Manifesto of the Ninety-Three

By German intellectuals in support of World War I
The "Manifesto of the Ninety Three" (Manifest der 93; originally "To the Civilized World," An die Kulturwelt!, by "Professors of Germany") is a 4 October 1914 proclamation by 93 prominent Germans supporting Germany in the start of World War I. The Manifesto galvanized support for the war throughout German schools and universities, but many foreign intellectuals were outraged. For instance, some military actions by Germany were called elsewhere the Rape of Belgium. The astronomer Wilhelm Julius Foerster soon repented having signed the document. Soon, with the physiologist Georg Friedrich Nicolai, he drew up the Manifesto to the Europeans. They argued,
It seems not just a good thing, but a dire necessity, that educated men of all nations direct their influence in such a way that the terms of the peace did not become the wellspring of future wars uncertain though the outcome of the war may now still seem. The fact that this war has plunged all European relations into an equally unstable and plastic state should rather be put to use to create out of Europe an organic whole. Whilst various people expressed sympathy with these sentiments, only the philosopher Otto Buek and Albert Einstein signed it and it remained unpublished at the time. It was subsequently brought to light by Einstein. A report in 1921 in The New York Times found that of 76 surviving signatories, 60 expressed varying degrees of regret. Some claimed not to have seen what they had signed.

The manifesto was primarily designed to contradict the negative image of Germany being portrayed in the press by other countries (especially in Britain), which is indicated by the fact that it was published in ten different languages. In addition, the manifesto articulated moral indignation, laid charges against foreign governments, academic institutions, and scholars whom the authors believed had wronged the German nation. They also probably hoped to undermine support for the war among the civilian population of the Entente powers by demonstrating that German scientists — who at the time were very highly reputed — were fully in support of their country, thereby inducing the intellectuals of other European nations to put pressure on the governments of their respective countries. The reaction of both the European and American press and of academic institutions around the world indicate that this attempt was a failure.

The 93 signatories included Nobel laureates, artists, physicians, physicists, chemists, theologians, philosophers, poets, architects and known college teachers. The German composer Richard Strauss refused to sign, on the basis that "Declarations about war and politics are not fitting for an artist."

Herbert Gantschacher "Warpropaganda and the manifesto of the Ninety Three" in Herbert Gantschacher "VIKTOR ULLMANN ZEUGE UND OPFER DER APOKALYPSE WITNESS AND VICTIM OF THE APOCALYPSE Testimone e vittima dell'Apocalisse Prič in žrtev apokalipse Svědek a oběť apokalypsy" Complete original authorized edition in German and English language with summaries in Italian, Slovenian and Czech language, ARBOS Edition , Arnoldstein Klagenfurt Salzburg Vienna Prora Prague 2015, page 185.