Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung
The *Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung* (FAZ) is a German daily newspaper founded in 1949 and published in Frankfurt. It is widely regarded as a newspaper of record for the country. Its editorial policy is not determined by a single editor but cooperatively by four editors. The paper maintains its own network of correspondents. Its first edition appeared on 1 November 1949, with founding editors including Hans Baumgarten, Erich Dombrowski, Karl Korn, Paul Sethe, and Erich Welter, the latter serving as editor until 1980. Some of these editors had previously worked for the moderate *Frankfurter Zeitung*, which was banned in 1943, but the first issue explicitly denied being that paper’s successor. Until September 1950, the FAZ was printed in Mainz. For decades, the paper’s layout was notably sober: headlines were traditionally set in blackletter type, and no photographs appeared on the front page. Rare exceptions included a picture of celebrating crowds at the Berlin Reichstag on German Unity Day in 1990 and images of the collapsing World Trade Center and President George W. Bush after the September 11 attacks. In the early 2000s, the paper expanded aggressively with customized sections for Berlin and Munich and launched an English-language edition inserted into the *International Herald Tribune*. However, the FAZ group suffered a loss of 60.6 million euros in 2002, leading to the scrapping of the customized sections and a reduction of the English edition to a weekly tabloid. In October 2007, the FAZ altered its traditional layout to include color photographs on the front page and replaced blackletter type outside the nameplate, a change that proved controversial among readers. As of 2024, the paper is produced electronically using IBM and Unisys software. After briefly adopting the German orthography reform of 1996, the FAZ reverted to the old spelling a year later, declaring the reform had failed, before finally accepting a custom version in 2007. The paper’s political orientation is liberal-conservative, and it occasionally provides a forum for differing opinions. It is owned by a GmbH, with the independent Fazit-Foundation holding 93.7% of shares. The foundation was created in 1959 and is controlled by up to nine individuals who cannot sell their shares but must pass them to a co-opted successor. The FAZ has faced bans in Egypt for articles deemed insulting to
- field
- Newspaper
- nationality
- German
- owner
- Fazit-Stiftung (93.7% of shares)
Lore & Background
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) is a German daily newspaper founded in 1949 and published in Frankfurt, widely regarded as a newspaper of record for the country. Its appearance was historically distinctive: headlines were traditionally set in blackletter type, and the front page carried no photographs. This sober layout was altered on 5 October 2007, when color photographs were introduced on the front page and the blackletter typeface was removed except for the nameplate, a change that provoked controversy among readers. The paper’s editorial policy is determined not by a single editor but cooperatively by four editors, and it maintains its own network of correspondents. Its political orientation is liberal-conservative, though it occasionally provides a forum for differing opinions. The FAZ is owned by a GmbH, with the independent Fazit-Foundation holding a majority of shares; the foundation’s statute ensures the paper’s independence by requiring that shareholders transmit their shares free of charge to a co-opted successor. The paper’s range extends to a Sunday edition, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung. In the early 2000s, it expanded aggressively with customized sections for Berlin and Munich, though these were later scrapped. An English-language edition was distributed as an insert in the International Herald Tribune, later reduced to a weekly tabloid. The FAZ briefly adopted the German orthography reform of 1996, then reverted to old spelling for several years before accepting a custom version in 2007. It has faced bans in Egypt for articles deemed insulting to Islam and for publishing cartoons of Muhammad, and its website was blocked by China’s Great Firewall, possibly due to reporting on Hong Kong protests.
Reader's Guide
The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) was first published on 1 November 1949, founded by five editors, some of whom had previously worked for the moderate Frankfurter Zeitung, which had been banned in 1943. The new paper explicitly denied being a successor to that earlier publication. Its editorial policy is determined not by a single editor but cooperatively by four editors, and it runs its own network of correspondents. The paper is owned by a GmbH, with the independent Fazit-Stiftung holding the vast majority of shares. This foundation was created in 1959 and is structured so that its members cannot sell their shares but must pass them to a co-opted successor, a design intended to guarantee the paper’s independence. The FAZ is considered a newspaper of record for Germany. Its political orientation is liberal-conservative, though it occasionally provides a forum for commentators with differing views. Historically, the paper maintained a sober layout, with headlines in blackletter and no photographs on the front page; rare exceptions included images of the Berlin Reichstag on German Unity Day in 1990 and the September 11 attacks in 2001. In 2007, it altered this traditional layout to include color photographs on the front page, a change that sparked controversy among readers. The paper also experimented with an English-language edition and customized regional sections, though these were later scaled back. In 1999, it adopted the German orthography reform but reverted to old spelling a year later, declaring the reform had failed; it eventually accepted a custom version of the new spelling in 2007. The FAZ has faced bans in Egypt for articles deemed insulting to Islam and for publishing cartoons of Muhammad, and its website was blocked in China, possibly due to reporting on Hong Kong protests.
Frequently Asked Questions
What political stance does the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung take?
The paper is generally described as liberal-conservative in its editorial outlook. Its editorial direction is set cooperatively by a group of four editors rather than a single publisher.
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