D O C . 4 1 O N G E R M A N C O L O N I A L P O L I C Y 9 5 Published in Europäische Gespräche 5, no. 12 (December 1927): 626. Also published in Vorwärts, 9 December 1927, p. 10. A TLC version dated 1 September 1927 and addressed “An das Institut für auswärtige Politik” is also available. [46 777]. For the solicitation of Einstein’s contribution, see Abs. 93. The editors of the Europäische Gespräche asked 200 prominent figures in German public life for statements on the issue of Germany’s future colonial policy. The monthly was published by the Institut für auswärtige Politik, established in 1923 in Hamburg and directed by the political scientist and jurist Albrecht Mendels- sohn Bartholdy. In the special issue, the editors published contributions by fifty individuals, including former chancellor Hermann Müller authors Arthur Holitscher, Emil Ludwig, and Thomas Mann businessman Alfred Hugenberg diplomat Count Harry Kessler and economist Gerhart von Schulze- Gaevernitz. The following questions were posed: “1. Should the German Reich seek the acquisition of colonies? For what reasons yes and for what reasons no?” (“1. Soll das Deutsche Reich den Erwerb von Kolonien anstreben? Aus welchen Grün- den ja, aus welchen Gründen nein?”). “2. Should colonial activity of the German Reich be sought in the form of a colonial mandate? For what reasons yes and for what reasons no?” (“2. Soll eine kolo- niale Betätigung des Deutschen Reiches unter der Form des Kolonial-Mandats angestrebt werden? Aus welchen Gründen ja, aus welchen Gründen nein?”). “3. Should the German Reich limit itself to demanding for its members and for its acquisition of raw materials in foreign colonies and in mandate regions complete equality with the other nations?” (“3. Soll das Deutsche Reich sich darauf bes- chränken, für seine Angehörigen und für seinen Rohstoffbezug in fremden Kolonien wie in den Man- datsgebieten volle Gleichberechtigung mit den anderen Nationen zu fordern?”). [1] Dated according to the date of the TLC version. [2] According to various estimates, between 22 and 60 million rural inhabitants of Germany left their places of origin from 1860 to 1925 and migrated to cities. This phenomenon became known as Landflucht and was much debated in the Weimar Republic. An additional wave of internal migration occurred after 1924 (see Mahlerwein 2016, pp. 188–191). From 1925 onward, there were growing doubts in Germany about the positive impact of colonialism, owing to increasing sentiment in the col- onies for national emancipation and the positive image among the colonized of Germany as a noncol- onizing power. There was some minority support for colonialist ideas among most parties, even among revisionist Social Democrats. However, most members of the SPD were opposed to colonial efforts. Most ardent supporters of colonialism were to be found in the DNVP, and also, in the early 1920s, in the DDP (see Gründer 2018, pp. 260–265). Other contributors who raised similar points to those cited by Einstein were the German minority rights politician Georg Cleinow, who advocated “radical internal colonization” (“mit schärfster inner- er Kolonialisation”) and dissolution of the latifundia (see Europäische Gespräche 5, no. 12 [December 1927]: 620) the SPD politician Paul Hertz, who argued in favor of “internal colonization” because it would bring about an unloading of the German labor market, it was cheaper, and it would offer more jobs (see Europäische Gespräche 5, no. 12 [December 1927]: 640–641) and Count Harry Kessler, who advocated for the “intensification of German agriculture” (“Intensivierung der deutschen Landwirtschaft”) to feed the growing German population (see Europäische Gespräche 5, no. 12 [December 1927]: 645). [3] In the TLC version, an additional sentence is added: “Sie wollen diese Aesserung bitte als Ant- wort auf Ihre Fragen ersehen” (“You should view this statement as a reply to your questions”).