Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung

This is a big news paper from Germany.

It started a long time ago in 1949. It comes out every single day. Many people read it to learn news.

It has many workers who write stories. Some workers live in other lands. They send news back to the paper. The paper used to have very little color. Now it has color pictures on the front. It is a very important paper to read.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, or FAZ, is a major German newspaper. It began on November 1, 1949. It is published every day in Frankfurt.

The paper is very important in Germany. It has its own team of reporters. These people work in many different places.

For a long time, the FAZ looked very plain. It used a style called blackletter for its headlines. This is a type of old-fashioned lettering. The front page usually had no photos. This changed in 2007. The paper started using color photos on the front. This was a big change for readers.

A group called the FAZIT Foundation owns most of the paper. This foundation was made in 1959. It helps keep the paper independent. This means the owners cannot just do whatever they want. They must pick new members who will protect the paper. Today, over 800 people work for the FAZ. Some of them are foreign correspondents. These are reporters who live in other countries to send news home.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, often called the FAZ, is a famous German newspaper. It is a daily paper published in the city of Frankfurt. Many people consider it a newspaper of record for Germany. This means it is a very important source for news.

The paper has its own team of reporters. These people travel to many places to find stories. It is known for having a liberal-conservative political view. This means it often shares ideas from that side of politics.

How the paper works is quite interesting. It does not have just one single boss. Instead, four editors work together to decide the editorial policy. The paper is owned by a group called the FAZIT-Foundation. This foundation holds 93.7% of the shares.

This structure helps keep the newspaper independent. The foundation is made of up to nine people. They cannot buy or sell their shares. They must pass them to a new person for free. These new people must be able to protect the paper's independence.

The history of the FAZ began in 1949. The very first edition appeared on November 1, 1949. Five people were the founding editors. Their names were Hans Baumgarten, Erich Dombrowski, Karl Korn, Paul Sethe, and Erich Welter.

For a long time, the paper looked very traditional. It used a style of writing called blackletter for headlines. It also usually had no photos on the front page. This changed on October 5, 2007. That was when the paper started using color photos. This change was so big that it was even in a comedy film.

There are many facts about the paper's growth and changes. In 1993, it had 391,013 copies in circulation. By 2001, that number grew to 409,000 copies. In 2016, the daily edition had 256,188 copies.

The paper has faced many challenges. In 2006 and 2008, it was banned in Egypt. In 2019, its website was blocked in China. The paper also dealt with changes in German spelling. It tried a new spelling in 1999 but went back to the old way for a year. It finally accepted the new rules in 2007.

You might recognize the FAZ through its connection to famous people. In December 1999, Angela Merkel wrote an article in the paper. She later became the Chancellor of Germany.

Today, the paper uses modern technology to work. It uses special software like IBM NICA and Unisys Hermes. This helps the staff produce the news electronically. Over 800 people work for the FAZ today. This includes 40 foreign correspondents who report from around the world.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, commonly known as the FAZ, is a major daily newspaper in Germany. Based in Frankfurt, it is widely recognized as a newspaper of record for the nation. This status means it is viewed as a primary source for documenting important national events.

The publication maintains its own extensive network of correspondents to report news. It follows a liberal-conservative political orientation, though it occasionally provides a platform for various opinions. For example, during the 2013 elections, the paper officially endorsed the CDU/CSU alliance.

Managing the newspaper involves a unique cooperative structure. Unlike many publications, the editorial policy is not decided by a single editor. Instead, four editors work together to determine the paper's direction. The organization is a GmbH, which is a German company with limited liability. The majority shareholder is the Fazit-Foundation, which holds 93.7% of the shares.

This foundation was created in 1959 when the previous owner transformed into a private foundation. This structure is designed to protect the independence of the newspaper.

The foundation's ownership is governed by strict rules to ensure stability. It is owned by up to nine individuals who cannot buy or sell their shares. Instead, they must pass their shares free of charge to a successor. These successors are co-opted, or chosen, by the remaining shareholders. The foundation's statutes require that new members must be able to guarantee the independence of the FAZ. Currently, the group consists of seven people, including corporate lawyers and former CEOs. The foundation also owns the Frankfurter Societät and the printing company Frankfurter Societätsdruckerei.

The history of the FAZ began in the aftermath of World War II. The first edition was published on November 1, 1949. Five founding editors led the initial effort: Hans Baumgarten, Erich Dombrowski, Karl Korn, Paul Sethe, and Erich Welter.

Some editors had previously worked for the Frankfurter Zeitung, which was banned in 1943. However, the FAZ founders explicitly stated in their first issue that they were not successors to that paper. Until September 30, 1950, the newspaper was actually printed in Mainz rather than Frankfurt.

For many decades, the FAZ maintained a very traditional and sober appearance. It frequently used blackletter, a decorative style of typeface, for its headlines. The front page also famously lacked photographs for most of its history. There were very rare exceptions, such as a photo for German Unity Day in 1990. Another exception occurred on September 12, 2001, following the attacks on the World Trade Center. On October 5, 2007, the paper finally changed its layout to include color photographs. This decision was controversial among readers and even inspired a comedy film in 2009.

The newspaper has also navigated significant changes in language and technology. In 1999, the FAZ adopted the new spelling rules from the German orthography reform. However, it returned to the old spelling just one year later. The paper argued the reform failed to improve language mastery or unity. By January 1, 2007, the FAZ finally accepted a custom version of the new spelling. Today, the production process is highly digital. The staff uses IBM Networked Interactive Content Access (NICA) and Unisys Hermes software to produce the paper electronically.

Circulation numbers for the FAZ have fluctuated over the decades. In 1993, the paper had a circulation of 391,013 copies. This number rose to 409,000 copies by the year 2001. By 2007, the daily edition's circulation was 382,499 copies. More recently, in 2016, the daily circulation was recorded at 256,188 copies.

Despite these shifts, the organization remains large, employing over 800 people. This includes 40 foreign correspondents who provide international perspectives.

Throughout its existence, the FAZ has occasionally faced international restrictions. In 2006 and 2008, the paper was banned in Egypt following the publication of certain articles and cartoons. In 2019, the FAZ website was blocked in China by the Great Firewall. While the exact reasons were not stated, the paper believed it related to reporting on the Hong Kong protests. The newspaper has also been a site for significant political moments. In December 1999, Angela Merkel published an article regarding the CDU donations scandal. This was a period of transition that saw her become the leader of the CDU in early 2000.