Moritz Szeps (5 November 1835, Busk – 9 August 1902,

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

) was an Austrian newspaper tycoon who founded and published the ''Neues Wiener Tagblatt'' (1867-1886), ''Wiener Tagblatt'' (1886-1894), and ''Das Wissen für'' ''Alle'' (1900).

Early life

Szeps was born into a Jewish family in Busk, Ukraine in 1835. His father was a doctor, and he initially studied medicine in

Lemberg Lviv ( uk, Львів) is the largest city in Western Ukraine, western Ukraine, and the List of cities in Ukraine, seventh-largest in Ukraine, with a population of . It serves as the administrative centre of Lviv Oblast and Lviv Raion, and is o ...

. After going to Vienna to continue his studies, he decided to change careers and became a journalist instead.

Journalism and publishing

From 1855 to 1867, he was

editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The highest-ranking editor of a publication may also be titled editor, managing ...

of the '. In 1867, following the resignation of most of its employees, he took over the

Neues Wiener Tagblatt The Neues Wiener Tagblatt was a daily newspaper published in Vienna from 1867 to 1945. It was one of the highest-circulation newspapers in Austria before 1938. History The newspaper was founded by Eduard Mayer as a successor to the Wiener Journ ...

, which became the leading a liberal newspaper in Austria. As a friend of

Crown Prince Rudolf en, Rudolph Francis Charles Joseph , caption = Rudolf in 1887 , spouse = , issue = Elisabeth Marie, Princess Otto of Windisch-Graetz , house = Habsburg-Lorraine , father = Franz Joseph I of Austria , mother ...

, Szeps published his political writings anonymously. Szeps, however, was not shy about making direct attacks on his opponents and critics. By 1876, he was sufficiently successful to build his own home, the " Palais Szeps", which is now the residence of the Swedish Ambassador. Eventually, his financial backers wanted him to be more cautious and, in 1886, eased him out of the company. With the help of a Hungarian financier, he purchased the ''Morgen-Post'' and changed its name to the ''Wiener Tagblatt'' (after 1901, ''Wiener Morgenzeitung''). The paper eventually failed to meet expectations, and was discontinued in 1905. Like the Crown Prince, he felt that Austria should emulate France, rather than reactionary

Prussia Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an em ...

. Therefore, he had numerous contacts in Paris, including

Georges Clemenceau Georges Benjamin Clemenceau (, also , ; 28 September 1841 – 24 November 1929) was a French statesman who served as Prime Minister of France from 1906 to 1909 and again from 1917 until 1920. A key figure of the Independent Radicals, he was a ...

, who was also a newspaper editor at that time. This was met with fierce opposition by the Pro-German nationalists, who were increasingly

Anti-Semitic Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism. Antis ...

. When the Crown Prince died in 1889, the liberal cause suffered a serious setback and Szeps's finances dwindled accordingly.

Legacy

Szeps' daughter, Berta Zuckerkandl, became a well known writer, journalist and

art critic An art critic is a person who is specialized in analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating art. Their written critiques or reviews contribute to art criticism and they are published in newspapers, magazines, books, exhibition brochures, and catalogue ...

. Berta and her husband Emil Zuckerhandl created a brilliant

salon Salon may refer to: Common meanings * Beauty salon, a venue for cosmetic treatments * French term for a drawing room, an architectural space in a home * Salon (gathering), a meeting for learning or enjoyment Arts and entertainment * Salon (P ...

for artists and writers that was at the center of cultural life. His other daughter, Sophie, married Paul Clemenceau, the brother of the prime minister of France.

References

Palais Szeps Schwedische Botschaft Wien 2019 a

External links

"Moritz Szeps"
at the Wien Geschichte Wiki * {{DEFAULTSORT:Szeps, Moritz 1835 births 1902 deaths People from Busk, Ukraine Ukrainian Jews Jews from Galicia (Eastern Europe) Austrian journalists Austrian Jews Austrian publishers (people)

Early life

Journalism and publishing

Legacy

References

Further reading

External links