Henri Nannen:The star of the star

Henri Nannen was the founder and head of Stern magazine. But he was not only a publicist, he also made a name for himself as an art patron, for example with the Kunsthalle in Emden. He died in Hanover on October 13, 1996.

by Axel Franz

There are celebrities whose name is inextricably linked with their profession - with a profession. This does not apply to Henri Nannen. He was outstanding in at least two areas:as the founder, editor-in-chief and publisher of the magazine "Stern" and as an art collector and patron. Both professions have interested and fascinated him since his youth.

Childhood in East Friesland, studies in Munich

Henri Nannen was born on December 25, 1913 in Emden in East Frisia. His father Klaas is a trained locksmith, later he works as a police officer. Nannen attended the humanistic high school and then completed an apprenticeship as a bookseller. At the age of 20 he went to Munich to study art history. His journalistic career also began there at the Reichssender in Munich. When proceedings were opened against Nannen for alleged "resistance to state authority" in 1937, he had to leave the university and was no longer allowed to work as a journalist. Apparently the Emden NSDAP had reported to Munich that Nannen had a Jewish girlfriend in his homeland.

Entrance into the Wehrmacht in 1939

But the publisher Hugo Bruckmann stands up for him. As a result, the proceedings fizzled out and the penalties were lifted. Nannen gets a job with Bruckmann and writes for his magazine "Die Kunst". A short time later, his short career ended again:with the review of a Jewish author's book about Rembrandt, he finally fell out of favor with the National Socialists. In 1939 Nannen was drafted into the Wehrmacht, worked as a war correspondent, among other things, and rose to the rank of lieutenant in the reserve.

New beginning in Hanover - the "Stern" is born

After the end of the Second World War, Nannen began a career as a journalist in Hanover in 1946:first as editor of the "Hannoversche Latest News", then the FDP newspaper "Abendpost". At the same time, he designed a new magazine, the "Stern", based on the youth magazine "Zickzack". On August 1, 1948 - Nannen is now 35 years old - the paper hits newsstands for the first time - 16 pages for 40 pfennigs. The cover photo shows a portrait of Hildegard Knef with her eyes closed. The mixture of entertainment and politics resonates with the readers. "Stern" soon became the magazine with the highest circulation in Europe.

In the editor-in-chief

Nannen aspires to work as an editor and sells his shares in the young newspaper. In 1951, the publisher Gerd Bucerius acquired the majority in "Stern", which he now owned together with his partners John Jahr and Richard Gruner. The magazine's profits offset the millions in losses that Bucerius made with its weekly newspaper "Die Zeit". Henri Nannen remains the outstanding head at the magazine - as editor-in-chief. He doesn't shy away from tackling hot issues, even though he provokes that his paper is repeatedly confiscated or banned by the occupying powers.

Sensational Stories

For more than two decades, Nannen, who likes to be called "Sir Henri" internally, has successfully steered "Stern" through the rapidly changing press landscape. With spectacular cover stories such as the campaign "We have an abortion" from 1971, when almost 400 women publicly committed themselves to this step, the newspaper moved the nation several times. Nannen keeps the "Stern" politically on a left-liberal course. At the same time, he hits the zeitgeist with occasional scantily clad models on the front page.

It was not until the end of 1980 that Nannen gave up his position as editor-in-chief and was given a new, tailor-made position as publisher.

Hitler diaries:mega breakdown just before the farewell

On his 70th birthday at the end of 1983, Nannen wants to leave the "Stern" for good. This does not spare him one of the biggest media scandals in the Federal Republic:the affair of millions over the forged Hitler diaries in the spring of 1983. Although an internal investigation by the publishing house does not attribute any responsibility for the publication to Nannen, he shares the blame for the journalistic mega -Breakdown.

Nannen Prize for Outstanding Writers

In addition to his active journalistic work, Nannen also supports writing colleagues. In 1977 he donated the Egon Erwin Kisch Prize, an award for authors of outstanding reports printed in German. From 2005, the now renowned honor will be included as one of seven categories in the new Henri Nannen Prize, which "Stern" and the publishing house Gruner + Jahr are bringing to life. "Stern" editor-in-chief Thomas Osterkorn justified the naming in 2004 with "Nannen's life's work, to which the 'Stern' still feels closely connected today." In the meantime, the publisher has opened up the award, which is now known as the Nannen Prize, to journalists and reporters from all German-speaking media in several categories. The Egon Erwin Kisch Prize is still awarded as a print prize for the best text report.

Nannen also cares about young writers. In 1978 he founded the Hamburg School of Journalism together with Manfred Fischer, CEO of the Gruner + Jahr publishing house. It is now called the Henri Nannen School.

With the Emder Kunsthalle, the collector sets a monument

In 1979 Nannen turned to his second passion, art. In Hamburg he founded the "Henri Nannen Kunsthandel" and in the following years brought together an important selection of modern works. On the occasion of his 70th birthday, he is donating his collection, which focuses on German painters of the 20th century, to his hometown of Emden. As an encore, Nannen organized the construction of a museum, the Kunsthalle Emden, with a lot of his own money, which opened on October 3, 1986. Nannen is said to have justified his commitment to the museum by saying "that it's not enough to bite the dust at some point and not have done anything but an enjoyable magazine".

Honorary citizenship for Henri Nannen

The city expressed its thanks in 1989 with honorary citizenship for the founder. The award is in line with the Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, First Class and the Lower Saxony State Medal, which also went to Nannen.

Henri Nannen died of cancer on October 13, 1996 at the age of 82 in Hanover. He leaves behind a son and his third wife Eske, who manages the art gallery.