A symbol of freedom of speech and free expression

Restauratorin Judith Schumann

Restorer Judith Schumann/ Pixelburst examining the restored original verdict against Johann Philipp Palm

Death anniversary of bookseller and publisher Johann Philipp Palm

The bookseller and publisher Johann Philipp Palm from Schorndorf was shot 220 years ago today.

An original of the bilingual verdict against Palm is in the possession of the Palm Foundation.

SCHORNDORF. Whether he deliberately exposed himself to the danger or rather got into the bad situation by accident cannot be said with certainty to this day. What is certain is that the bookseller Johann Philipp Palm was born in 1766 in Schorndorf on the market square and ran the Stein publishing house in Nuremberg from 1798. From there he had the pamphlet "Germany in its deep humiliation" printed and sold in the summer of 1806. The small-format booklet was not exactly a bestseller, but its content was explosive: It described in clear terms the ruthless behavior of the French occupying troops, the increasing economic hardship and the tense political situation in many cities in southern Germany. The ruling royal families were also criticized. They would ignore the situation of the population and only seek their own advantage in the allocation of titles and territories by Napoleon.

Palm was arrested on August 19, 1806 and taken to Braunau am Inn, a French military garrison on Austrian soil. The death sentence against Palm had been set by Napoleon personally weeks earlier. Annette Krönert, a member of the board of the Palm Foundation, knows Palm's story from books and sources in the Palm Foundation's archive. "I wonder when Palm realized that he would not get a defense attorney or a chance," she says, trying to understand what happened. Because actually, not he, but only the author of the book should have been convicted. But he is still unknown to this day. Palm took his name to the grave.

Krönert draws a parallel: "Then as now, whether Napoleon, Putin or Assad, autocratic rulers still go to some lengths to hold show trials. This is how appearances are kept up, although the proceedings take place without any legal certainty or legal basis for those affected. Countless prisoners around the world still experience this. Where there is a lack of basic and human rights, the individual remains defenseless at the mercy of the regime."

The verdict against Palm was posted in German and French in 6,000 copies throughout the German-speaking world, an enormous effort. By comparison: daily newspapers at the time often only had a circulation of 3,000 copies. An original copy of the verdict is now in the Palm Foundation's archive. Annette Krönert found it by chance while cleaning up. "Because it was in very poor condition after years of storage in the basement, we had it extensively restored. It is an important document for our foundation's work," Krönert enthuses.

Because the actions of the bookseller and publisher Palm still have an impact today. This year, for the 12th time, the Palm Foundation is awarding the international Johann Philipp Palm Prize for Freedom of Opinion and Press, worth €20,000, to people who have made an outstanding contribution to the fundamental right to freedom of expression. The award goes to Maryna Zolatawa, an imprisoned journalist and former editor-in-chief of the now banned news site tut.by from Belarus, and ZanTimes, a female-led investigative news editorial team that mainly reports on female and queer issues in and from Afghanistan.

The award ceremony is open to the public and will take place on Sunday, December 1, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. in the Barbara Künkelin Hall in Schorndorf.