Courier du Bas-Rhin
Encyclopedia
Courier du Bas-Rhin was one of the leading European papers of the late 18th century and the Enlightenment
period. It was published in French language
in Kleve
(Cleves) (then a Prussia
n exclave east of the Dutch Republic
from 1767.
and religious freedom. Unlike most contemporary countries, such as France, Great Britain or the Holy Roman Empire, there was little government interference (censorship
or monopolies
) there. Many Huguenots were exiled to the Netherlands during the reign of Louis XIV, and the numbers of French refugees increased with the revocation of the Edict of Nantes
in 1685. Several exiles begun publishing French-language (as it was both an international language and their own - see lingua franca
) newspapers in various European cities covering political news in France and Europe. Read by the European elites, in France these papers were called "Foreign gazettes".
It was heavily influenced by the Prussia
n authorities, and seen by some as a Prussian propaganda outlet. It was, nonetheless, much freer when it came to reporting events outside Prussia, for example, in France. It lost most of its remaining independence around 1806-1807, when the authorities took control of most German newspapers.
Courier du Bas Rhin supported enlightened absolutism
; supported British liberties - but doubted they were fully respected; supported the Dutch Stadholder, and was sympathetic to the French Revolution
(although mostly, post-revolution). It was often in major opposition to another leading journal of its time, Gazette de Leyde (the papers were, for example, on opposite sides concering the Dutch Revolution).
Sources vary on when the Courier stopped publication. Barker and Burrows suggest 1807, while Beermann indicates 1810. Alexander notes that a publication with similar name was published in the first half of the 19th century. Another similarly named publication (Courrier du département du Bas-Rhin, also known as Niederrheinischer Kurier) was also published in Alsace
in the second half of the 19th century.
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
period. It was published in French language
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
in Kleve
Kleve
Kleve , is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century onwards, Kleve was capital of a county and later a duchy...
(Cleves) (then a Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n exclave east of the Dutch Republic
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
from 1767.
Background
In the 18th century, the Netherlands (United Provinces) were very tolerant in matters of freedom of the pressFreedom of the press
Freedom of the press or freedom of the media is the freedom of communication and expression through vehicles including various electronic media and published materials...
and religious freedom. Unlike most contemporary countries, such as France, Great Britain or the Holy Roman Empire, there was little government interference (censorship
Censorship
thumb|[[Book burning]] following the [[1973 Chilean coup d'état|1973 coup]] that installed the [[Military government of Chile |Pinochet regime]] in Chile...
or monopolies
Monopoly
A monopoly exists when a specific person or enterprise is the only supplier of a particular commodity...
) there. Many Huguenots were exiled to the Netherlands during the reign of Louis XIV, and the numbers of French refugees increased with the revocation of the Edict of Nantes
Edict of Nantes
The Edict of Nantes, issued on 13 April 1598, by Henry IV of France, granted the Calvinist Protestants of France substantial rights in a nation still considered essentially Catholic. In the Edict, Henry aimed primarily to promote civil unity...
in 1685. Several exiles begun publishing French-language (as it was both an international language and their own - see lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
) newspapers in various European cities covering political news in France and Europe. Read by the European elites, in France these papers were called "Foreign gazettes".
Contents and history
The Courier had a circulation of 1430 in 1793 and 530 in 1801.It was heavily influenced by the Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n authorities, and seen by some as a Prussian propaganda outlet. It was, nonetheless, much freer when it came to reporting events outside Prussia, for example, in France. It lost most of its remaining independence around 1806-1807, when the authorities took control of most German newspapers.
Courier du Bas Rhin supported enlightened absolutism
Enlightened absolutism
Enlightened absolutism is a form of absolute monarchy or despotism in which rulers were influenced by the Enlightenment. Enlightened monarchs embraced the principles of the Enlightenment, especially its emphasis upon rationality, and applied them to their territories...
; supported British liberties - but doubted they were fully respected; supported the Dutch Stadholder, and was sympathetic to the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
(although mostly, post-revolution). It was often in major opposition to another leading journal of its time, Gazette de Leyde (the papers were, for example, on opposite sides concering the Dutch Revolution).
Sources vary on when the Courier stopped publication. Barker and Burrows suggest 1807, while Beermann indicates 1810. Alexander notes that a publication with similar name was published in the first half of the 19th century. Another similarly named publication (Courrier du département du Bas-Rhin, also known as Niederrheinischer Kurier) was also published in Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
in the second half of the 19th century.
Editors
- Jean Manzon (Manson), founder, editor from 1768 to 1798
- Post-1810:
- Frederic-Rodolph Saltzmann
- Jean-Henri Silbermann
Further reading
- Matthias Beermann, Zeitung zwischen Profit und Politik. Der Courier du Bas-Rhin (1767–1810) (Leipzig, 1996).
- Ute van Runset, "Faits divers et la guerre dans La Gazette de Cologne et le Journal du Bas-Rhin (1756-1779): Information, prise de position, distraction"
- Ute Van Runset, "La politique de Frédéric II et les gazettes : Entre le Courrier du Bas-Rhin et la Gazette de Cologne"
- J. J. V. M. de Vet, "Le Courrier du Bas-Rhin de Jean Manzon et les Provinces-Unies (1787-1795): Un traitement idéologique de l'information"