Anne Burda's life story

To tell the story of the creation of the Burda magazine, but not to mention its main "mother" Anne Burda, means to say nothing at all. Anna Magdalena Limminger, aka Anne Burda, was born on July 28, 1909 in a small German town called Offenburg. The name under which Anna entered world history arose even in childhood - it was Enne who called the girl her parents because she loved to sing a children's song, which was called "Ennchen from Trau." After graduating from school, and after a trade school, the girl married Franz Burdu. From financial well-being, the newly minted family had a doctorate in history and a small book printing house. But Annie herself did not like to sit in one place and be content with what she had. She always had good taste and was well known in fashion. That's why Anne always looked like Hollywood. Her main creed at that time was: "If your finances do not allow you to dress from Dior, a needle and thread, taste and imagination will certainly help you look fashionable and stylish ...". And even having given her husband three sons, the woman never betrayed her good taste and style.

History of the magazine

At the age of forty, Enne Burda decided to realize herself not only as a mother, but also as a successful woman . And first of all, she was prompted by the interest of her friends, who tirelessly bombarded the woman with questions about how she manages to look and dress so chic. Already in 1949, Anne took over the leadership of her husband's publishing house. The first basis for the creation of their new "brainchild" was the printing of not books, but magazines. And the very first magazine that saw the light from under the machine of the publishing house Enne Burda was the magazine of the same name, Burda Modern. It was with the help of this magazine that Anne decided to answer all the questions that tormented her friends.

The very idea of ​​publishing a women's magazine, in which fashionable patterns of women's stylish clothes were placed, turned out to be a very profitable business that brought an excellent income. The circulation of the first copy of the women's edition was about one hundred thousand. But after about fifteen years, this circulation in Germany alone reached a million copies. The magazine "Burda" has become a real gift for the fair sex all over the world. It was because of the creation of this magazine that women learned, using the example of the unsurpassed Enna, to create fashionable outfits for themselves that emphasized their image with their own hands. But the author of the magazine did not stop there and constantly improved her edition. In cities such as New York and Manhattan, Burda opened small boutiques in which she arranged for herself to try on the clothes that she offered to her readers. Such "fashion shows" were a huge success, which, in turn, had a positive effect on the increase in the rating of the publication itself. Anne's main goal was to please all readers. Therefore, she firmly believed that the convenience of the proposed clothing models should come first. By the way, despite the fact that Burda could already afford anything, she did not stop pampering herself with fashionable and stylish outfits that she sewed herself and whose models she posted on the pages of her magazine.

After some time, the magazine "Burda Modern" ceased to be just a magazine and acquired the status of something larger and global. Shops were opened all over the world, where mainly female readers could buy for themselves the fabric that was needed for certain models of tailoring. It was also possible to purchase special fittings and even old extracts from the magazine itself.

Expanding the boundaries of the publishing house "Burda"

After the creation of the magazine and its worldwide recognition, the small family printing house of the Burda couple gradually acquired the status of the largest publishing house, which was talked about all over the world. In addition to the magazine "Burda Modern", the world saw another magazine, the "brainchild" of Burda called "Burda Internationality". This edition was entirely devoted to cooking and its peculiarities. But the history of the creation of magazines under the name "Burda" did not end there, and magazine publications under the name "Anna", "Karina", "Verena" were added to their "friendly ranks". These were extended tutorials on knitting, as well as making Christmas decorations , toys and dolls with your own hands. Also on the pages of these magazines one could find tips on embroidery, needlework, home improvement, gardening. These magazines were sent not only for women's leisure, but for the whole family. An interesting fact is that even men have become avid readers of such magazines.

Not without reason in post-war Germany, Anne Burda was called the "German miracle of the economy." Equal to how she went beyond one magazine, she was able to go beyond the entire country, which brought her and her "brainchild" great fame and success. As a legacy, this woman was able to leave behind hundreds of countries where her “printed word” is revered, twenty languages ​​into which the magazine was translated, and a millionth army of readers and admirers of the publication. Enne Burda completely retired from publishing in 1994, passing all her powers and legacy of the internationally recognized name "Burda" to her sons. In 2005, on November 2, she died. Women all over the world will thank Enne for decades for teaching the world how to live beautifully and doing so even after her death. After all, the publishing house "Burda" lives and thrives to this day, delighting its beautiful readers with its interesting editions of the same magazine called "Burda".

The transformation of the daughter of a simple railway worker into a trendsetter and publishing queen still seems like a miracle to many, a real embodiment of the Cinderella story. But there was no good fairy. Enne Burda earned her name herself, through hard work and perseverance.

was
born on July 28, 1909 in Offenburg. The girl got her name thanks to the popular song Änchen von Tharau. Anna's family, where there were three children, was considered rather poor: her father worked as a simple machinist at the station, and her mother was a quiet and modest housewife. The image of a mother in the kitchen was forever deposited in the memory of a girl who did not want for herself the fate of a woman, always standing by the stove and washing clothes. She constantly repeated that she would certainly achieve something more. In order not to be like everyone else, Anna changed her name to Enna, like the heroine of her favorite song. But since then, in Offenburg, her name has always been heard.

Enne, having graduated from an incomplete secondary parochial school at the age of 17, began working as a cashier in an energy company. At the same time, the girl defiantly cut off her braids and proudly wore a short hairstyle, while most of her peers did not dare to allow themselves this. In the family, her father idolized her daughter, and her mother often scolded her, calling her a "nasty girl." Yes, and Enne herself knew that she could be not only an “angel”, but also a real “devil”.

In 1930, she met the publisher Dr. Franz Burda Jr., son of Franz Burda Sr., founder of the Burda Group. The young man was captivated by her beauty. And even after decades, he tirelessly repeated that she was the most charming girl in Offenburg.

Anne married him in July 1931, but their life was not comfortable. The girl kept statistics on the payment of debts to the printing house and publishing house, and her husband continued to publish books. Three children were born in the family: Franz (1932), Frieder (1936) and Hubert (1940). Despite her sincere love for her husband and sons, Enne did not become a housewife, tied hand and foot with household chores. Abandoning these "forced labors", she hired a nanny and servants.

Burda
1939 was a turning point for Enne. Her husband gave her a rundown publishing house in Lahr. A small company, going through hard times, went to Enna in a deplorable state. Despite the fact that the staff was only 48 people, and the offices were in the building of a former restaurant, the woman was confident in her success. She rolled up her sleeves and started her own business. Enne has always been true to her life motto: "You need to decide on your own."

Enne did not know how to sew and did not understand anything in the publishing business, but perseverance and a desire to prove herself did more for her than any skills and abilities. She tried to comprehend all the basics of skill in the process.

In work, Enne preferred to control all the details of the process. Taking direct part in the creation of the issue, she selected outfits, built a plan for the magazine, worked on the cover design, negotiated with well-known experts. Models for her magazine Burda were created by the most famous couturiers of that time. For example, Heinz Otsergaard, who in 1959 created a silk duchesse dress with embroidery for publication. The great masters also collaborated with the publication - Zhil Sander, Karl Lagerfeld, Wolfgang Jopp.

It should be said that in the post-war period, when the magazine began to appear, Germany was going through hard times. The defeat in the war, the change of regime, the split of the country greatly affected the lives of ordinary people. The severe deficit of those years was expressed in the shortage of ready-made clothes. That is why if a woman wanted to dress well, she needed to be able to sew. Thus, the idea of ​​a magazine with tips on cutting and modeling turned out to be very appropriate. Enne offered the representatives of the weaker sex what they dreamed about - fashion trends and patterns. Although the idea of ​​patterns was not new (it had been used before in other publications), it is generally accepted that it was Burda who brought this know-how to perfection.

At first, the publication was called Favorit, but then the family council decided that the name Burda Moden would be more appropriate.
The first issue of the magazine came out with an impressive circulation of 100,000 copies, which immediately sold out. It was impossible to buy in Burda Moden stores, as the publication was distributed at enterprises through trade union organizations. Those who did not get the magazine had to go to the speculators who inflated the prices of Burda. The price for one room at that time was about 50 rubles, or a third of the salary of an ordinary engineer. Women got out of the situation this way: they copied pages, exchanged numbers, copied patterns.

Over time, circulation grew to half a million copies. In 1963, on the back of her success, Anne decided to buy out her competitor, Bayer Moden, which increased circulation to 1.2 million magazines. Thus, at that time, a world record was set for fashion magazines. Five years later, the circulation in response to the rush demand has grown to one and a half million copies.

The originality of patterns, unusual solutions to common problems - mini, bright colors, charming details - have made Burda the No. 1 magazine in the fashion world. In the seventies, the publication was published in two million copies in 14 languages ​​of the world.

Note that Burda had no competitors in the market of publications for women. Anne simply bought all the fashion magazines. However, there were difficulties. Firstly, the publication of a journal of this magnitude required vigilant control, huge moral and physical costs, and great diligence. Secondly, it was quite difficult for the magazine to deal with the emerging market for mass clothing, cheap and high quality. Many women preferred to buy everything in the store, rather than spend time and effort working on an outfit that might not work out. After all, not everyone had talent!

The development of the market in Germany forced her to enter the world markets. In fact, the magazine's international content has made it an international bestseller. During the German consumer boom, Anne Burda conquered the Scandinavian countries, Austria, Switzerland, the USA, Canada, Argentina, Greece and Italy.

In Russia, the magazine first appeared in 1987 at the height of "perestroika". On this occasion, a solemn event with a fashion show was held in the Hall of Columns of the House of Unions. Only the party elite was invited to this grandiose fashion show with the participation of the best models of the world. Nevertheless, Raisa Gorbacheva called Burda Moden a publication that made a great contribution "to the democratization of women in the Soviet Union."

Time has changed, and so has the magazine. Anne understood that Burda had to refocus on a different audience. Now it was read not by those who could not buy clothes, but by those who had free time and liked to sew. That is why on the pages of the magazine women were tirelessly repeated that they were the “creative elite”. In addition, Burda offered women assistance in creating clothes, offered to order the necessary fabrics through editorial offices. The content of the magazine has also undergone changes: more text materials and photos of ready-made clothes have appeared. To participate in the creation of the issue, the editors attracted pop stars, couturiers, famous fashion models.

Anne Burda ran the magazine until the early 1990s. She wrote author's columns, supervised the work of subordinates. After retiring, she devoted herself entirely to painting. Her passion for Italy and acquaintance with the famous artist Hans Kuhn laid the foundation for her passion, which she did not change until the end of her days.

Glory and honors
Anne Burda has become a real cosmopolitan woman. She has traveled all continents and almost all countries. The inhabitants of these states will forever remember these visits and fell in love with a charming German woman.

Being a world celebrity, Enne never forgot her small homeland and was always grateful to Offenburg. In turn, the inhabitants of the town were proud of their “geographical relationship” with the queen of fashion. On the eve of the 95th birthday of Anne Burda, an honorary resident of Offenburg, received from the hands of the mayor of the city a commemorative plaque with the inscription "Anne Burda Alley". This name was given to one of the streets of her hometown.

Anne Burda was also honored at the federal level. In 1974, she was awarded the Order of the Grand Cross of Merit for the Federal Republic of Germany, and almost thirty years later, the German Cross of Merit with a star.

Great wisdom
Enne Burda, a successful entrepreneur, happy mother and beloved wife, is known for her well-aimed aphorisms and capacious quotes.
- I will prove that miracles can be done with your own hands.
- I learned not to grow old in my heart and keep the joy of life inside me.
- Striving for beauty is not subject to crises.
- Tenderness expressed in words is a charitable contribution.
- To be a man means humanity, that is, sympathy, benevolence, and hence good-heartedness.
- A compliment is friendliness expressed in words.
It costs nothing, but it can work wonders. - The most important thing is faith in yourself and in your own strength.

Anne Burda died in 2005 at the age of 95. Her story has become a role model, and her magazine has become a benchmark for women's publications. Enne, having invested herself in the service of people, continues to live in the hearts of admirers and in new issues of the magazine, which is still published in 90 countries in 16 languages.

Anne Burda. The "Queen of Dresses" would have been 100 years old

100 years ago, on July 28, 1909, Anne Burda was born - the founder of the world's largest publishing house Hubert Burda Mediaspecializing in fashion magazines.
She was repeatedly called the "queen of dresses" and the "female symbol" of the German economic miracle. Anna Magdalene Lemminger was born on July 28, 1909 in the family of a locomotive driver in the city of Offenburg in Germany. At the age of 17, she graduated from an incomplete secondary parochial school and began to keep a cash desk at an electrical appliance factory, and then accounting for debt collection at the Offenburg printing house and the Burda publishing house, where she met her future husband, the owner of the printing house, Dr. Franz Burda. On July 9, 1931, the wedding took place. The business became a family business, and Enne helped her husband in every possible way. Later, as the family's fortunes improved, Frau Burda became recognized as Offenburg's most socialite lady. Her ability to dress, wear jewelry and dresses to the floor, were appreciated in the world. They also recalled how she went to a hairdresser in neighboring Baden-Baden, she drove a Karmann Ghia car - yellow with red seats

and the fact that Frau Burda preferred to rest in Sicily.

In 1949, Anne Burda took over the management of a small publishing house in the city of Lahr, whose financial condition was deplorable. But Enne was sure that she could create something significant on its basis, and she succeeded. A year later, the first Burda Moden magazine was published. Its popularity was and remains fantastic.

The most famous designers created models for Burda Moden magazine - Wolfgang Joppom (Joop! brand), Zhil Sander, Karl Lagerfeld. "Hollywood" patterns have become for many women a desktop guide to a stylish life. In the 60s, Anne Burda traveled a lot - she traveled to all continents, made international contacts in the fashion world, which later helped her to create branches of her company around the world.

In the Soviet Union, the magazine Burda Moden appeared under the rule of Mikhail Gorbachev. Rumor has it that the initiative to publish this magazine came from his wife Raisa Maksimovna. On March 8, 1987, the first circulation of the publication appeared - 100 thousand copies, which sold out instantly. The magazine was impossible to buy in retail . It was distributed through trade union committees among enterprises. It was also possible to get the magazine from speculators. The price reached an astronomical figure for those times - 50 rubles - 1/3 of the salary of an ordinary Soviet engineer. Fashionistas had to buy together, rewrite and redraw articles, exchange with each other.

As German Foreign Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher said at the time, Anne Burda "did more than the three diplomatic missions before her."

Many noted that the first release of Burda Moden in Russian was an important political step. In honor of this event, a grandiose fashion show was arranged in the Hall of Columns of the House of Unions, to which the best fashion models of the world were invited. True, mere mortals were not allowed to the defile. The first Soviet "defile" was attended exclusively by the party elite of the USSR.

Enne Burda worked at the publishing house until the early 1990s: she wrote editorial columns for each issue and provided general guidance. After retiring, she took up painting. Anne Burda loved to spend time with her family. By the age of ninety, she had 3 sons and 12 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Anne Burda died in 2005 in Offenburg at the age of 96. Her publishing house still exists today, and Burda Moden is published in 90 countries in 16 languages ​​and is the women's magazine with the largest circulation in the world.

For her services, Anne Burda was awarded many awards: the Order of the Grand Cross of Merit for the Federal Republic of Germany (1974)

Jakob Fugger Medal of the Bavarian Publishers "For Outstanding Service in Journal Publishing" (first awarded to a woman) (1985)

Order of Charles Valentine (1990). In 2004, as part of the festive celebrations in honor of Anne Burda's 95th birthday, a street in her hometown of Offenburg was renamed Enne Burda Alley.

The cult magazine, known, perhaps, to every woman

Founder Enne Burda did not miscalculate when she became one of the first Western publishers who decided to expand in a still communist country.

What Raisa Gorbacheva asked Enne Burda, about how a whole publishing house was born from one publication, and what challenges the work of the editor-in-chief of a pattern magazine poses, Mikhail Lezhnev, who headed the editorial office for exactly 20 years, said in an interview with Slon.ru.

Interpreter experience | Unreachable Enne | Cakes instead of bread | Replacing "Worker" and "Peasant Woman" | Men's work | New forms

How did you become the editor-in-chief?

– Before joining the editorial office of Burda magazine, I worked for sixteen years at the Progress publishing house. At that time it was the largest publishing house in the Soviet Union, with 1,400 employees. The publishing house published literature and magazines in more than 40 foreign languages. I have worked in the German editorial office and for the last few years have been in charge of the journal section. We published in German the magazines Soviet Union, Sport in the USSR, Olympic Panorama, and the children's magazine Misha. Our work consisted of translating texts, editing them, reading proofs and preparing typesetting copies. But we had nothing to do with the content of the magazines themselves. All journalistic work was carried out in the editorial offices of the relevant journals, and Progress provided them with services in preparing versions in foreign languages.

And I got to Burda in the following way. The Burda Moden joint venture was looking for a replacement for the then head of the editorial office of the magazine, and mutual acquaintances recommended me.

- Those publications that you translated in Progress were, of course, directed to the GDR?

- First of all, of course, to the GDR, but a certain number of copies went to the FRG and other German-speaking countries. "Soviet Union" was a propaganda magazine of a socio-political nature. "Sport in the USSR" and "Olympic Panorama" were devoted to sports. A special place was occupied by the children's magazine "Misha". It turned out that there was no such magazine for children in the GDR, and it began to enjoy incredible success there. There were a lot of fairy tales, funny stories, funny contests and drawings in the magazine...

- Did the magazines write about the fact that Soviet children live better than their German peers?

- No, it wasn't there. There was not even a slight hint of politics. There were nice things, like "Deniska's stories"...

- Were you offered the post of editor-in-chief of Burda right away?

- At first, my position was called "Editorial Manager". After all, Burda was and still partially remains a translated magazine. I had, as in my previous job, to organize the work of translating and editing texts. Only if earlier my colleagues and I translated from Russian into German, then in Burda I had to organize the work in the opposite direction - from German into Russian. We did not conduct any journalistic activity, therefore there was no post of editor-in-chief. It arose much later.

– In fact, were the first employees at Burda translators?

– Yes, translators and editors, and for five years we have existed in this mode. Journalistic work began later. There was a need to create materials on our, Russian, material. This, above all, concerned the topics of beauty, self-care and health.

UNREACHABLE ENNE

- Have you met Anne Burda?

- Unfortunately no. She came to the USSR twice before I came to Burda.

- She was not interested in who heads her publication in the Soviet Union?

I don't know for sure, but probably not.

But have you heard of her?

- Certainly! She was a very interesting person and I was always interested in her. So, I read all the books written about her in Germany.

In addition, Anne Burda wrote a column in the magazine for many years. These were texts of a moralizing nature - she shared her life experience with readers, expressed her opinion on one or another moral problem. And I personally translated these columns into Russian. But then Enne Burda gradually retired and the column was gone.

I have always envied people like her, people who have such potential. A click of fate was enough, and the potential developed in this way. This, in fact, a simple woman created a huge enterprise, knew where to direct its development. Her intuition was amazing. Such people amaze me. Unfortunately, my potential was not revealed to the same extent, but I have always wondered how it turns out: in an environment in which, it seems, nothing like this should happen, a bright talent of an entrepreneur, or an artist, or an actor suddenly appears.

The BURDA brand and its history

The woman who created the Burda Moden media empire went down in history as a business woman who turned a small publishing house into the world's largest media holding, publishing a publication in many languages ​​that delights women in dozens of countries around the world.
The magazine was originally published under the brand "Burda Moden". And then the owners of the publication renamed it, and now the brand sounds like "Burda Fashion". The magazine itself is celebrating its 63rd anniversary this year. It first appeared on newspaper shelves as early as 1950. The history of the brand name.
The future world-famous publisher was born on July 28, 1909 in the German town of Offenburg in the family of a railway worker. After receiving primary and secondary education, she started a family with Franz Burda. Their joint dowry was a doctorate in history, a small printing house, and Anne's business streak. Despite the low family income, the woman managed to look like Hollywood. Thread, needle, fantasy and good taste were her main weapons. Having realized herself as a mother, and Anna Magdalena gave birth to three sons, she decided to do serious business.

Business comes first.
She renamed her husband's printing house and named it after herself, she launched a new trademark (Burda), which would later become a worldwide brand.
Enne Burda began to publish not newspapers, but magazines. The first was a magazine under the name and later the well-known trademark "Burda Moden". And it later turned out to be a gold mine. Before her, no one had published a magazine with patterns and fashionable styles. The first circulation was 100,000 copies, and fifteen years later, in Germany alone, it was already a million copies.

At the right time - in the right place.
"Burda fashion" was a real gift for women who, like Enna, made their own clothes with their own hands. After a while, a boutique was opened in New York, where you could try on the models created by Burda. The magazine became more than just a publication: stores were opened all over the world where you could buy fabric, accessories for specific models and magazines with patterns. Franz's printing house became a publishing house. Subsidiary magazines appeared: "Burda International" (new items for the next season), publications dedicated to cuisine and cooking, as well as "Karina", "Anna", "Verena" - magazines about crafts, knitting and embroidery.

In Ukraine.
Enne Burda conquered hundreds of countries and left behind a huge legacy of fans and admirers.
In Ukraine, all editions of the international media empire are also very successful.
The company "Subsidiary with 100% foreign investment "Burda-Ukraine"" (as it is legally called in Ukraine) has registered 104 trademarks. It's hard to even list them. Let's just remember the names and TMs a little: of magazines: Burda, JOY, MINI, Oops!, Good advice, Lisa, Have a rest!, SAVEURS, My beautiful garden, Recipes for every taste, House in the garden, Home doctor, I love to cook!, Between us, mothers, My story, Flowers in the house, Chip, AvtoMir, Good advice. Scanwords, Crossword Kaleidoscope, Lucky Chance...

Mikhail Lezhnev resigns as editor-in-chief of Burda magazine

Mikhail Lezhnev leaves the post of editor-in-chief of Burda magazine.
Having celebrated his 60th anniversary in March, from March 31, Mikhail Lezhnev will advise the Burda Publishing House on editorial issues. From April 1, Evgenia Killikh will be appointed editor-in-chief of the magazine.

Mikhail Nikolaevich Lezhnev served as chief editor of the Russian edition of Burda magazine almost from the very beginning of its history in Russia. Burda magazine owes much of its success to Russian readers to him. In 1989, he was invited to work in the joint Soviet-German enterprise "Burda moden" as the editorial manager of the magazine Burda. In 1995, together with his editorial board, he moved to work at the Burda Publishing House. From then to the present, he has been the editor-in-chief of Burda magazine, along with this, at various times he has directed such magazines of the Burda Publishing House as My Beautiful Garden, Liza. My cozy home”, “Flowers in the house”, Anna, Verena, “Liza. Bon appetit" and others.

Burda has been the favorite magazine of Russian women for over 20 years and has consistently ranked among the top three women's magazines. “It is a great honor and responsibility for me to lead a magazine like Burda. This brand has an amazing story and unique content. I am happy to contribute to its further successful development in the Russian market,” says the new editor-in-chief, Evgenia Killich.

Mikhail Lezhnev - biographical information

Born in 1949. In 1971 he graduated from the Romano-Germanic Faculty of the Moscow State Pedagogical Institute. After serving in the army as a military translator in 1973, he joined the Progress publishing house, where he worked his way up from junior editor to senior supervisory editor, head of the magazine sector in the editorial office of the Germanic languages. In 1989 he was invited to work in the joint Soviet-German enterprise "Burda moden" as the editorial manager of the magazine Burda. In 1995, together with his editorial board, he moved to work at the Burda Publishing House. Since then, he has been the editor-in-chief of the Burda magazine at the Burda Publishing House. Fluent in German and English.

Evgenia Killikh - biographical information

Graduated from Moscow State Institute of International Relations with a degree in diplomacy. In the media since 1997. She started her career at Independent Media at Cosmopolitan magazine as a photo editor, then worked as a beauty editor and editor-in-chief. In 2004, she was the editor-in-chief of Top Sante magazine. Evgenia joined the Burda publishing house in 2004 as a fashion editor for MINI magazine. Then she was appointed deputy editor-in-chief. In 2005, Evgenia headed the MINI magazine. Speaks English, French and German.

Burda moden magazine

Burda is a fashion magazine published by the German publishing group Hubert Burda Media . Comes with patterns of life-size clothing models. Originally called Burda Moden. The magazine became the first Western edition published in the USSR.

History of the magazine

• Franz Burda and Franz Burda II. Starting a family business

In 1898, twenty-five-year-old Franz Burda got a job at Otto Pröttel's printing house in Philippsburg. Four years later, he rose to the position of director of the organization. The first edition of the Burda family was the Philippsburger Zeitung, published in 1903, where Franz was in charge of editorial and publishing. After serving in the printing house for a few more years, he decided to open his own business. In 1908, having returned to his hometown of Offenburg, the entrepreneur registered the company and named it after himself. At first, only three people worked in the printing house. In 1927, the company launched its first publication, the radio program magazine SÜRAG. On February 24, 1903, a son was born to Franz Burd, who was named after his father. He took over the management of the printing house in 1929 when he graduated from the university. Franz Burda Jr. decided to expand the family business. The company's first publications were the French soldiers' newspaper Revue d'Information (1945), as well as the magazines Das Ufer (1948) and Das Haus (1949).

• Franz and Anne Burda. Love story

“The most important thing is faith in yourself and in your strength.”

On July 28, 1909, Anna Magdalena Lemminger was born in Offenburg to the family of a train driver and a housewife. She received the nickname "Enne" as a child, when she constantly sang the song "Änchen von Tharau". In the girl’s head, the image of her mother, constantly washing or preparing food, was forever deposited. Anne wanted a different life. After the parochial school, the girl graduated from a trade school and got a job as a cashier in an energy company. One of her clients was Franz Burda Jr. The young man was captivated by her beauty and kept repeating that she was Offenburg's most conspicuous girl.

In 1931, Franz Burda II and Anna Magdalena Lemminger got married. Enne and Franz were married for almost twenty years, they raised three children - Franz (1932), Frieder (1936) and Hubert (1940). Enne was the most spectacular society lady in Offenburg: she dressed beautifully, kept a maid and a nanny, and went to Baden-Baden to cut her hair.

• Anne Burda. The appearance of Burda Moden

“If your income does not allow you to dress at Dior, a needle and thread, taste and imagination will definitely help you look fashionable and stylish…”

In 1949, Anne Burda found out that her husband was cheating on her with her secretary Elfriede Breuer, who even bore him a daughter. To provide for a second family, Franz gave his mistress a printing workshop and a small fashion magazine "Effi Moden" , which gradually went bankrupt under inept management. Forty-year-old Anne Burda, with the help of a lawyer, took away the magazine from her husband's mistress and personally headed it. She forgave her husband's betrayal, and Franz became the wife's junior partner. In the same year he received the post of honorary senator of the Technical University in Karlsruhe.

Enne Burda changed the name of the magazine to Burda Moden and created a new concept: from now on, the publication printed life-size illustrations and patterns of simple elegant outfits that could easily be sewn by yourself. of Burda Moden was published with a circulation of 100,000 copies . In post-war Germany, where women dreamed of beautiful and inexpensive outfits, Anne Burda's ideas seemed revolutionary. She offered not fashionable outfits from the catwalks, difficult to tailor, but beautiful and practical products.

Enne attended fashion shows in Paris and Milan, chose the models she liked and adapted them to the tastes and financial capabilities of the magazine's readers. In addition, for the first time, she offered her audience an application with clear and accurate patterns. The magazine was distributed through trade union organizations at enterprises, and those who did not have the opportunity to purchase the publication in the proper way had to buy it at exorbitant prices from speculators. Women exchanged numbers, rewrote articles and copied patterns.

• Anne Burda. Development of Burda Moden

“I was constantly striving for wealth. But not only. I've always wanted power."

Anne Burda has attracted the best specialists to develop patterns for the magazine. She poached graphic artist Oswald Moser from her husband's publishing house. By 1956, the circulation of Burda Moden reached 500,000, and a few years later - 1,200,000 copies. In 1963, the world record for the most sales of a fashion magazine was broken. In the 1970s, the publication was produced with a circulation of 2,000,000 copies. Initially, only models of women's clothing were published in the magazine. By the 80s, the content of the magazine was supplemented with men's and children's clothing, as well as advice on home economics, needlework, and cooking. Later, the Burda International and Burda Special editions were added to the main issue of the publication, completely devoted to needlework, cooking, etc.

From several magazines, mainly thanks to Burda Moden, a whole publishing empire has grown. The publishing house annually organized competitions for non-professionals and tailors. Anne Burda herself hated housework and never sewed. Her intuition and business acumen helped her succeed. Later, Anne Burda moved to New York and opened a boutique in Manhattan, where she showed models from the magazine on herself. Such screenings were a success and positively influenced the ratings of the publication. Then stores were opened all over the world, where you could buy fabric and accessories for the clothes offered in the magazine, as well as old issues of Burda Moden.

In 1974, Anne Burda was awarded the Order of the Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, and almost thirty years later, the Cross of the Federal Republic of Germany with a star of Merit. She headed the magazine until 1994, after which she retired and took up painting. On November 3, 2005, Anne Burda passed away. A street in Offenburg is named after her - Anne Burda Alley.

• Hubert Burda. Family business development and management Burda Moden

Hubert Burda was born on February 9, 1940 to Franz Burda II and Anne Burda. He joined the family business in 1966 after studying at the Munich Institute at the Faculty of Art History and Archeology. At that time, Hubert did not understand the publishing business at all. The company already owned fifteen magazines. In 1973, Franz Burda II transferred the powers of managing directors to his sons: Franz - in the field of printing, Frieder - in finance and administration, Hubert - in publishing. At the end of 1986, after the death of his father, Hubert Burda took over the management of the publishing house, buying out their shares from the brothers. He became the owner of Burda magazine in 1994, when Anne Burda retired from the company, and the Burda Moden publishing house became part of the Hubert Burda Media concern. In the same year, the magazine began publishing in China, becoming the first Western magazine to be allowed into the country.

By the 2000s, the magazine's audience had changed a lot. Now it is bought not by those who cannot afford good ready-made clothes, but by women who are fond of sewing. In the early 2000s, female readers were regularly referred to as the "creative elite" on the pages of the magazine. During the same period, the editors of Burda Moden began to offer women help in finding the right fabrics. The magazine began to publish more articles and photos of ready-made clothes. Currently, Burda Moden magazine has been renamed Burda Fashion. It is published in classic and mini formats and is available in 20 languages ​​in almost 100 countries.

Burda Moden magazine in Russia

“Anne Burda stood at the origins of our publishing house in the Soviet Union. A German woman who does not know the Russian language was able to understand the needs of a Russian woman and offered her the main thing - elegance, beauty and faith in a dream.

Arnd-Volker Listevnik, General Director of the publishing house "Burda"

In the Soviet Union, Burda Moden began to appear in 1987 and became the first Western magazine distributed in a closed state. The publication was produced at the Soviet-German enterprise "Burda Moden" opened in the same 1987. It appeared thanks to the assistance of Raisa Gorbacheva, who declared that the magazine would be a great contribution to the "democratization of Soviet women." On the occasion of the release of the publication, a solemn event with a fashion show was held in the Column Hall of the House of Unions. German Foreign Minister Hans Dietrich Genscher told Anne Burda that . "

The first issue of Burda Moden came out by March 8, 1987 with a circulation of 100,000 copies and was instantly sold out. On the cover above the name of the magazine was placed the phrase "Models for those who sew themselves." Then the slogan changed several times: “Fashion for everyone”, “Magazine for everyone”, “Fashion for the whole world”, etc. To make the publication accessible to Soviet readers, the number of pages was reduced in the Russian version, less quality paper was used, etc. But despite this, the magazine, which became a kind of "window to the West", was very popular. Each model from the issue was copied many times, each recipe was immediately brought to life. Soviet women who "sewed according to Burda", as well as in the West, appreciated the elegance of styles, the accuracy and convenience of the patterns presented in each issue. A little later, the TV program “Burda Moden Presents” went on the air, where video sewing lessons were shown. The restrained style of the magazine's clothing models brought up the tastes of several generations of Soviet women.

Now Burda Moden has ceased to be a symbol of a well-equipped foreign life. At present, as well as abroad, the magazine is bought by women who need quality patterns and practical advice about household chores.

Hubert Burda Media

Currently, the media concern Hubert Burda Media, under the leadership of Hubert Burda, publishes 262 magazines (, Men's Health, Bunte, Freundin, Frau im Trend, Lisa, Relax, etc.), which are published in more than 20 countries around the world. The company also has shares in various radio stations, projects on television and on the Internet. The company employs more than eight thousand employees. The concern has representative offices in Germany, Central and Eastern Europe, Asia, and also in Russia.

At first glance, her life may seem like a wonderful fairy tale: a girl from a simple family has become a world-famous entrepreneur and one of the most prominent figures in the fashion industry. But this is only at first glance! In fact, she did not have a good fairy who, with a wave of her magic wand, turned Cinderella into a princess. Anne Burda's dizzying career became possible only thanks to her diligence, perseverance and determination. "I want!" - these words have been her motto since childhood. And what she wanted, she achieved - this went on all her life.

Childhood

Anna Magdalena Lemminger was born on July 28, 1909 in the provincial town of Offenburg in southern Germany in the family of a machinist.

While still a young girl, she decided that she would not live like her parents - because she deserves the best! Mother, a modest housewife, was never an example for Anna.

Maternal patience and constant readiness for self-sacrifice evoked a hidden protest in the girl, she instinctively felt that these qualities would only interfere with her and would not allow her to break through to the top. Like many other career-minded women, she was a "daddy's child." She rarely spoke to her mother, but her father, in her words, "loved madly", and he paid her the same strong love.

Youth

After graduating from the convent school and receiving her Abitur, Anna completed a one-year course at a commercial school and went to work as a cashier at the city's power plant. One of her duties was to accept payments for electricity from local entrepreneurs. Thanks to this circumstance, a meeting took place that became fateful for her: one day she met the owner of a small printing house, Franz Burda, a young and ambitious businessman. Franz was fascinated by Anne, and on July 9, 1931, the young people got married.

Enne bore her husband three sons - Franz (in 1932), Frieder (in 1936) and Hubert (in 1940). Things were going well for her husband, and the family could afford a lot. It would seem, what more could a poor provincial girl want? However, Enne was not satisfied with the role of the wife of a wealthy entrepreneur, she wanted more - success, power, filled with life events. She firmly believed that this miracle would someday happen. More precisely, she will create it with her own hands, without outside help. And so it happened!

Carier start

In 1949, Anne Burda's dream began to come true: her husband bought and transferred under her sole management a small, decaying magazine publishing house in the nearby town of Lara. Enne Burda rolled up her sleeves and set to work: she decided to create her own fashion magazine. The first edition was located in a small hall of one of the city taverns. The room was cramped, but large enough for Enne Burda to fully develop her entrepreneurial talent in it. With a few dressmakers and just one editor at her disposal, she soon earned her first money.

Success and worldwide recognition

The idea underlying her magazine Burda Moden - to help a woman find her own unique style and sew fashionable and elegant clothes herself - hit the bull's-eye! The magazine became an immediate success. Its initial circulation was 100 thousand copies, and two years later it reached half a million. In 1950, Burda Moden was sold in all German-speaking countries - Germany, Austria and Switzerland, since 1952 - in eight more European countries in the respective languages, and since 1953 - in the USA, Canada, Argentina and Brazil. Today it is published in 16 languages ​​and sold in more than 90 countries around the world.

Anne Burda in the USSR

One of the most outstanding achievements of Anne Burda was the conclusion of an agreement with the government of the USSR in 1987 on the publication of Burda Moden in Russian. Burda Moden was the first Western magazine published in the Soviet Union and a prime example of the democratic changes taking place in the country. The then Foreign Minister of Germany, Hans-Dietrich Genscher, told Anne Burda: "You have done more than the three German ambassadors before you."

The first issue of Burda Moden in Russian

“You can do a miracle with your own hands,” Enne Burda often repeated. Starting her career as an entrepreneur at the age of 40, she always went her own way and made key decisions herself. Independent, purposeful and fearless, Enne Burda has achieved fantastic success. Evidence of this is the modern media empire Burda, at the origins of which she stood.
You can learn about how Burda magazine is created today from the German magazine Burda Dagmar Bili and from.
Text: Marianna Makarova, photo: Burda archive

18.12.2010 22:28

Many of today's thriving companies with a long history once began their activities with a small family contract. So it was with the famous German magazine Burda, whose founding date is considered to be 1908.

The young man Franz Burda began his printing career in 1898. At the age of 25, he got a job at Otto Pröttel's company, and four years later he became its owner. After working for several years in this organization, the German decided to organize his own business, not yet knowing that it would bring him overwhelming success.

his own enterprise in 1908 in the city of Offenburg and, following the example of many European entrepreneurs, named it after himself. Since 1929, the son of Franz Burda Jr. took over the reins of the printing house. By this time, the young man had already managed to study typography and get a degree from the university, which, undoubtedly, was a good help for business development.

The first editions of the printing house were the magazines S?RAG, Das Ufer, Das Haus and the soldier's newspaper Revue d "Information. The debut issue of Burda Moden, beloved by many women, was published in 1950 at the initiative of Franz's wife Anne Burda. In the same year, Burda became an honorary senator of the Technical University in Karlsruhe, which could not but affect the nature of the printed publications and the pace of development of the printing house.

As early as 1954, Burda published the first magazine in Germany illustrated with color photographs. This breakthrough provided tremendous popularity to the periodical, which was achieved by the enterprising Franz.

Another achievement of Hubert Burda was the beginning of the publication of a fashion magazine in the Soviet Union. This significant event happened in 1987. Among other things, Burda Moden becomes the first Western publication to be allowed to be distributed in a closed country. No one has achieved this before Hubert.