534:Ramparts
454:Die Zeit
437:Die Zeit
314:blockade
293:Cold War
252:7th Army
128:(sister)
112:Children
79:American
422:Preuves
256:Germany
166:(CCF).
69:Germany
55: (
781:
763:
755:(USA:
751:
692:2014.
681:2007.
670:2006.
659:2005.
648:2004.
637:2000.
626:1988.
615:1988.
565:, and
424:, and
385:, and
260:Berlin
214:Stalin
122:Family
65:Berlin
523:) to
499:Both
1233:2012
1207:2012
1144:2012
987:2012
956:2012
927:2012
883:2012
779:ISBN
761:ISBN
749:ISBN
519:and
503:and
204:and
50:Died
38:Born
571:née
509:CIA
458:SPD
185:of
160:CIA
1248::
1198:.
1146:.
1135:.
1117:,
973:.
947:.
913:.
874:.
860:^
773:,
767:).
741:,
696:.
685:.
674:.
663:.
652:.
641:.
630:.
619:.
603:.
561:,
557:,
420:,
408:.
381:,
377:,
373:,
369:,
365:,
361:,
357:,
353:,
349:,
345:,
341:,
337:,
333:,
329:,
325:,
243:.
67:,
1235:.
1209:.
989:.
958:.
929:.
885:.
785:.
700:.
689:.
678:.
667:.
656:.
645:.
634:.
623:.
198:.
59:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
