Frederick Augustus Voigt was the Manchester Guardian's Berlin correspondent from 1920 to 1932, recognized for his incisive reporting on Nazi Germany's rise. Colleagues Helen Pidd and Philip Oltermann discuss Voigt's refusal to treat Nazi viewpoints as legitimate, emphasizing their violent actions against opponents and Jews. After becoming a target of the regime, Voigt fled to Paris in 1932, narrowly escaping a Gestapo plot to assassinate him. The episode also reflects on modern media coverage of Germany's far-right AFD party, drawing parallels in political threat and journalistic responsibility.
Philip notes that Voigt's reporting was crucial; he recognized that the rise of Nazi Germany shouldn't receive a 'both sides' treatment, focusing on their political violence.
He became a target for the Nazis, forcing him to move to Paris in 1932, where Gestapo planned to kill him, demonstrating the peril journalists faced.
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