The Deutsches Zeitungsportal contains - surprise - newspapers. You can find newspapers from the years 1671 to 1994.
Newspapers are a great source for past events. In newspapers you will find articles on important events such as wars, elections or natural disasters. But there are also reports on the economy, cultural events and sport. Local newspapers are a special type of newspaper. These were written for a specific place and provide information that is important for that place: the village festival, the appeal for donations for the fire brigade, reports from the pigeon fancier's club and much more.
Advertisements and classified adverts also provide interesting information: At what prices could you rent a flat in Berlin in the 1920s? How was Persil advertised? How was the perfect partner sought through personal adverts?
Newspapers are primary sources, which means that they come directly from the period being researched and were reported by contemporaries themselves. However, this does not mean that you can trust everything that is written in the newspaper. Mistakes can creep in here too, and journalistshttps://ausstellungen.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/ns-presse/ can pursue a certain purpose with their articles. During the Nazi regime, the press was brought into line. It was only allowed to report what fitted into the National Socialists' world view. We also have a virtual exhibition on this topic and a post by Susanne Siegert on TikTok.
So there is a lot to consider with historical newspapers. But at best, you'll find texts (and sometimes pictures, photos or maps) that give you a pretty direct insight into the world of the time!
More tips for searching in the Deutsches Zeitungsportal