The Völkischer Beobachter (German: "Peoples Observer") was since 1920 the newspaper of the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP). It first appeared weekly, and since February 8, 1923, daily.
The "fighting paper of the National Socialist movement of Greater Germany" (Kampfblatt der nationalsozialistischen Bewegung Großdeutschlands) had its origin in the Münchner Beobachter ("Munich Observer"), which in 1918 was acquired by the Thule Society and in 1919 was renamed Völkischer Beobachter. The NSDAP purchased it in 1920 on the initiative of Dietrich Eckart, who became the first editor.
The circulation of the paper was initially about 8,000 and increased, due to strong demand during the Occupation of the Ruhr, to 25,000 in autumn 1923. In that year Alfred Rosenberg became editor. With the prohibition of the NSDAP after the Beer Hall Putsch of November 9, 1923, the paper also had to cease publication, which resumed however on the party's refoundation on February 26, 1925. The circulation rose along with the success of the Nazi movement, reaching more than 120,000 in 1931 and 1.7 million by 1944.
At the end of April 1945, a few days before the German surrender in World War II, the Völkischer Beobachter ceased publication.
