Aenne Burda

Aenne Burda (28 July 1909 – 3 November 2005), born Anna Magdalene Lemminger, was a German publisher of the Burda Group, a media group based in Offenburg and Munich, Germany. She was one of the symbols of the German economic miracle.
Biography
Aenne Burda was born in Offenburg, German Empire. She chose her name after the popular song Ännchen von Tharau. She was the daughter of a fireman of steam locomotives on the railways. She left convent high school at 17 and became a cashier at the Offenburg electricity company. In 1930 she met printer and publisher Franz Burda, son of Franz Burda, the founder of the Burda printing company. The couple married a year later, on 9 July 1931. They had three sons, Franz (1932–2017), Frieder (1936–2019) and Hubert (1940). She was the mother-in-law of actress Maria Furtwängler.
Burda founded two charitable foundations, supporting young academics and seniors in her hometown of Offenburg respectively.
Aenne Burda died in her native Offenburg, Germany, at the age of 96, from natural causes.
A movie about her life, Aenne Burda, The Economic Wonderwoman was released in 2018.
Magazine publishing
Aenne and her husband helped to expand the family business into women's magazines. In 1949 Aenne Burda founded a fashion magazine printing and publishing company in her home town Offenburg. The same year she started publishing magazine Favorit, which was later renamed to Burda Moden. The first issue of Burda Moden magazine was published in 1950 with a circulation of 100,000. It became popular in the market after 1952, when it began to include sheets of paper with patterns for clothes. In 1987 Burda Moden became the first Western magazine published in Soviet Union. Burda Fashion is currently published in 90 countries in 16 different languages.
In 1977 she launched Burda CARINA magazine, a fashion and lifestyle magazine targeting a younger female audience.
Quotes
"My aim is to put together practical fashions at an affordable price that can be worn by the largest possible number of women."
"I have learned to grow old with a young heart, thus retaining my enjoyment of life, my joie de vivre."
Awards
1974 Great Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
1979 Offenburg's Ring of Honour for her role in the city's economic development
1984 Bavarian Order of Merit
1985 Baden-Württemberg Order of Merit
1989 Jakob Fugger Medal by the Bavarian Publishers Association (the first time this was awarded to a woman)
1989 Aenne Burda is made an honorary citizen of her hometown Offenburg
1990 Karl Valentin Order of Merit
1994 Golden Order of Merit from the province of Salzburg, Austria
2001 Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany for her exceptional achievements as a business woman
Bibliography
Aenne Burda: Ansichten, Einsichten, Erfahrungen. Articles previously published in Burda Moden, 1975–1989,
Aenne Burda (Hrsg.): Handarbeitsbücher für Schule, Beruf und Haus. Modeverlag Burda, Lahr (Schwarzwald)
Judith Betzler: Aenne Burda. Die Macht des Schönen. Econ, München 1999,
– Excerpt, 22 pages, (pdf file)
Peter Köpf: Die Burdas. Europa Verlag, Hamburg 2002,
References
External links
Aenne-Burda.com
About Aenne Burda
Hubert-Burda-Media.de Hubert Burda Media company's website.
BurdaFashion.com Burda Fashion (magazine) website.
Aenne Burda – Publisher and Grande Dame of German fashion
1909 births
2005 deaths
People from Offenburg
Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
Recipients of the Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg
Aenne
German mass media owners
Women in publishing
German magazine founders