Berlin delivered 383 original papers. Of these, 328, or 85%, were published in West-Berlin and only 55, or 15%, in East-Berlin (Basol and Seifert 2024). This distribution underlines the dominant role of West-Germany and especially West-Berlin in the academic discourse. The prevalence of Western scientific publications within the journal implies that trends observed in Berlin serves as a microcosm for Germany as a whole (Basol and Seifert 2024).

The population of West-Berlin is about twice as high as that of East-Berlin, yet the publication rate of 155 original papers per million inhabitants in West-Berlin is far higher than in East-Berlin, where the rate is just 51 original papers per million inhabitants. These figures show that West-Berlin had a much higher publication productivity in relation to its population than East-Berlin (Basol and Seifert 2024).

The Institutes of Pharmacology at the FUB stand out with 286 publications, making up 87% of all West-Berlin-originated original papers (Fig. 2). In contrast, East-Berlin exhibits modest research activity, with the pharmacological institute at the HUB contributing 47 publications (original papers). Additionally, Schering AG in West-Berlin, with its 37 publications (original papers), underscores the vibrant research ecosystem in West-Berlin (Fig. 2).

Pharmacological publication output (original papers) from West- and East-Berlin Institutes from 1947 to 1974—West-Berlin (blue) and East-Berlin (red)

After World War II, Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology experienced its first publication hiatus since its establishment in 1873 (Starke 1998; Fig. 3). The pharmacological institute at the University of Berlin (later HUB), extensively damaged during the war, serious immediate scientific challenges after World War II, further compounded by the Soviet occupation controls after its relocation to Dahlem (West-Berlin). This is evidenced by the mere four publications from the HUB’s pharmacological institute in 1947, and only five from Schering AG in West-Berlin by 1948. (Napoli 1949; Herken 1999; Philippu 2004; Krige 2006; Dats et al. 2023; Fig. 3).

Publication trends of West- and East-Berlin Institutes from 1947 to 1974—West-Berlin (blue) and East-Berlin (red)

Pharmacological research in Berlin institutes: Zonal Allocation and scholarly output between 1947 and 1974. Charité: From the Main Medical University Clinic and Polyclinic of the Charité, Berlin (East-Berlin). RKI: From the Robert Koch Institute for Hygiene and Infectious Diseases, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Berlin (East-Berlin). HUB: From the Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology at HUB (East-Berlin). FUB: From the Pharmacological Institutes of the FUB (West-Berlin). RVH: From the Biological Department of the General Institute for Tumor Diseases, Rudolf Virchow Hospital, Berlin (West-Berlin). The thick black line (green) encircles West-Berlin with the US sector (orange), the British (UK), and the French sector (blue). The soviet sector (East-Berlin) is labeled in red color. The number of papers from the various institutions is dually labeled with color intensity (right-hand column) and circle size. The approximate locations of the institutions are indicated by the circles in the Berlin map. Note that all institutions (except for the newly founded FUB) are very close to the border between West-Berlin and East-Berlin

After FUB’s inception in 1948, HUB experienced a publication hiatus, a result of pharmacologists’ migration to FUB. By 1950, FUB had produced 32 original papers, a stark contrast to HUB’s just three papers (Herken 1999; Philippu 2004; Fig. 3). The limited number of HUB papers shows that Soviet politicization of academic institutions in Berlin led to a decline in research activity (Nachmansohn 1979; Herken 1999; Krige 2006).

On September 22, 1948, in response, the Berlin Magistrate and the US sector moved to establish the FUB, officially founded in December, 1948, free from Soviet political oppression (Herken 1999; Philippu 2004; Groot 2014). In 1948, FUB contributed one original paper to the journal (Fig. 3).

The USA viewed scientific work and institutions as crucial for international cooperation and unity (Krige 2006). They aimed to reintegrate Germany into the international community, driven less by altruism than concerns over communism and the desire to instill Western values in the German population (Krige 2006; Sotiriadis 2015; Ahlers et al. 2023).

Establishing the FUB offered the USA an effective means to implement this strategy (Mason 1959; Krige 2006). The FUB received substantial support through funding programs like the Ford Foundation, providing 10 million Deutsche Marks (DM, German Mark), and 20 million DM from the Administration of the US Occupation Zone (Krige 2006; Archiv der Freien Universität Berlin 2024).

During this period, Berlin’s pharmacological research primarily tackled post-war health crises such as hunger edema and drug shortages. Schering AG was instrumental for the production of pharmaceuticals (Herken 1999; Kobrak 2002; Coppack 2022). From 1950 to 1957, the journal recorded 27 original papers from Schering AG (Fig. 2).

Despite Fritz Jung’s (1903–1981) appointment as HUB’s director in 1950 and the subsequent slow restoration of research facilities, political tensions between West- and East-Berlin impeded cooperation, reflected in the low publication output from HUB until the late 1960s (Catudal and Rush 1978; Herken 1999; Philippu 2004; Wunderlich 2010; Fig. 2).

The June 17, 1953, uprising in East-Germany, most notably East-Berlin, was triggered by the Stalinist economic program’s failure, primarily due to increased work norms (Ingimundarson 1994). Protesters not only demanded the overthrow of the SED (Socialist Unity Party of Germany) regime but also sought improved living and working conditions (Millington 2021). Ongoing reparation payments from East-Germany to the Soviet Union further fueled unrest, exacerbating resistance (Geerling et al. 2021). The SED regime tried to discredit the uprising by labeling it a “failed fascist coup”. (Millington 2021). This trend is evident in the reduced number of original papers published by the HUB from 1952 to 1963 (Mason 1959; Fig. 3).

The construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961 profoundly affected Berlin’s capacity to conduct research. In West-Berlin, which was geographically located in the Soviet occupation zone (East-Germany) but controlled by the West Allies, the limitations imposed by the Berlin Wall led to an initial decline in research and hindered international collaboration (Fig. 3). In East-Berlin, the erection of the wall signaled a shift in state-society relations, leading to increased political (pseudo) stability (Ross 2004). However, the closure of the border and subsequent division of the city had detrimental effects on the scientific community, resulting in the closure of research institutes and the loss of thousands of jobs for researchers (Koenig 1999). Additionally, the wall symbolized the Cold War divide and ideological differences between communism and democracy impacted the city on a broader scale (Harrison 2011).

A noteworthy occurrence took place in 1964 when six original papers by Kurt Repke (1919–2001) on cardiac glycoside pharmacodynamics and kinetics were published, marking a rare instance of work from East-Berlin institutes being featured in Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology (Fig. 3). Despite the FUB’s initial aspirations to act as a collaborative bridge to East-Berlin’s academic community, the restrictions imposed by the Soviet occupation intensified East-Berlin’s scientific isolation, hindering potential cooperation (Catudal and Rush 1978; Nachmansohn 1979; Herken 1999; Krige 2006).

Since 1941, Springer has served as the publisher of Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology (Starke 1998). Following World War II, the company established its first corporate headquarters in West-Berlin. This strategic placement facilitated post-war relations with the USA and contributed to Springer’s evolution as a Western-oriented publishing house (Sarkowski and Götze 1992; Starke 1998; Fig. 3). The process of internationalization was reinforced by the establishment of a subsidiary of Springer in New York in 1964 (Götze 1994). Such Western alignment likely contributed to the disproportionately low volume of publications originating from East-Berlin’s institutes during this period (Fig. 4).

Publication trends in West-Berlin until 1967 revealed around 12 original papers annually, indicating a period of relative stability (Fig. 3). Despite the FUB engagement in international collaborations, including fellowships and guest lectures, Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology primarily featured articles in German, maintaining its identity as a predominantly German journal (Heubner 1953; Herken 1999; Heinsohn and Nicolaysen 2021).

However, a notable decline in publication activity began in 1967, due to the broader internationalization of the scientific community and a growing preference for publishing in English-language journals, associated with higher academic prestige (Francisco 2015; Di Bitetti and Ferreras 2017; Zehetbauer et al. 2022; Dats et al. 2023; Gzoyan et al. 2023). Following the publisher’s internationalization efforts in the late 1960s, there was a resurgence in the volume of publications from West-Berlin (Fig. 3) (Starke 1998). The annual output, which had dipped to about six original papers, rebounded to an average of 14 publications per year from 1970 to 1974 (Fig. 3).

Until the late 1960s, Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Archives of Pharmacology published in German, with a single English original paper appearing in 1963, reflecting efforts to re-establish the international reputation of German scientists after the war (Starke 1998; Krige 2006; Gzoyan et al. 2023; Ahlers et al. 2023; Fig. 5). From 1965 onwards, German publications (original papers) decreased, an indication of the influence of the international scientific community and the need to establish English as the lingua franca of the journal (Starke 1998; Hamel 2007; Phillipson 2009; Bajerski 2011; Billings 2015; Fig. 5).

Publication language trends in pharmacological papers in Berlin from 1947 to 1974

In the early 1960s, German researchers increasingly targeted international journals, prioritizing global over national recognition (Gibbs 1995; Davydova 2020; Zehetbauer et al. 2022; Dats et al. 2023). Responding to these shifts, the journal endorsed English in 1969 onwords, mandating its use by 1973 and anglicizing its name in 1971. This strategic move enhanced the journal’s position in the pharmacological sciences (Starke 1998; Dats et al. 2023; Hattori and Seifert 2023). The rise in English publications from 1969, eventually surpassing German articles, underscores the importance of this strategic pivot. By 1972, English-language articles from Berlin reached 15 and just a single German contribution (Fig. 5).

This linguistic transformation solely occurred within West-Berlin’s pharmacological institutes (Fig. 6). Remarkably, 43 out of 44 English-language articles were published after 1969, with all contributions originating from the FUB (Figs. 5 and 6). This pattern reflects West-Berlin institutes’ support for English in the journal, capitalizing on established ties with Anglophone countries like the US and the UK towards the late 1960s (Heubner 1953; Starke 1998; Krige 2006).

Comparative analysis of publication (original papers) languages between West- and East-Berlin Institutes. Total number of papers is shown—West-Berlin (blue) and East-Berlin (red)

In contrast, institutes in East-Berlin experienced a stagnation in publication activities after 1965, barely touched by the journal’s push for internationalization. The escalating Cold War isolation hindered East-German scientists from integrating into the Western scientific community (Paasi 2005; Krige 2006; Ahlers A. L., Hennings, J., & Schmidt, F. 2023).

The exclusion of East-German pharmacologists from the 1963 German Society for Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology (DGPT) meeting, which led to the establishment of a separate GDR society in 1967, illustrates that the internationalization by Western standards remained inaccessible to the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War (Fritz Markwardt 1995; Starke 1998; Paasi 2005; Krige 2006; Tsvetkova 2008).

Springer’s Western orientation, coupled with political dynamics, contributed to the academic divide, in the journal highlighting the contrast between the “free” environment of West-Berlin (represented by the FUB) and the restricted atmosphere of East-Berlin (represented by the HUB) (Mason 1959; Mueller 2004; Paasi 2005; Krige 2006; Hecht 2011; Archambault et al. 2017; Choi 2022)

Citation metrics serve as an accepted measure for international recognition (Narin et al. 1991; Francisco