The “Specialist for Russian Questions”
Klaus Mehnert’s Rise as an Expert on Eastern Europe
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Klaus Mehnert was the best-known expert on the Soviet Union in early West Germany. He had worked hard to achieve this status. He was a gifted net-worker with excellent connections in politics and a conservative with a pro-nounced ego. He was a highly productive journalist. With his commentaries in newspapers, radio, and television, as well as books such as the bestseller Der Sowjetmensch (Soviet Man), he reached an audience of millions and significantly shaped the West German image of Russia and the Soviet Union. His biography illustrates the role played by Soviet Union experts in the Federal Republic during the East-West conflict and how capable conservative intellectuals were of acting. And it provides insight into German research on Eastern Europe after 1945.
(Osteuropa 6-7/2024, pp. 205–218)