Stern (magazine)
Encyclopedia
Stern is a weekly news magazine published in Germany
. It was founded in 1948 by Henri Nannen
, and is currently published by Gruner + Jahr
, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann
. In the first quarter of 2006, its print run was 1.019 million copies and it reached 7.84 million readers according to Media-Analyse.
Internationally, it is most famous for publishing the Hitler Diaries
in 1983. Soon after their publication, they were revealed by scientific testing to be forged
. This led to the resignation of the magazine's editors and a major scandal
that is still seen as a low point in German journalism
. The incident caused a major crisis for the magazine. Its credibility was severely damaged and it had to rebuild its reputation from an abysmal level.
In Germany, it is also remembered for the publication of "We had an abortion!" in 1971, initiated by Alice Schwarzer
. 374 women publicly declared that they had had an abortion
in spite of its illegality at the time in West Germany.
.
In 1950, after publishing an article about the waste of money by the Allies, the British administration banned the magazine for one week. In 1951 Nannen sold his holding in the paper to Gruner + Jahr. In 1968, Stern and Die Zeit
began publishing the Stern-Zeit bi-weekly paper for the blind, which stopped publication in mid 2007 due to financial problems.
In 1990 Stern published the title story "I am a masochist", in which author Sina-Aline Geißler discussed her literary coming-out as a member of the BDSM
scene. This caused an intense public debate, and radical feminists occupied the editorial office of Stern.
Stern has lost four journalists killed while reporting. In January 1995, Jochen Piest
was killed by a sniper near the Chechen capital of Grozny
. Gabriel Grüner and Volker Krämer were killed near Dulje, Kosovo
. November 2001 saw the death of Volker Handloik
in an ambush in northern Afghanistan
.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It was founded in 1948 by Henri Nannen
Henri Nannen
Henri Nannen was a famous German journalist....
, and is currently published by Gruner + Jahr
Gruner + Jahr
Gruner + Jahr GmbH & Co. KG is the largest European printing and publishing firm. Its headquarters is in Hamburg, Germany.-History:Originally founded on August 1, 1948 as the Henri Nannen publishing house, Gruner + Jahr was created in 1965 from a merger by acquisition, by publishers John Jahr Sr....
, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann
Bertelsmann AG is a multinational media corporation founded in 1835, based in Gütersloh, Germany. The company operates in 63 countries and employs 102,983 workers , which makes it the most international media corporation in the world. In 2008 the company reported a €16.118 billion consolidated...
. In the first quarter of 2006, its print run was 1.019 million copies and it reached 7.84 million readers according to Media-Analyse.
Internationally, it is most famous for publishing the Hitler Diaries
Hitler Diaries
In April 1983, the West German news magazine Stern published excerpts from what purported to be the diaries of Adolf Hitler, known as the Hitler Diaries , which were subsequently revealed to be forgeries...
in 1983. Soon after their publication, they were revealed by scientific testing to be forged
Forgery
Forgery is the process of making, adapting, or imitating objects, statistics, or documents with the intent to deceive. Copies, studio replicas, and reproductions are not considered forgeries, though they may later become forgeries through knowing and willful misrepresentations. Forging money or...
. This led to the resignation of the magazine's editors and a major scandal
Scandal
A scandal is a widely publicized allegation or set of allegations that damages the reputation of an institution, individual or creed...
that is still seen as a low point in German journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. The incident caused a major crisis for the magazine. Its credibility was severely damaged and it had to rebuild its reputation from an abysmal level.
In Germany, it is also remembered for the publication of "We had an abortion!" in 1971, initiated by Alice Schwarzer
Alice Schwarzer
Alice Schwarzer is the most prominent contemporary German feminist. She is founder and publisher of the German feminist journal EMMA.-Biography and positions:...
. 374 women publicly declared that they had had an abortion
Abortion
Abortion is defined as the termination of pregnancy by the removal or expulsion from the uterus of a fetus or embryo prior to viability. An abortion can occur spontaneously, in which case it is usually called a miscarriage, or it can be purposely induced...
in spite of its illegality at the time in West Germany.
History
Nannen created the magazine out of the youth paper Zick Zack, and the first issue appeared on 1 August 1948. This was possible after obtaining a licence from the British military government to rename Zick-Zack to Stern, for which Nannen had taken over the licence a few months before. The first issue had 16 pages, with the cover showing actress Hildegard KnefHildegard Knef
Hildegard Frieda Albertine Knef was a German actress, singer and writer. She was billed in some English language films as Hildegard Neff or Hildegarde Neff.-Early years:...
.
In 1950, after publishing an article about the waste of money by the Allies, the British administration banned the magazine for one week. In 1951 Nannen sold his holding in the paper to Gruner + Jahr. In 1968, Stern and Die Zeit
Die Zeit
Die Zeit is a German nationwide weekly newspaper that is highly respected for its quality journalism.With a circulation of 488,036 and an estimated readership of slightly above 2 million, it is the most widely read German weekly newspaper...
began publishing the Stern-Zeit bi-weekly paper for the blind, which stopped publication in mid 2007 due to financial problems.
In 1990 Stern published the title story "I am a masochist", in which author Sina-Aline Geißler discussed her literary coming-out as a member of the BDSM
BDSM
BDSM is an erotic preference and a form of sexual expression involving the consensual use of restraint, intense sensory stimulation, and fantasy power role-play. The compound acronym BDSM is derived from the terms bondage and discipline , dominance and submission , and sadism and masochism...
scene. This caused an intense public debate, and radical feminists occupied the editorial office of Stern.
Stern has lost four journalists killed while reporting. In January 1995, Jochen Piest
Jochen Piest
Jochen Piest was a correspondent for the German newsmagazine Stern.On January 10, 1995, Piest was killed in a suicide attack by a Chechen rebel against a Russian mine-clearing unit in the village of Chervlyonna, about 24 kilometers northeast of the Chechen capital, Grozny...
was killed by a sniper near the Chechen capital of Grozny
Grozny
Grozny is the capital city of the Chechen Republic, Russia. The city lies on the Sunzha River. According to the preliminary results of the 2010 Census, the city had a population of 271,596; up from 210,720 recorded in the 2002 Census. but still only about two-thirds of 399,688 recorded in the 1989...
. Gabriel Grüner and Volker Krämer were killed near Dulje, Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. November 2001 saw the death of Volker Handloik
Volker Handloik
Volker Handloik was a German freelance journalist and reporter. Born in Rostock, Germany, he worked for the Hamburg-based Stern for 10 years and also did some correspondence for newspapers, journals, and magazines such as the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Süddeutsche Zeitung, taz, Berliner...
in an ambush in northern Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.