Bild

Bild (formerly known as Bild-Zeitung, literally photo diary) is a German tabloid founded in 1952, which holds the first position in terms of daily circulation in Europe and the third in the world (2004). It belongs to the publishing group Axel Springer AG, the same group that publishes the Die Welt newspaper. He is considered sensationalist and conservative in ideology, and enjoys great influence over public opinion in Germany. His articles have great headlines and are written in clear, simple language.

History

The Bild was founded in 1952 by publisher Axel Springer, soon becoming one of the leading dailies in what was then West Germany. For much of its history, Bild's headquarters were in Hamburg; After German reunification in 1990, its headquarters were established in the capital, Berlin.

During the 1980s the Bild sold more than 5 million copies a day. By 1993 the newspaper had a little more than 4 million copies a day in circulation, which made it the most widely read newspaper in the country. In the period 1995-1996 its daily distribution was 4,300,000 copies. By 2001 the Bild was the most widely read newspaper in Germany, and also in Europe, with around 4,396,000 copies.

Printers

Bild is printed in the cities of Ahrensburg, Hanover, Berlin, Leipzig, Essen, Neu-Isenburg, Esslingen, Munich, and Syke. In addition, it has other locations abroad. In Spain it is published in Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, and Las Palmas. It is also published in Milan (Italy), Athens (Greece) and Antalya (Turkey).

Directors

Kai Diekmann, director of Bild from 2001 to 2015.

• 1952: Rolf von Bargen
• 1952–1958: Rudolf Michael
• 1958–1960: Oskar Bezold
• 1960–1962: Karl-Heinz Hagen
• 1961-1971: Peter Boenisch
• 1971–1980: Günter Prinz
• 1981–1988: Horst Fust
• 1988-1989: Werner Rudi
• 1989-1990: Peter Bartels
• 1990-1992: Hans-Hermann Tiedje
• 1992–1997: Claus Larass
• 1998–2000: Udo Röbel
• 2001–2015: Kai Diekmann
• 2016–2018: Tanit Koch
• 2018–March 2021: Julian Reichelt
• March to October 2021: Julian Reichelt; Alexandra Würzbach
• since October 2021: Johannes Boie; Alexandra Würzbach