Aenne Burda

Aenne Burda
Born	Anna Magdalene Lemminger (1909-07-28)28 July 1909 Offenburg, Germany
Died	3 November 2005(2005-11-03) (aged 96) Offenburg, Germany
Nationality	Germany
Occupation	Publisher
Known for	Burda fashion magazines
Spouse	Franz Burda II (died 1986)
Children	Franz Burda junior (1932) Frieder Burda (1936) Hubert Burda (1940)
Website	http://www.aenne-burda.com/

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 Änchen von Tharau. She was daughter of a train locomotive driver. She left her convent high school at the age of 17 and became a cashier at the Offenburg electricity company. In 1930 she befriended with printer and publisher Franz Burda II, son of Franz Burda I, the founder of the Burda Group. She married him a year later, on 9 July 1931. The couple had three sons, Franz (1932), Frieder (1936) and Hubert (1940). She was the mother-in-law of actress Maria Furtwängler.

She was strongly committed to charity work. The two foundations she established support 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.

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 (in January). It gained a great popularity in the market, especially since 1952, when they 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.

Famous 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 Awarded the German Federal Republic’s highest Order of Merit with Star for her exceptional achievements as a business woman

Bibliography

• Aenne Burda: Ansichten, Einsichten, Erfahrungen. Articles previously published in Burda Moden, 1975–1989, ISBN 3-88978-039-3
• Aenne Burda (Hrsg.): Handarbeitsbücher für Schule, Beruf und Haus. Modeverlag Burda, Lahr (Schwarzwald)
• Judith Betzler: Aenne Burda. Die Macht des Schönen. Econ, München 1999, ISBN 3-430-11194-3

  - Excerpt, 22 pages, (pdf file)

• Peter Köpf: Die Burdas. Europa Verlag, Hamburg 2002, ISBN 3-203-79145-5

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