Otto David Tolischus (November 20, 1890 – February 24, 1967) was a Prussian-Lithuanian-born journalist for The New York Times and winner of the 1940 Pulitzer Prize for Correspondence for his writing and reporting from Berlin before and during World War II.

Tolischus started his journalistic career in the Cleveland Press and went on to work as a foreign correspondent in Berlin and London for Universal News Service and International News Service.

In 1940, as a foreign correspondent for The New York Times, Tolischus was expelled from Germany by the Nazi authorities. In 1941, he was appointed as the chief foreign correspondent for both The New York Times and The Times in Tokyo. Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Tolischus was arrested by Japanese authorities. After enduring six months of torture and confinement, he was permitted to be evacuated from Japan along with the rest of the U.S. press corps.

In 1942, Tolischus became a member of The New York Times editorial board, where he worked until his retirement in 1964.

Early life Tolischus was born in the village of Skirwietell (:lt: Skirvytėlė) which became part of the town of Russ, East Prussia, German Empire (after 1919 Memel Territory, now - part of Lithuania). Tolischus’ parents, David and Maria (née Kubillus) were local farmers and belonged to an ethnic minority of Prussian Lithuanians, also known as Memelanders. His father was a village elder in Russ. Being the fourth of six brothers, Tolischus was part of a large family. His three elder brothers were George (b. 1885), Edward (b. 1886) and John (b. 1887). The youngest were William (b. 1895) and Michael (b. 1898). He also had a sister Martha Mantwill (née Tolischus). Tolischus studied at the local state school in Russ and worked as a secretary in the lawyer's office.

In 1907 Tolischus emigrated to the United States. Three of his brothers, John (Johann), William and Edward C., also moved to the U.S. around the same time.

Tolischus renounced his German citizenship and became a U.S. citizen on June 14, 1913, at the Common Pleas Court of Mercer County, Trenton, New Jersey.

After the arrival, Tolischus worked in a printing house in Syracuse (N.Y.) and later in a factory plant in Trenton, New Jersey.

Education

In 1912, Tolischus enrolled into a newly established School of Journalism in Columbia University for a 4-year course of journalism. He was one of the 79 students who joined the first class of the school. In 1917 Tolischus was awarded the first Pulitzer Travelling Scholarship from the Columbia School of Journalism along with other students, Geddes Smith and David S. Levy. The award was postponed because of the First World War and never collected by the recipients.

Cleveland Press (1916–1923)

Internship

In summer 1916, Tolischus participated in a journalism students' "try-out" organised by the Cleveland Press staff. Victor Morgan, the editor of the Cleveland Press, spearheaded this initiative as a test to assess whether the new journalism discipline in American universities was producing the necessary expertise and skills for the business world. In late spring 1916, the Cleveland Press conceived the idea and approached several leading journalism schools to participate in the program and select a few of their best students to be sent for a summer internship in Cleveland. Tolischus was chosen by Columbia University and was the only student from the institution among twelve peers. The scheme was a success, and in September 1916, Victor Morgan announced that the Cleveland Press would likely recruit editorial workers from the ranks of journalism school graduates. Tolischus was eventually selected as one of four candidates to remain at work with the Cleveland Press. The other three were John M. Gleissner (University of Kansas), James W. Shoemaker (University of Illinois) and Richard Little (Ohio State University).

Initially Tolischus joined the Cleveland Press as a cub correspondent. Tolischus started this work on the same day as John M. Gleissner (later - managing editor of The Washington Daily News).

Military service

In 1918, Tolischus was called to serve in the US military service. He joined the Training Corps of Camp Gordon, near Atlanta, Georgia. There Tolischus was promoted to a sergeant in the Second Infantry Replacement Regiment on August 31, 1918.The Constitution News from Gordon and the Other Camps, September 5, 1918, page 1 (Many Men Promoted in Second Regiment).Columbia Alumni News, 'Who's Who Among Columbia Alumni', October 23, 1936, Vol. 28, No 3, p. 4. However, the Armistice came before Tolischus’ transfer into active service in France. He received his honourable discharge from the army on January 26, 1919.

Newspaper career

In 1919 Tolischus returned to the Cleveland Press. At some point after the return from military service he was promoted to managing editor of the newspaper. Tolischus resigned from his position at the Cleveland Press in January 1923 in order to embark on a journey across Europe. At the time of his resignation, Tolischus was city editor of the Cleveland Press.

Wireless news service (1923–1932)

News services

In 1923 Tolischus returned to Europe and visited his native Memel Territory. The same year, he returned to the US where he was hired by the International News Service (INS). Here he acted as an assistant to the famous INS Berlin correspondent Karl H. von Wiegand. Tolischus and Karl H. von Wiegand sailed on the RMS Berengaria from the US to Germany in September 1923.

In Berlin Tolischus joined wireless news service as a staff correspondent of Universal News Service (Universal Service) in Berlin, part of the W. R. Hearst's news and media empire. In June 1927 he moved to the International News Service (INS) as a chief correspondent in Berlin (eventually, both Hearst's outlets, Universal Service and INS, will merge into INS in 1937).The New York Times, August 15, 1937, Hearst consolidates two news services, p. 8. Around this time Tolischus' assistant in Berlin was H. R. Knickerbocker.'Meets Columbia Alumni All Over Europe', in Columbia Alumni News, March 16, 1928, Vol. 19, No. 22, page 5. By 1928 Tolischus was promoted to the Central European Director of INS.

Universal News Service

Germany (1923)

As a staff correspondent for the Universal Service in Berlin, Tolischus began reporting from Germany in October 1923. His first bylined article, published under the name "O.D. Tolischus," appeared on the front page of The San Francisco Examiner on October 13, 1923. In his dispatches, Tolischus reported on the deteriorating economic conditions in Germany and the political challenges confronting the newly established second Gustav Stresemann cabinet. At the time of joining Universal News, Tolischus worked with the team of Hearst correspondents; among them were the head of the editorial staff in Europe Karl H. von Wiegand, Max Jordan and John Segrue.

Beer Hall Putsch

In his first overseas assignment Tolischus covered general Erich Ludendorff and Adolf Hitler's failed Beer Hall Putsch in Munich in November 1923. Following the coup attempt, Tolischus was dispatched from Berlin to Munich to report on the aftermath. On November 11, he filed his story from Munich, describing the tense situation in the city. Tolischus also reported that Hitler's whereabouts were unknown at the time, though it was believed that he had established his headquarters in Rosenheim, approximately 30 miles from Munich, and was still regarded as a significant threat.

Ludendorff interview

On November 12, Tolischus was invited to take an interview from general Erich Ludendorff. He went to visit Ludendorff at his home in the villa district of Prinz-Ludwigs-Höhe near Munich. At that time Ludendorff was put under house arrest for taking part in the Beer Hall Putsch events.

Upon his arrival, Tolischus was met by a police guard and escorted to the drawing room. In his account of the meeting, Tolischus stated that he personally saw and spoke with Ludendorff. According to Tolischus, Ludendorff appeared "hale and hearty," showing minimal signs of strain from his involvement in the putsch. After discussing the events surrounding the Munich putsch, Ludendorff introduced his confidants, doctor Rudolf Buttmann and captain Wilhelm Weiss, to Tolischus. He authorised both aides to provide his perspective on the events, affirming that they were fully acquainted with all the details.

According to Tolischus, his interview with Ludendorff was the first occasion on which Ludendorff presented his account of the putsch. The meeting was arranged primarily through Tolischus' senior colleague Karl H. von Wiegand. On November 10, Ludendorff sent an extensive telegram to von Wiegand in response to a request for a statement regarding his involvement in the events of the putsch. However, the telegram was intercepted by the Munich authorities, preventing its delivery.

In his account of the interview, Tolischus refuted recent rumors, confirming that Ludendorff had neither been wounded nor killed, nor had he committed suicide. Ludendorff’s official statement, which comprised over half of Tolischus' report, asserted that both he and Gustav Ritter von Kahr were caught off guard by the events of the putsch and placed full responsibility on Adolf Hitler. When asked by Tolischus about his future plans, Ludendorff stated that he had none at the time.

European coverage

During his time with the Universal Service and INS, Tolischus travelled extensively across different parts of Northern, Central and Eastern Europe. He was in Stockholm in November 1926 to cover the wedding of Crown Prince Leopold of Belgium and Princess Astrid of Sweden.Atlantic City Daily Press, November 4, 1926, Notables Gather for Royal Wedding, p. 2. At a short notice, Tolischus travelled from Berlin to cover socialist revolt in Vienna in July 1927 and the death of King Ferdinand I of Romania in Bucharest.Editor & Publisher, August 20, 1927, Vol. 60, No. 13, p. 13. In the first half of 1930 Tolischus visited Russia and described conditions in USSR and Moscow news situation (in a letter to Barry Faris, June 17, 1930).Wisconsin Historical Library and Archives: Otto D. Tolischus papers, 1926-1942: https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi/f/findaid/findaid-idx?c=wiarchives;cc=wiarchives;view=text;rgn=main;didno=uw-whs-us8af32

International News Service

In 1931, Tolischus was transferred to London and promoted to the INS Bureau Chief there; it meant that Tolischus was put in charge of all INS European news coverage. In London he was accompanied and installed by George H. Hargreaves, the INS vice president and general business manager.Editor & Publisher, June 13, 1931, Vol. 64, No. 4, p. 12.

In 1932, Tolischus was dismissed by the INS and returned to the USA.Flick-Steger, Carl (1943). “The Adlon Bar Gang”, in: XXth Century, Book (Band) V, December, 1943, pp. 398. In the London INS bureau Tolischus was succeeded by Harry K. Reynolds (1933–34) and William Hillman (1934–38).Desmond, R. W. 1982. Crisis and Conflict. World News Reporting Between Two Wars, 1920-1940, p. 245.

Back in the USA, Tolischus worked as a freelance journalist. In 1932, he delivered lectures and published articles on the economic and political matters in The North American Review.Tolischus, O. D., “Debts and the Hoover Programme”, The North American Review, May, 1932, Vol. 233, No. 5, pp. 389-398; Tolischus, O. D., “Can the Lion Tame Its Cubs?”, The North American Review, June, 1932, Vol. 233, No. 6, pp. 492-503; Tolischus, O. D., “A Choice for America”, The North American Review, October, 1932, Vol. 234, No. 4, pp. 292-302.

Foreign correspondent in Berlin (1933–1940)