The City of Fürth's Unseen Influence on American History Through Journalism and Diplomacy
The German city of Fürth, with a population of 130,000, holds a unique and often overlooked connection to significant aspects of 20th-century American history, particularly through two prominent figures: Adolph S. Ochs and Henry Kissinger. Adolph S. Ochs, whose father Julius Ochs was born in Fürth, acquired control of The New York Times in 1896 and transformed it into a leading newspaper known for its commitment to factual authority and public responsibility, encapsulated in the slogan 'All the News That’s Fit to Print.' Separately, Henry Kissinger, born Heinz Alfred Kissinger in Fürth in 1923, fled Nazi Germany with his family in 1938 and later became a Harvard professor, presidential adviser, U.S. National Security Adviser, and U.S. Secretary of State. Kissinger was a principal architect of U.S. power during the Cold War, shaping policies like the U.S. opening to China and détente with the Soviet Union.
