Fashion from burda fashion magazine. Enne burda and the history of her journal. The BURDA brand and its history

30.05.2020

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.

A family
Anna Magdalene Lemminger 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 experiencing better times, went to Anne 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, in the Column Hall of the House of the Unions solemn event with a fashion show. 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 loved 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 honor
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.

As a world celebrity, Anne 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 businesswoman, happy mother and beloved wife, is known for her well-aimed aphorisms and succinct 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 Media, specializing 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 not available for purchase. 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.

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 for 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 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, in the GDR, but a certain amount of copies went to Germany 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 many fairy tales in the magazine, funny stories, funny contests and drawings...

- 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?

- Of course! 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 in 1950.
Brand name history.
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. To the company "Subsidiary with 100% foreign investment"Burda-Ukraine" (as it is legally called in Ukraine) 104 registered trade marks. 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, “Lisa. 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 on 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

To the 30th Anniversary of Burda in Russia
Renowned designer Yulia Dalakyan offers a modern interpretation of an evening blouse from 1987
Turn on color!
Pink, red, orange and K° will help dispel the winter blues
combi ideas
For every occasion: puff sleeve blouse
To distant lands
In the footsteps of brave gauchos: a colorful collection with ethnic motifs for those who are not alien to the spirit of adventure!
Vintage
An elegant dress from the 50s is back with us!
Time for yourself
When you want to do yoga or just relax, loose jersey models will come in handy.
Creative
Sports bag with mat attachment
Master Class
Tricolor jacket with geometric inserts
Helpful Hints
Belly protrudes: how to adjust the pattern
fashion plus
Feminine styles of the 40s plus details of the naval uniform - it's impossible to resist! Sizes 44-52
Children
What is a carnival? This is a lot of fun, wonderful costumes and fabulous transformations! Sizes 104-128

News and novelties

Get ready for fashion discoveries!
From threads and scissors to supercars - everything to sew like real couturiers!

Travel

Magical land invented by Walt Disney

the beauty

Lipsticks and lip glosses in the warmest shades of red
Coffeemania: new "goodies" in manicure
Life-giving moisture: why facial skin needs tonics?
beauty-news

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 cheated on 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 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. main goal Anne 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 DIY Christmas decorations, toys and dolls. 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".

"If there was no Burda
In cities and villages,
We would never know
Patterns ready."
lora, our forum

The well-aimed words of the epigraph contain all the love of Russian sewing lovers for Burda magazine. If Enne Burda had heard them, she would certainly have smiled with satisfaction. Her magazine not only took an empty niche in the market, it took a big place in the hearts of its readers. And this is not possible for all women's magazines!

Recently, an interesting one came out at the Burda publishing house, with an excerpt from which we want to introduce you to this publication. The 400-page book reveals to us the world of Anne Burda, a post-war German housewife who started her own business at the age of 40 and achieved worldwide fame.

The book "Enne Burda: Burda is fashionable - it's me!" by Ute Damen.

She didn't know how to sew, she didn't know anything about publishing. But she had an inner sense of elegance, a lot of energy and a husband whose betrayal just launched the flywheel of a new story. Stories of Anne Burda, an outstanding entrepreneur of the 20th century. How can one not recall the well-known Russian proverb "There would be no happiness, but misfortune helped."? And so, miraculously, the personal tragedy of a woman was transformed into a magnificent magazine that still inspires us and is the highest example of a pattern magazine.

Read about how Burda magazine was born back in 1950 in the following excerpt from the book. "Enne Burda: Burda is fashionable - it's me!", which we publish with the permission of the Burda publishing house.

PS. Anne Burda died in 2005. July 28, 2009 she would have turned 100 years old. In honor of the anniversary, we published a note in which you will find a lot interesting photos from the history of this unique woman.

Pieces of plaster were falling off the dirty façade of the Wirtschaft zum Badle. This two-story house in Lara was gray, like all of post-war Germany. In the great hall where they once settled theatrical performances and dancing evenings, there was a cylindrical iron stove, next to it lay a pile of coal with a shovel stuck in it. The walls were blackened with soot. The windows were so high that one could only see a glimpse of the sky and the tops of the firs through them. A narrow, steep staircase led to the second floor, where there were two small rooms, in the same rooms Cinderella must have once lived.

In the hall, which still smelled of sour beer, it was supposed to house the publishing house, but so far there was only a table and a chair. Everywhere there was desolation. But Anne Bourdu, an aesthete who always furnished her houses with great taste and expensively, this time cared little for the squalor of the premises: after all, if you do your job in good conscience, the glass slipper will certainly find its mistress.

At the direction of Enne, on a white, shabby facade, they brought out with black paint: "A. Burda fashion publishing house".“I was confident in my abilities and stubborn in achieving my goals. You don’t need to be emancipated for this,” Anne Burda recalled the beginning of her publishing career. “Besides, I was very good-looking and knew how to win people over.”

In October 1949, Anne Burda took over the household that Effi Breuer left behind: more than modest furniture, a small staff of employees and a huge debt for printing services - 200,000 marks. Enne had no idea about the work of the publisher. Yes, from time to time she took it upon herself to edit the women's page in SURAG for her husband, but her experience was limited to this.

How is a magazine made? Working like Breuer is absolutely unacceptable for her. She will show what she can do. Everyone. And first of all, my husband. He got a mistress who bore him a child, and also gave her a publishing house! But all right, the first point of the program has been completed, Breuer has been eliminated, the publishing house belongs to her. “If my husband loved me, as I loved him at the beginning of our life together, I would never have created Burda Moden,” Anne Burda later said. “I would have had enough happiness in family life.” Now she was overcome with vanity. "Family didn't interest me anymore" she recalled.

When exactly did Anna find out that husband has a mistress, is not exactly known. The betrayal hurt her heart. She believed that husband and wife should be inextricably linked "in sorrow and in joy" and belong only to each other. She believed in this, because she was brought up that way, and she always treated the rumors spread by evil tongues as a manifestation of envy. And she loved Franz, believing that he also loves his "savage". The world collapsed for her in an instant, and she could not even count on someone's support.

Early in the morning, she got into her brand new Volkswagen Karmann convertible and raced to Lahr, 25 kilometers from Offenburg. She left work last, at 10-11 pm. Anne sat at her desk and thought. She saw women dressed in practical but ugly post-war dresses, already turned twice. How can you feel like a woman in this dress? But there were few ready-made clothes on sale, and the prices for them were exorbitant. But the fabrics are quite affordable: the store owners hid them before the monetary reform, now they have reappeared on the shelves. Slowly the industry revived.

The rhythm of her work was set by Ludwig Erhard, director economic management Anglo-American occupation zone, future Minister of Economics and Chancellor of Germany. He achieved the abolition of central planning, which gave freedom to industry. The financial reform he carried out allowed him to hope for the stability of the new currency - the German mark. In May 1949, the constitution of the Federal Republic was adopted. On August 14, the Bundestag met for its first meeting in the provisional capital, Bonn. Christian Democrat Konrad Adenauer became chancellor, chairman of the Free Democratic Party Theodor Heuss - president of the Bundestag. East Germany has elected its president, Wilhelm Pieck. The newspapers wrote extensively about the blockade of West Berlin and the American airlift for the enclave. All this stirred the minds. But Berlin is too far from Offenburg.

Here, as throughout Germany, there were still refugees and exiles, there was not enough work and decent housing. But people wanted to forget the recent past, like a bad dream. The opportunity to start all over again was intoxicating, like the aroma of newly appeared natural coffee. It seemed that if there is strength, will, energy and the desire to create, beautiful dreams can become a reality. New style new look, invented by the Parisian couturier Christian Dior, became an expression of these hopes, glossy magazines those years were filled with photographs of extravagant women. Wide skirts with a narrow waist instead of dressing gowns and headscarves, silk stockings instead of woolen socks - the Germans again wanted to be beautiful, feminine. And the pragmatic Anne understood how to help them.

Patterns solved the problem."I myself knew nothing about sewing, but I knew that only a dressmaker could make patterns"- recalled Anne Burda. She invited Lilo Durschnabel, a smart young dressmaker from Offenburg who knew her business very well. Lilo, by the way, remained faithful to the publishing house until her retirement. Günther Krieger came from the Stuttgart Art Academy. Enne appointed him to the position of graphic artist and always spoke of him commendably: "He made amazing patterns, even invented a special wheel for transferring patterns to fabric, which we then patented."

From competitors in Nuremberg, Enne lured an experienced editor who, in turn, brought two young women, specialists in textiles, to the publishing house. Finally, Enne "stole" from her husband the excellent graphic artist Oswald Moser, who had worked for Franz Burda since 1942. "One after another, smart people came and brought ideas with them"- recalled Anne Burda. Her secretary Louise Weiss provided invaluable help at first, she worked for Anne for the next twenty years until she retired.

The first issue of the magazine was published in January 1950. Anne wanted to call him Favorit. The issue was already in print when a Viennese publishing house suddenly claimed the title. It was necessary to make an urgent decision. Changing the name from Breuer Moden to Anna Moden did not suit Anna: "It was associated with a bored housewife". In the end, she opted for the option Burda Moden. Her intuition did not fail her.

Who then could have imagined that it was this name that would glorify the name Burda all over the world? That her magazine would be read by women in a hundred countries in twenty languages? That even today, in the era of H&M and Zara, there is probably not a person on Earth whose mother, grandmother, aunt or cousin would not have at least one thing sewn according to a pattern from Burda Moden? That in distant Moscow, taxi drivers will willingly take not money, but the Burda Moden magazine? Yes, Franz could say: "If you called your magazine Lemminger Moden, it wouldn't be as successful", but in the depths of his soul he probably admitted that his name became known to the whole world precisely thanks to Enna.

"When reporters from Bunte, one of the leading publications of the Burda Media group, gave their Business Cards in South America, USA, Australia or Asia, they often heard: "Ah, Burda Moden!"", - recalled Imre Kustrich, who worked for many years as the chief editor of various publications of Franz Burda. "The fashion empire was created by Enne. What Dr. Burda did is wonderful, but without Enne all this would not have happened"- pays tribute to a friend Karl Lagerfeld.

So, Enne excitedly held in her hands the first issue of the Burda Moden magazine, which was published in a circulation of 100,000 copies. “Clothes, linen, needlework,” read the subtitle. All models of the issue were accompanied by patterns that were placed on two sheets attached to the magazine. at retail, an issue of the magazine cost 1.40 marks, by subscription a little cheaper - 1.20. The cover was decorated with a photograph of Renata, a student of philology, the daughter of a surgeon from Offenburg Paul Schaeffer - her parents were friends with the Burda family and often spent time with them. 21 years old, she looked extremely pretty in a blue-and-green double-breasted jacket with patch pockets and a pointed collar, red gloves and a lipstick-matching neckerchief.

"Anne was not at the forefront of fashion, she was a woman of her time, and this time was very difficult Karl Lagerfeld said. Women in Germany rejected openly petty-bourgeois values and behaviors imposed on them by the ideologues of the Third Reich, and sought to catch up during the years of war and devastation. - Thanks to Enna, the middle and lower middle class gained self-confidence and got acquainted with fashion, which they did not know before".

The first success strengthened Enne's self-confidence as well. She was 40 years old. Having survived two world wars, having married, she gave birth to three sons, fulfilled her duty. And now she wanted to live her own way. She was still attractive, the little wrinkles around her shining eyes only adding to her charm. She kept her figure, had taste and was quite well off, so that she could afford to dress very well. But then, as she herself later admitted, she was by no means an inveterate fashionista. "I became interested in fashion when I started publishing a magazine, - Anne Burda said in an interview with Kultur-Spiegel magazine in 1999. - Before that, I was interested in beautiful dresses, but not fashion. After all, following fashion means changing your wardrobe four times a year..

When starting work on a new issue, Anne gathered dressmakers, directors and editors in a room where there were hangers with the latest models from Berlin, Zurich, Florence and Paris. She tried on these outfits one by one, like a fashion model: "So ladies, this is the Burda Moden style!"

"She always looked gorgeous. But at first I heard her and only then saw her", - recalled the artist Oswald Moser. The appearance of the hostess was preceded by an energetic clatter of heels and the legendary angry tirades against negligent employees. Franz seconded Moser to Lahr at the insistence of Enne, admonishingly, he warned: "You will go to Lahr to my wife. Keep in mind, there are a lot of women there, and where there are a lot of women, there are many problems.". And Moser, who drew maps of North Africa for Rommel, who was in French captivity until 1948 and participated in the Revue d "Information, now had to switch to a fashion magazine. “I did the work on time, sometimes staying up until one in the morning,” he recalled. “However, she was no less demanding of herself than of the others”. ...

Read about how Burda magazine was born back in 1950 in the following excerpt from the book "Enne Burda: Burda is fashionable - it's me!", which we publish with the permission of Burda Publishing House.

Pieces of plaster were falling off the dirty façade of the Wirtschaft zum Badle. This two-story house in Lara was gray, like all of post-war Germany. In the great hall, where theatrical performances and dance evenings were once held, there was a cylindrical iron stove, next to it lay a pile of coal with a shovel stuck in it. The walls were blackened with soot. The windows were so high that one could only see a glimpse of the sky and the tops of the firs through them. A narrow, steep staircase led to the second floor, where there were two small rooms, in the same rooms Cinderella must have once lived.

At the direction of Enne, on a white shabby facade, they brought out in black paint: "A. Burda Fashion Publishing House". “I was confident in my abilities and stubborn in achieving my goals. You don’t need to be emancipated for this,” Anne Burda recalled the beginning of her publishing career. “Besides, I was very good-looking and knew how to win people over.”

In October 1949, Anne Burda took over the household that Effi Breuer left behind: more than modest furniture, a small staff of employees and a huge debt for printing services - 200,000 marks. Admittedly, Anne had no idea about the work of the publisher Yes, from time to time she took it upon herself to edit the women's page in SURAG for her husband, but her experience was limited to this.

How is a magazine made? Working like Breuer is absolutely unacceptable for her. She will show what she can do. Everyone. And first of all, my husband. He got a mistress who bore him a child, and also gave her a publishing house! But all right, the first point of the program has been completed, Breuer has been eliminated, the publishing house belongs to her. “If my husband loved me, as I loved him at the beginning of our life together, I would never have created Burda Moden,” Anne Burda later said. “I would have had enough happiness in family life.” Now she was overcome with vanity. “I was no longer interested in my family,” she recalled.

When exactly Anna found out that her husband had a mistress, it is not known exactly. The betrayal hurt her heart. She believed that husband and wife should be inextricably linked "in sorrow and in joy" and belong only to each other. She believed in this, because she was brought up that way, and she always treated the rumors spread by evil tongues as a manifestation of envy. And she loved Franz, believing that he also loves his "savage". The world collapsed for her in an instant, and she could not even count on someone's support.

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The rhythm of her work was set by Ludwig Erhard, director of the Economic Administration of the Anglo-American Occupation Zone, the future Minister of Economics and Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany. He achieved the abolition of central planning, which gave freedom to industry. The financial reform he carried out allowed him to hope for the stability of the new currency - the German mark. In May 1949, the constitution of the Federal Republic was adopted. On August 14, the Bundestag met for its first meeting in the provisional capital, Bonn. Christian Democrat Konrad Adenauer became chancellor, chairman of the Free Democratic Party Theodor Heuss - president of the Bundestag. East Germany has elected its president, Wilhelm Pieck. The newspapers wrote extensively about the blockade of West Berlin and the American airlift for the enclave. All this stirred the minds. But Berlin is too far from Offenburg.

Here, as throughout Germany, there were still refugees and exiles, there was not enough work and decent housing. But people wanted to forget the recent past, like a bad dream. The opportunity to start all over again was intoxicating, like the aroma of newly appeared natural coffee. It seemed that if there is strength, will, energy and the desire to create, beautiful dreams can become a reality. The new style New Look, invented by the Parisian couturier Christian Dior, became an expression of these hopes, the glossy magazines of those years were filled with photographs of extravagant women. Wide skirts with a narrow waist instead of dressing gowns and headscarves, silk stockings instead of woolen socks - the Germans again wanted to be beautiful, feminine. And the pragmatic Anne understood how to help them.

Patterns solved the problem. “I myself did not know anything about sewing, but I knew that only a dressmaker was able to make patterns,” Anne Burda recalled. She invited Lilo Durschnabel, a smart young dressmaker from Offenburg who knew her business very well. Lilo, by the way, remained faithful to the publishing house until her retirement. Günther Krieger came from the Stuttgart Art Academy. Enne appointed him to the position of graphic artist and always spoke commendably of him: "He made amazing patterns, even invented a special wheel for transferring patterns to fabric, which we later patented."

From competitors in Nuremberg, Enne lured an experienced editor who, in turn, brought two young women, specialists in textiles, to the publishing house. Finally, Enne "stole" from her husband the excellent graphic artist Oswald Moser, who had worked for Franz Burda since 1942. “One after another, smart people came and brought ideas with them,” Anne Burda recalled. Her secretary Louise Weiss provided invaluable help at first, she worked for Anne for the next twenty years until she retired.

The first issue of the magazine was published in January 1950. Anne wanted to call him Favorit. The issue was already in print when a Viennese publishing house suddenly claimed the title. It was necessary to make an urgent decision. Changing the name from Breuer Moden to Anna Moden did not suit Anna: "It evoked an association with a bored housewife." In the end, she opted for Burda Moden. Her intuition did not fail her.

Who then could have imagined that it was this name that would glorify the name Burda all over the world? That her magazine would be read by women in a hundred countries in twenty languages? That even today, in the era of H&M and Zara, there is probably not a person on Earth whose mother, grandmother, aunt or cousin would not have at least one thing sewn according to a pattern from Burda Moden? That in distant Moscow, taxi drivers will willingly take not money, but the Burda Moden magazine? Yes, Franz could say: "If you called your magazine Lemminger Moden, it would not have been such a success," but in the depths of his soul he probably recognized that his name became known to the whole world precisely thanks to Enne.

“When reporters from Bunte, one of the leading publications of the Burda Media group, gave away their business cards in South America, the USA, Australia or Asia, they often heard: “Ah, Burda Moden!”, Recalled Imre Kustrich, who worked for many years as editor-in-chief various editions of Franz Burda. "The fashion empire was created by Enne. What Dr. Burda did is wonderful, but without Enne all this would not have happened," Karl Lagerfeld pays tribute to his friend.

“Enne was not at the forefront of fashion, she was a woman of her time, and this time was very difficult,” said Karl Lagerfeld. Women in Germany rejected openly petty-bourgeois values and behaviors imposed on them by the ideologues of the Third Reich, and sought to catch up during the war years "Thanks to Enna, middle and lower middle class women gained self-confidence and got acquainted with fashion, which they did not know before."

The first success strengthened Enne's self-confidence as well. She was 40 years old. Having survived two world wars, having married, she gave birth to three sons, fulfilled her duty. And now she wanted to live her own way. She was still attractive, the little wrinkles around her shining eyes only adding to her charm. She kept her figure, had taste and was quite well off, so that she could afford to dress very well. But then, as she herself later admitted, she was by no means an inveterate fashionista. “I became interested in fashion when I started publishing a magazine,” Anne Burda said in an interview with Kultur-Spiegel magazine in 1999. “Before that, I was interested in beautiful dresses, but not fashion. After all, following fashion means changing your wardrobe four times a year.”

“She always looked gorgeous. But at first I heard her and only then saw her,” recalled the artist Oswald Moser. The appearance of the hostess was preceded by an energetic clatter of heels and the legendary angry tirades against negligent employees. Franz seconded Moser to Lahr at Enne's insistence, advising: "You will go to Lahr, to my wife. Keep in mind, there are a lot of women, and where there are a lot of women, there are many problems." And Moser, who drew maps of North Africa for Rommel, who was in French captivity until 1948 and participated in the Revue d "Information, now had to switch to a fashion magazine. "I did the work on time, sometimes staying up until one in the morning," he recalled . However, she was no less demanding of herself than of others.