Hermann-Josef Tenhagen
Encyclopedia
Hermann-Josef Tenhagen is the Editor-in-Chief of Finanztest
, the German monthly magazine dealing with financial issues published by Stiftung Warentest
, the German consumer organisation.
Tenhagen was born in Wesel
, Germany
. After finishing school in 1982, he spent a year doing voluntary community service. He gained his first journalistic experience as a freelancer for the Rheinische Post
. From 1984 to 1986 he studied Political Science
, Economics
, Literature
and Education
at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelm University
in Bonn
. He then spent one year at a graduate college in Waco, Texas
, U.S.A. before graduating with a degree in Political Science
at the Free University of Berlin
in 1990.
From 1988 to 1990, Hermann-Josef Tenhagen worked as a freelancer; among other things he did an internship for the Associated Press
news agency and worked for local radio stations in Dortmund
and Gelsenkirchen
-Buer. From 1991 to 1994 he was an environmental journalist for the die Tageszeitung
daily newspaper in Berlin
, where he was involved in setting up the Environment and Economy Department in 1992. During a sabbatical year he then worked as spokesman for the Klimaforum 95 (the Joint Coordination and Information Centre of German Environmental Organisations) and helped organise the activities of NGOs during the first world climate summit in Berlin in 1995. After that he returned to the die Tageszeitung where he worked from 1995 to 1998, first as Head of Economy and Environment, and then for the last two years also as the Deputy Editor-in-chief. Today he is a member of the die Tageszeitung Cooperative Board. In 1998 he became the Head News Editor of the Badische Zeitung
in Freiburg im Breisgau, and in 1999 moved to his present position as Editor-in-chief of Finanztest, the largest independent consumer magazine for financial issues in Germany.
In 2008, Hermann-Josef Tenhagen was awarded second prize as "Journalist of the year" in the category "Economy" because as the jury said, "... better than almost anybody else, he was able to explain the financial market crash in an intelligent and understandable way. His calm and credible analyses, which made him one of the most popular financial experts in the autumn of 2008, played an important role in helping to avoid a banking panic."
Finanztest
Finanztest is a consumer magazine which focuses on providing objective information about financial services. Together with test it is one of the two main publications of Stiftung Warentest, the German foundation and consumer organisation.-General background:Finanztest was first published in 1991...
, the German monthly magazine dealing with financial issues published by Stiftung Warentest
Stiftung Warentest
Stiftung Warentest is a German consumer organisation and foundation involved in investigating and comparing goods and services in an unbiased way. It was founded on 4th. December 1964 by the Federal Republic of Germany as an independent foundation under civil law. It is based in Berlin.- Aims and...
, the German consumer organisation.
Tenhagen was born in Wesel
Wesel
Wesel is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is the capital of the Wesel district.-Division of the town:Suburbs of Wesel include Lackhausen, Obrighoven, Ginderich, Feldmark,Fusternberg, Büderich, Flüren and Blumenkamp.-History:...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. After finishing school in 1982, he spent a year doing voluntary community service. He gained his first journalistic experience as a freelancer for the Rheinische Post
Rheinische Post
The Rheinische Post is a major German regional daily newspaper, published since 1946 by the Rheinische Post Verlagsgesellschaft mbH company....
. From 1984 to 1986 he studied Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
, Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, Literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
and Education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelm University
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
. He then spent one year at a graduate college in Waco, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, U.S.A. before graduating with a degree in Political Science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
at the Free University of Berlin
Free University of Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
in 1990.
From 1988 to 1990, Hermann-Josef Tenhagen worked as a freelancer; among other things he did an internship for the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
news agency and worked for local radio stations in Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
and Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen
Gelsenkirchen is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the northern part of the Ruhr area. Its population in 2006 was c. 267,000....
-Buer. From 1991 to 1994 he was an environmental journalist for the die Tageszeitung
Die tageszeitung
die tageszeitung , was founded in 1978 in Berlin. It is a cooperative-owned German daily newspaper which is administrated by a workers' self-management...
daily newspaper in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, where he was involved in setting up the Environment and Economy Department in 1992. During a sabbatical year he then worked as spokesman for the Klimaforum 95 (the Joint Coordination and Information Centre of German Environmental Organisations) and helped organise the activities of NGOs during the first world climate summit in Berlin in 1995. After that he returned to the die Tageszeitung where he worked from 1995 to 1998, first as Head of Economy and Environment, and then for the last two years also as the Deputy Editor-in-chief. Today he is a member of the die Tageszeitung Cooperative Board. In 1998 he became the Head News Editor of the Badische Zeitung
Badische Zeitung
Badische Zeitung is a German newspaper based in Freiburg, covering the Black Forest region. It has a circulation of 151,000 and about 440,000 readers....
in Freiburg im Breisgau, and in 1999 moved to his present position as Editor-in-chief of Finanztest, the largest independent consumer magazine for financial issues in Germany.
In 2008, Hermann-Josef Tenhagen was awarded second prize as "Journalist of the year" in the category "Economy" because as the jury said, "... better than almost anybody else, he was able to explain the financial market crash in an intelligent and understandable way. His calm and credible analyses, which made him one of the most popular financial experts in the autumn of 2008, played an important role in helping to avoid a banking panic."
Publications
- Agrarbündnis (publisher): Landwirtschaft 98 – Der kritische Agrarbericht
- Blum, Mechthild / Nesseler, Thomas (Editors): Epochenende - Zeitenwende, 1999.
- Stiftung Warentest (publisher): Sicher anlegen in der Krise, December 2008.
- Wer schlunzt, macht PR in: netzwerk recherche Werkstatt, Band 5, Kritischer Wirtschaftsjournalismus, Wiesbaden, May 2007