Polen-Rundschau
Encyclopedia
polen-rundschau is the first and only German language
newspaper
published countrywide in Poland
since the Second World War. It has been published from the Polish capital Warsaw
monthly since April 2004. It is printed in colour on twelve to 16 pages, in tabloid format. The paper is not under the influence of any organisation, like political parties
and associations. That and its countrywide circulation set it apart from other German language newspapers in Poland, which tend to be owned and published by the parties and associations of the German minority in Poland
. It is financed exclusively through advertising
and subscription fees.
The paper's target group are mainly Germans living in Poland and Poles who take an interest in Germany and the German language and culture. As a service to the German readers there are regular lessons about Poland and Polish culture. The topical range includes everything from politics
, latest news, economy
and business
to culture
, current affairs, sports and an events calendar as well as many service sections destined to provide assistance to newly arrived Germans in getting acquainted with the country. The paper puts a special focus on the background of German-Polish relations. Depending on the flow of events, the papers' webpage offers additional daily or weekly news. Upon publication of the current issue, the headline (usually consisting of the leading article), can be found on the web. The editor-in-chief, Mirko Kaupat and freelance business journalist Sebastian Becker regularly contribute content. Apart from that, most articles are written by different freelancers, among others, members of the "n-ost" research network, an association of journalists who predominantly reside in Eastern Europe. Berlin-based layout
er Emese Szénás is responsible for the visual appearance of polen-rundschau. Starting summer 2006, the paper has a permanent correspondent in Germany
, in the person of Heiko Lossie. Notable guest authors include Thomas Urban, Eastern European correspondent of Süddeutsche Zeitung
.
Both German and Polish media have repeatedly quoted from the exclusive interviews appearing in the monthly, with public figures such as Erika Steinbach
, Władysław Bartoszewski, Gesine Schwan
and Rudi Pawelka.
In April 2006 polen-rundschau gained widespread attention when it auctioned itself off on eBay
. An undisclosed bidder from Germany acquired the paper. It is however still based in Warsaw. The March 2008 issue was the last printed one. Since then, polen-rundschau has been published exclusively in electronic form. The paper characterised this change as not simply a financial necessity, but a move carrying the additional advantage of ensuring swift delivery of the current issue to subscribers, who had often complained that it took the issue two weeks, counting from publication, to reach them by mail. Due to the reduced costs of this procedure, the annual subscription fee was lowered to € 10.
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
published countrywide in Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
since the Second World War. It has been published from the Polish capital Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
monthly since April 2004. It is printed in colour on twelve to 16 pages, in tabloid format. The paper is not under the influence of any organisation, like political parties
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
and associations. That and its countrywide circulation set it apart from other German language newspapers in Poland, which tend to be owned and published by the parties and associations of the German minority in Poland
German minority in Poland
The registered German minority in Poland consists of 152,900 people, according to a 2002 census.The German language is used in certain areas in Opole Voivodeship , where most of the minority resides...
. It is financed exclusively through advertising
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
and subscription fees.
The paper's target group are mainly Germans living in Poland and Poles who take an interest in Germany and the German language and culture. As a service to the German readers there are regular lessons about Poland and Polish culture. The topical range includes everything from politics
Politics
Politics is a process by which groups of people make collective decisions. The term is generally applied to the art or science of running governmental or state affairs, including behavior within civil governments, but also applies to institutions, fields, and special interest groups such as the...
, latest news, economy
Economy
An economy consists of the economic system of a country or other area; the labor, capital and land resources; and the manufacturing, trade, distribution, and consumption of goods and services of that area...
and business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
to culture
Culture
Culture is a term that has many different inter-related meanings. For example, in 1952, Alfred Kroeber and Clyde Kluckhohn compiled a list of 164 definitions of "culture" in Culture: A Critical Review of Concepts and Definitions...
, current affairs, sports and an events calendar as well as many service sections destined to provide assistance to newly arrived Germans in getting acquainted with the country. The paper puts a special focus on the background of German-Polish relations. Depending on the flow of events, the papers' webpage offers additional daily or weekly news. Upon publication of the current issue, the headline (usually consisting of the leading article), can be found on the web. The editor-in-chief, Mirko Kaupat and freelance business journalist Sebastian Becker regularly contribute content. Apart from that, most articles are written by different freelancers, among others, members of the "n-ost" research network, an association of journalists who predominantly reside in Eastern Europe. Berlin-based layout
Page layout
Page layout is the part of graphic design that deals in the arrangement and style treatment of elements on a page.- History and development :...
er Emese Szénás is responsible for the visual appearance of polen-rundschau. Starting summer 2006, the paper has a permanent correspondent in 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...
, in the person of Heiko Lossie. Notable guest authors include Thomas Urban, Eastern European correspondent of Süddeutsche Zeitung
Süddeutsche Zeitung
The Süddeutsche Zeitung , published in Munich, is the largest German national subscription daily newspaper.-Profile:The title literally translates as "South German Newspaper". It is read throughout Germany by 1.1 million readers daily and boasts a relatively high circulation abroad...
.
Both German and Polish media have repeatedly quoted from the exclusive interviews appearing in the monthly, with public figures such as Erika Steinbach
Erika Steinbach
' is a German conservative politician and president of the Federation of Expellees. She has been representing the Christian Democratic Union and the state of Hesse as a member of the Parliament of Germany, the Bundestag, since 1990...
, Władysław Bartoszewski, Gesine Schwan
Gesine Schwan
Gesine Schwan is a German political science professor and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany. The party has nominated her twice as a candidate for the federal presidential elections. On 23 May 2004, she was defeated by the Christian Democrat and former president Horst Köhler...
and Rudi Pawelka.
In April 2006 polen-rundschau gained widespread attention when it auctioned itself off on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
. An undisclosed bidder from Germany acquired the paper. It is however still based in Warsaw. The March 2008 issue was the last printed one. Since then, polen-rundschau has been published exclusively in electronic form. The paper characterised this change as not simply a financial necessity, but a move carrying the additional advantage of ensuring swift delivery of the current issue to subscribers, who had often complained that it took the issue two weeks, counting from publication, to reach them by mail. Due to the reduced costs of this procedure, the annual subscription fee was lowered to € 10.
- Editor-in-chief: Mirko Kaupat
- publisher: New Press Polska