Horkheimer forbade the Institute from any political or émigré-support activity

Evidence

The constant policy of the Institute under Horkheimer’s direction continued to be abstinence, not only from every activity which was even remotely political, but also from any collective or organized effort to publicize the situation in Germany or to support émigrés. In the 1970s Jürgen Habermas asked Herbert Marcuse, Did the Institute ever, let us say, take up a position in relation to the more strongly politically organized groups among the émigrés?' Marcuse replied, That was strictly forbidden. Horkheimer insisted from the start that we were the guests of Columbia University, philosophers and academics.’ — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 539

Categorization

• XREF: Sharp contrast with the reader’s prior note: Horkheimer and Pollock converged on Social Democratic socialism — a theory that never translated into any political action. — connects to: Horkheimer attempted to portray the Institute as politically neutral after the Nazi seizure — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 525; Horkheimer’s postwar conservatism led him to suppress politically engaged student research — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 2356; Horkheimer suppressed Benjamin’s theses’ leading placement for tactical political reasons. — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School: Its History,…, 1300

Broader Connections

• Horkheimer’s postwar conservatism led him to suppress politically engaged student research #expands (0.75) — Rolf Wiggershaus, The Frankfurt School, 2356