Reichszentrale für Heimatdienst ("Reich Agency for Homeland Service") was an organisation established in Germany in March 1918 to disseminate propaganda and educational material. It was soon to play a role in the emergent

Weimar Republic The Weimar Republic, officially known as the German Reich, was the German Reich, German state from 1918 to 1933, during which it was a constitutional republic for the first time in history; hence it is also referred to, and unofficially proclai ...

. The organisation was dissolved on 16 March 1933 following the

Nazi seizure of power The rise to power of Adolf Hitler, dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945, began in the newly established Weimar Republic in September 1919, when Hitler joined the '' Deutsche Arbeiterpartei'' (DAP; German Workers' Party). He quickly rose t ...

. In many ways it was replaced by

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazism, Nazi politician and philologist who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief Propaganda in Nazi Germany, propagandist for the Nazi Party, and ...

Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda The Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (, RMVP), also known simply as the Ministry of Propaganda (), controlled the content of the press, literature, visual arts, film, theater, music and radio in Nazi Germany. The ministr ...

established on 14 March 1933.

Origins

The Heimatdienst was first set up as the "Zentrale für Heimatdienst" under the control of Erhard Deutelmoser, head of the Kriegspresseamt (War Press Office), overseen by the

Oberste Heeresleitung The ''Oberste Heeresleitung'' (, "Supreme Army Command", OHL) was the highest echelon of command of the army (''Heer'') of the German Empire. In the latter part of World War I, the Third OHL assumed dictatorial powers and became the ''de facto'' ...

(OHL) or Supreme Army Command. During the

German Revolution of 1918 German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, the

Council of the People's Deputies The Council of the People's Deputies (German: , sometimes translated as "Council of People's Representatives" or "Council of People's Commissars") was the provisional government of Germany during the first part of the German Revolution, from 10 N ...

placed it under the control of

Philipp Scheidemann Philipp Heinrich Scheidemann (26 July 1865 – 29 November 1939) was a German politician of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). In the first quarter of the 20th century he played a leading role in both his party and in the young Weimar ...

, a leading politician from the

Majority Social Democratic Party of Germany The Majority Social Democratic Party of Germany (German: , MSPD) was the name officially used by the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) between April 1917 and September 1922. The name differentiated it from the Independent Social Democratic ...

. During the next few months its main role was producing propaganda in the Berlin area in favour of the Council of the People's Deputies and against the system of

Workers' Councils A workers' council, also called labour council, is a type of council in a workplace or a locality made up of workers or of temporary and instantly revocable delegates elected by the workers in a locality's workplaces. In such a system of poli ...

advocated by the

Spartacus League The Spartacus League () was a Marxism, Marxist revolutionary movement organized in Germany during World War I. It was founded in August 1914 as the International Group by Rosa Luxemburg, Karl Liebknecht, Clara Zetkin, and other members of the So ...

. In November 1919, it was renamed as the Reichszentrale für Heimatdienst and on 1 January 1920, the Deutschen Zentralverlags (German Central Publishing House) was set up as a private company subordinated to the Heimatdienst with a similar offshoot the Deutschen Lichtbilddienst (German photographic service) being established in 1922.

References

{{Authority control Government agencies established in 1918 Government agencies disestablished in 1933 1918 establishments in Germany 1933 disestablishments in Germany Information ministries