Kampf ums Papier: Literarische Produktionsmittel in Österreich um 1950

In 1947 Austrian print media had limited access to paper, even though large quantities were being exported and diverted for use by the Allied occupation forces. Many writers and publishers in Austria thus resorted to hoarding this valuable commodity. This control of paper distribution ultimately worked against efforts to de-Nazify Austrian literary culture. In many respects, this period represents a microcosm of the material challenges facing subsequent Austrian cultural policies. This article discusses the “Kampf ums Papier” (E. Rollett) as one possible starting point for examining some of the material effects of the Cold War on Austrian literary culture.