Strategien zur Etablierung der Neuen Deutschen Biographie: Die frühe Arbeitsweise am Beispiel der Mitarbeit Max von Laues 1952–1961

The first volume of the biographical dictionary Neue Deutsche Biographie (NDB) was published in 1953; after the end of the Second World War, the publication was considered a national biography and was seen as a contribution to the cultural foundation of the Federal Republic of Germany. The establishment of the NDB was also made possible by the participation of important personalities such as Federal President Theodor Heuss (1884-1963) and Nobel Prize winner in physics Max von Laue (1879-1960). Based on previously unexamined sources from Laue's estate and the Archive of the Historical Commission in Munich, it is shown that Laue not only contributed to the reputation of the NDB, but also used the opportunities available in the early years to help shape the emerging culture of remembrance. An analysis of editorial practices reveals that articles had different contexts of origin. In addition to articles written by the authors who signed them, there were also articles based on a collective authorship and articles in which the signed author and the original author were not identical.