Aenne Burda

Anna Magdalene ( " Aenne " ) Burda, the "queen of dresses ", ( born July 28, 1909 in Offenburg, † November 3, 2005 ibid ) was a German publisher of magazines. After the Second World War she built with Burda Moden on one of the largest magazine publishers.

Life

Family

Aenne Burda was the daughter of the Locomotive Stoker Lemminger Franz and his wife Mary. Your later Aenne nickname she gave herself after her favorite song Annie of Tharaw. She attended a convent school and completed post-high school at the Higher Commercial School Offenburg an apprenticeship in Offenburg's power company. There they had to collect the contributions even when defaulting, where he met her future husband, Dr. Franz Burda (1903-1986), then working as a printer, know. On July 9, 1931, she married him. She had with him three sons, Francis ( born May 24, 1932), Frieder (* April 29, 1936 ) and Hubert ( born February 9, 1940).

The publisher

1949-1961

The foundation stone Aenne Burda's own publishing house put her husband in two ways: the loss- Verlag Elfi modes of Elfriede Breuer, one of his many lovers, was financed by him. Rather than file for divorce, Aenne Burda forced her husband to withdraw from this project, reaching its financial support for their own publishing establishment. So they could in 1949 to take over the debt-ridden fashion publisher of Franz Burda's former secretary Elfriede Breuer in Lahr with then 48 employees. On 1 October 1949, it was first published the magazine favorite, as Burda Moden published from January 1950 with a circulation of 100 000 copies. The marriage was indeed maintained, but as an open relationship, and for the household and the care of children domestic workers were hired.

The breakthrough business idea of the magazine are the enclosed since 1952 sewing pattern sheets that allow readers nachzuschneidern in homework the models from the magazine. Pattern sheets are known since the 19th century, the American businessman Ebenezer Butterick invented this method in 1863. Yet only with Burda's business idea, these patterns help conquered their place in the German economic history. While fashion magazines other for most of their readers remained prohibitive, now was able to realize his ideas of taste and elegance inexpensive you look at it.

1961-1994

After the takeover by Beyer Fashion on October 1, 1961 Burda Moden was the world's largest fashion magazine, with a circulation of 1.2 million. 1965 Burda Moden sold over a million copies, 1.5 million in 1968. The Burda fashion magazine appeared in 2005 in 89 countries, translated into 16 languages.

With this concept, they soon conquered the international markets and let them follow other magazine titles: Anna from 1974 to 2007, first appeared as Burda fun crafts, Carina since 1977, Verena von 1986 until 1997.

In 1987, the magazine Burda Moden was sold the first western magazine in Russian language in the Soviet Union. This spectacular market opening owed ​​mainly to the interest of Raisa Gorbachev, and her husband, the then General Secretary of the Communist Party and President Gorbachev. At the International Women's Day, March 8, 1987, it was celebrated at a ceremony in the princely city palace. In her autobiography she referred to the presentation of their journal and collection in Moscow as their life highlight.

After 45 years, management had their Verlag 1994 sales of 172 million DM. Only at the age of 85 years, she retired from the publishing line and handed her three sons in equal shares her publishing company. Frieder Burda and Francis sold their shares to Hubert, who had taken the lead already at Burda Moden.

Preferences and commitment

Burda devoted himself thereafter increased their private passion of painting with oil paints. This was also a counterpoint to their sons, who do not paint themselves, but collect paintings. In recent years she was a lover of beautiful sports cars (VW Karmann Ghia ) and enjoyed the glamorous appearance at fashion shows and film galas. Burda had a strong desire to succeed, and suffered neither business nor adversary internal criticism. As an independent business woman, she did not believe in the emancipation movement, they preferred it to assert itself only against resistances. Good ideas and talents such as Jil Sander she was open about it. Burda also knew how to build a unique network of relationships between personalities from politics, film industry, fashion, and media.

With their Aenne Burda Foundation, she promoted art, culture, environment and conservation, care of the elderly and supported needy people in Offenburg. Aenne Burda died at the age of 96 years surrounded by her family.

Medals and honors

• Federal Cross of Merit (1974 )
• Ring of honor of Offenburg (1979 )
• Bavarian Order of Merit (1984 )
• Medal of Merit of the State of Baden -Württemberg ( 1985)
• Jakob Fugger Medal of the Association of Bavarian Newspaper Publishers ( 1989)
• Honorary citizen of their home town Offenburg (1989 )
• Carl Friedrich von Rumohr - ring for services to the art of cooking (1989 )
• Karl- Valentin- Orden ( 1990)
• Gold decoration of Salzburg (1994 )
• Great Federal Cross of Merit with Star (2001)
• Naming an avenue in the city of Offenburg to Aenne Burda ( 2004)
• Several rose varieties have been named after her.

• In memory of the entrepreneurial and social commitment his mother donated Hubert Burda 2006 " Aenne Burda Award" to be awarded annually to " successful young women in the media ".
• On the occasion of her 100th birthday presented the city of Offenburg from 18 July 2009 to 10 January 2010, an exhibition about her life and work in the museum in the Knights' House.

Writings

• Aenne Burda: Views, insights, experiences. Burda Verlag, Offenburg, 1989, ISBN 3,889,780,393th
• Aenne Burda ( ed.): handmade books for school, business and home. Fashion Burda Verlag, Lahr (Schwarzwald).