The Atlas Obscura Podcast
Checking Into Hotel Imperial with Deborah Cohen
May 2, 2024
Historian and author Deborah Cohen takes us back to the prestigious Hotel Imperial in Vienna, where influential journalists warned about dictatorship. Explore the lives of foreign correspondents, their encounters with notable figures like Hitler, Mussolini, and Gandhi, and their impact on American public opinion.
24:25
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Quick takeaways
- Hotel Imperial in Vienna was a hub for influential foreign correspondents warning about dictatorship, shaping public opinion.
- American journalists like John Gunther and Dorothy Thompson used character-driven journalism to depict personalities shaping history.
Deep dives
John Gunther's Far-Sighted Reporting in Vienna
John Gunther, a young American reporter, arrived in Vienna in 1929, amidst a fertile newspaper scene with 60 papers available at Hotel Imperial. He predicted the rise of dictatorships in 1926, showing a blend of naivety and wisdom. Gunther, known for his character-driven journalism, reported on the collapse of the Austrian bank, playing a role in the Great Depression narrative.
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