Partial Inventory of the Robert H. Lochner papers

Finding aid prepared by Hoover Institution Library and Archives Staff
Hoover Institution Library and Archives
© 2007
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Stanford University
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Title: Robert H. Lochner papers
Date (inclusive): 1933-2003
Collection Number: 2007C33
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material: In English and German
Physical Description: 5 manuscript boxes, 1 oversize box, 37 digital files (0.081 GB) (2.2 Linear Feet)
Abstract: Printed matter and photographs, relating to American radio broadcasting to Germany. Digital copies of select records also available at https://digitalcollections.hoover.org. 
Creator: Lochner, Robert Hoyer, 1918-2003
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives

Access

The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.

Use

For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Acquisition Information

Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 2007.

Preferred Citation

[Identification of item], Robert H. Lochner Papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.

Alternate Forms Available

Digital copies of select records also available at https://digitalcollections.hoover.org. 

Biography

1918 Born, New York
1923 Family moves to Berlin when father, Louis P. Lochner, is appointed bureau chief of Associated Press
1936 Assists father in coverage of Olympic games, then leaves Berlin to begin studies at University of Chicago
1940 Bachelor's degree, political science, University of Chicago
1941 Master's degree, economics, University of Chicago
1941-1945 Worked on German broadcasts over short-wave service, NBC radio, New York
1945 Summer Conducted studies for U.S. Strategic Bombing Survey, Germany, on effects of bombing on civilian morale
1945-1947 Director of news broadcasting for radio in the U.S. occupied zone of Germany, based in Bad Nauheim
1945-1955 Translator and interpreter for Military Governor Lucius D. Clay and High Commissioner John J. McCloy
1947-1949 Chief control officer for Radio Frankfurt
1949-1952 Editor in chief, Neue Zeitung, Frankfurt
1952-1955 Head of the press office of the American High Commission, Bonn
1954 Translator for former President Herbert Hoover on his visit to Germany
1955-1957 Head of the Information Division, U.S. Embassy, Saigon
1958-1961 Head of the European Division, Voice of America, Washington
1961 Translator for Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson during his visit to Berlin, after construction of the Berlin Wall
1961-1968 Director, RIAS (Radio in the American Sector), Berlin
1963 Translator for President John F. Kennedy during his visit to Berlin
1968-1971 Press and cultural attaché, American Embassy, Berne
1971-1996 Director, International Institute of Journalism, Berlin
1972-1989 Correspondent in Berlin for American Broadcasting Company (ABC), and Swiss News Agency
1972-1991 Berlin representative, American Chamber of Commerce in Germany
2003 Died, Berlin

Scope and Content of Collection

The Robert H. Lochner papers consist largely of photographs that Lochner saved over the years, documenting his many activities as part of the U.S. occupation forces in Germany following World War II, as translator to several high-ranking U.S. officials and dignitaries who visited Germany during the 1940s through the 1960s, and as head of the RIAS broadcast service, based in West Berlin, during the 1960s. Lochner was credited with preparing John F. Kennedy for his June 1963 trip to Germany, and at the president's request, coached him in several German phrases, including "Ich bin ein Berliner." Photos of this trip are included in this collection. Many of these photos were also used in his 2003 memoir, Ein Berliner unter dem Sternenbanner [A Berliner under the Stars and Stripes].

Arrangement

Organized into two series, Biographical File and Photographs.

Related Material

Related collections include the papers of his father, Pulitzer Prize-winning correspondent Louis Paul Lochner, which are located in several collections at the Wisconsin Historical Society Archives in Madison, the Milwaukee Public Library, and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. A further collection, the Louis P. Lochner family papers, is housed at the Concordia Historical Institute (Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod) in St. Louis. At the Hoover Institution Library & Archives, a further group of documents collected by Louis P. Lochner in Germany during and following World War II is available as the Louis Paul Lochner collection.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

Journalists
World War, 1939-1945 -- Propaganda
Radio broadcasting -- Germany
Propaganda, American -- Germany
Rundfunk im Amerikanischen Sektor (Berlin, Germany)

 

Biographical File 1938-2003

Scope and Contents note

Correspondence, 1938; memoirs, Ein Berliner unter dem Sternenbanner, 2003; and newspaper clippings, 1998-2003, arranged alphabetically by physical form
box 1, folder 1

Correspondence (copies) of Louis P. Lochner 1938

Scope and Contents note

Relates to seeking permission from Nazi party authorities for son Robert to accompany him as journalistic aide to party rally in Nürnberg
box 1, folder 2

Memoirs, Ein Berliner Unter dem Sternenbanner 2003

box 1, folder 3

Newspaper clippings about Lochner 1998-2003

 

Photographs 1933-1968

Scope and Contents note

Photographic prints, originals as well as copy prints, arranged chronologically
box 1, folder 4

Joseph Goebbels addressing gathering of the Carl Schurz Association, Berlin 1933 October

Scope and Contents note

Pictured at podium with Robert Lochner
box 1, folder 5

Robert Lochner pictured with father, Louis P. Lochner, in front of NBC radio microphone 1942 July

box 1, folder 6

General Lucius Clay pictured with Robert Murphy, John Foster Dulles, Robert Lochner, Bi-Zonal Economic Council 1947

box 1, folder 7

General Lucius Clay with General Brian Robertson, Bi-Zonal Economic Council 1947

box 1, folder 8, onsite digital

Photograph of General Clay farewell celebration 1949

Scope and Contents

General Lucius Clay with Robert Lochner, visited by Christian Stock, Erich Köhler, Hermann Pünder, at farewell gathering for Clay.
box 1, folder 9, onsite digital

Photograph of General Clay at Freedom Bell dedication ceremony 1950 October

Scope and Contents

General Lucius Clay with Robert Lochner, at ceremony of dedication for Freedom Bell, Schöneberg Town Hall, Berlin.
box 1, folder 10, onsite digital

Photograph of Dean Acheson at ceremonial cornerstone laying 1952

Scope and Contents

Dean Acheson with Robert Lochner at ceremony to lay cornerstone of Amerika Gedenkbibliothek, Berlin-Kreuzberg.
box 1, folder 11, onsite digital

Photograph of Herbert Hoover on visit to Bonn, Germany 1954

Scope and Contents

Herbert Hoover on visit to Germany (Bonn, Berlin), pictured with Robert Lochner, Konrad Adenauer, James Conant, Theodor Heuss, Carlo Schmidt.
box 1, folder 12

John Foster Dulles speaking with Leopold Figl, Austrian State Treaty negotiations, with Robert Lochner 1955

box 1, folder 13

Robert Lochner at microphone, at airport, standing with Walter Hallstein, John Foster Dulles, Ambassador James Conant, Chancellor Konrad Adenauer 1955

box 1, folder 14, onsite digital

Photograph of Lyndon Johnson, US vice president, in Berlin 1961

Scope and Contents

Robert Lochner with Lyndon B. Johnson, on visit to Berlin, with Willy Brandt.
box 1, folder 15

Robert F. Kennedy with Edward M. Kennedy, visit to Berlin, with Robert Lochner, RIAS headquarters 1963

box 1, folder 16, onsite digital

John F. Kennedy, visit to Berlin, pictured in various images with Konrad Adenauer, Willy Brandt, Robert Lochner, Dean Rusk, Lucius Clay, Walter Scheel 1963 June

Scope and Contents

John F. Kennedy, visit to Berlin, pictured with Konrad Adenauer and Robert Lochner.
box 1, folder 17

Robert Lochner pictured with Herbert Wehner, RIAS headquarters, Berlin 1968

box 1, folder 18, onsite digital

Photograph of journalists meeting with Adolf Hitler circa 1933-1936

Scope and Contents

Includes Karl Von Wiegand, H. V. Kaltenborn, and Louis P. Lochner.
box 1, folder 19, onsite digital

Photograph of Louis P. Lochner with Prince Louis-Ferdinand von Hohenzollern circa late 1930s

box 1, folder 20

Golo Mann working in office at Bad Nauheim circa 1946

box 1, folder 21, onsite digital

Photograph of Ludwig Erhard and Erich Köhler circa 1947-1948

Scope and Contents

Robert Lochner translating for Ludwig Erhard, Erich Köhler, Bi-Zonal Economic Council.
box 1, folder 22, onsite digital

Photograph of General Lucius Clay with Stock, Lochner, and Köhler circa 1947-1949

Scope and Contents

General Lucius Clay greeting Christian Stock, with Robert Lochner, Erich Köhler.
box 1, folder 23

Robert Lochner with John McCloy and Dean Acheson circa early 1950s

box 1, folder 24, onsite digital

Photograph of Robert Lochner and John Foster Dulles circa mid 1950s

Scope and Contents

Robert Lochner standing with John Foster Dulles, with Otto Suhr, Walther Schreiber, seated.
box 1, folder 25, onsite digital

Photograph of Foreign Minister Dean Rusk and Willy Brandt circa early 1960s

Scope and Contents

Robert Lochner with Dean Rusk and Willy Brandt, Berlin.
box 1, folder 26

Set of photographs, described above, digitized by donor 2006

Scope and Contents note

Photographs: 01 Grundsteinlegung AGB, 02 Bonn - Conant Carlo Schmid Hoover Lochner, 03 Adenauer Kennedy Lochner Goldenes Buch Bonn, 04 Koehler Stock Lochner Clay, 05 Suhr Dulles Lochner Schreiber, 06 Abschiedsbesuch General Clay, 07 Erhard Koehler, 08 Aussenminister Rusk Brandt, 09 US-Vizepraesident Johnson in Berlin, 10 Louis P. Lochner, 11 Pastorius-Feier 1933 mit Goebbels, 12 Pastorius-Feier 1933 Goebbels am Pult, 13 Pastorius-Feier 1933 ganz rechts R.H.Lochner, 14 Clay laeutet Freiheitsglocke ein 1, 15 Clay laeutet Freiheitsglocke ein Handzeichen Lochner, 16 Louis P. Lochner mit Prince Louis Ferndinand, 17 Karl v. Wiegand H.v.Kaltenborn A-H. Louis P. Lochner, LPL mit A.H. AP-Fotos. Information on the back of the photos is also available as digitized files.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Digitized photographs are available in JPG (266 ppi, 24-bit, ca. 500 KB each) and in PUB (Microsoft Office Publisher). Available on reading room workstation.
 

Unprocessed papers undated

box 2

Unprocessed papers Undated

box 3

Unprocessed papers Undated

box 4

Unprocessed papers Undated

box 5

Unprocessed papers Undated

 

Declassified British government record 1944

Scope and Contents note

Formerly security-classified record of the British government, released in full. Arranged chronologically by date of release by Hoover
box 5

Record released in 2010 1944

General Physical Description note: One folder containing one document
box 6

Unprocessed oversize papers undated