Die Gartenlaube
Die Gartenlaube – Illustrirtes Familienblatt [sic] (German: [diː ˈɡaʁtn̩ˌlaʊbə]; lit. 'The Garden Arbor – Illustrated Family Journal') was the first successful mass-circulation German newspaper and a forerunner of all modern magazines. It was founded by publisher Ernst Keil and editor Ferdinand Stolle in Leipzig, Kingdom of Saxony in 1853. Their objective was to reach and enlighten the whole family, especially in the German middle classes, with a mixture of current events, essays on the natural sciences, biographical sketches, short stories, poetry, and full-page illustrations.
| Editor | Editors-in-Chief
Ferdinand Stolle (1853–1862) Ernst Keil (1862–1878) Ernst Ziel (1878–1883) Friedrich Hofmann (1883–1886) Adolf Kröner (1886–1903) |
|---|---|
| Categories | Weekly journal |
| Format | Quarto (242mm x 305mm) |
| Publisher | Publishers
Ernst Keil (1853–1878) Adolf Kröner (1884–1903) Alfred Kröner (1886–1903) August Scherl (1904–1916) Alfred Hugenberg (1916–1938) Max Amann (1938–1944) |
| Paid circulation | 382,000 |
| Total circulation (1878) | min est. 2,000,000 max est. 5,000,000 |
| Founder | Ernst Keil |
| Founded | 1853 |
| Final issue | 1944 |
| Company | Keil-Verlag (1853–1884) Kröner-Verlag (1884–1904) Scherl-Verlag (1904–1938) Eher-Verlag (1938–1944) |
| Country | Germany |
| Based in | Leipzig (1853–1937) Berlin (1938–1944) |
| Language | German |
At the height of its popularity Die Gartenlaube was widely read across the German speaking world. It could be found in all German states, the German colonies in Africa and among the significant German-speaking minorities of Latin America, such as Brazil. Austrian composer Johann Strauss II even published a waltz dedicated to its readers, with the English title "Gartenlaube Waltz", in 1895.
During its 91-year history the journal changed owners several times. By the turn of the century it had become more focused on entertainment, and in the buildup to World War I it came under the control of right-wing nationalists with Alfred Hugenberg since 1916. These changes corresponded to a decline in its readership. It was finally purchased outright by the Nazi publishing house Eher Verlag in 1938, who renamed it Die neue Gartenlaube, and ceased publication in 1944. Despite this, today Die Gartenlaube remains important for comprehensive historical analysis in many fields and is regarded as an essential source for the understanding of German cultural history.