This subproject explores the intermedial and trans­generic aesthe­tics of popular German-language illustrated enter­tain­ment maga­zines from the 1920s to the 1940s such as Uhu and Die Dame – through a theo­retical lens grounded in pop studies. It explores their role in shaping style, providing cultural orien­tation, and consti­tuting social groups. A key focus is the trans­forma­tion of aesthe­tics that emerged in the 1920s and their adap­tation under National Socialism, analyzing how pop aesthe­tics interacted with the regime’s demands. In addition to selected maga­zines, the study also centers on the writer, essayist, and advice colum­nist Walther von Hollander, whose career spanned the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, and post-war Federal Republic of Germany. His continuous output across these periods offers a unique lens to trace shifts in popular aesthe­tics and their entangle­ment with political power.
Many of the magazines forming the basis of this research are available as digital copies on arthistoricum.net.

As part of a collaboration with the SLUB Dresden, a blog is being developed to document and analyze the materials found.