Wiener Zeitung facts for kids
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The Wiener Zeitung Extra of 21 May 1799 reporting on battles between Austrian and French troops in Switzerland
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| Type | Daily newspaper |
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| Format | Broadsheet |
| Owner(s) | Government of Austria, represented by the Chancellor |
| Founded | 1703 |
| Ceased publication | 30 June 2023 (print) |
| Headquarters | Vienna |
Wiener Zeitung was a newspaper from Austria. It was one of the oldest newspapers in the world. For a long time, it was the official place where the Austrian government published important announcements and new laws.
By 2002, Wiener Zeitung was seen as one of Austria's most important newspapers. It stopped printing daily editions on June 30, 2023. The newspaper plans to continue online and print a special edition once a month.
History of the Wiener Zeitung
The newspaper started in 1703. Its first name was Wiennerisches Diarium. It was seen as the official voice of the Imperial Court. This was because the Court gave it information directly.
The paper came out twice a week. It usually had about eight pages. During wars, it published extra reports. These reports were mostly about Austria and its allies. They also covered their enemies, like Prussia. The newspaper used diaries and reports from the Austrian army. It shared news about officer promotions and troop movements. About 15% of its reports were about battles.
Like many newspapers back then, Wiennerisches Diarium shared news from its region and from around the world. It also printed announcements about births, weddings, and deaths of important people. It covered news from the imperial court too.
In 1780, the newspaper changed its name to Wiener Zeitung. This means Viennese Newspaper in English. In 1810, it became the official government newspaper. The government bought the paper in 1857. It was printed by the Austrian State Printing Office until 1997.
The first edition after World War II came out on September 21, 1945. The number of copies sold grew a lot. It went from 4,500 copies in 1855 to about 24,000 copies today. In 1998, the paper became a special company. This company is owned by the Austrian Government.
The Wiener Zeitung was also the official place for the Austrian government to make formal announcements. For example, it listed job openings for government workers. It also announced changes in the business records. Until 2004, it also printed the official versions of new Austrian laws. Now, new laws are published online instead of in print.
Until 2009, Andreas Unterberger was the main editor of Wiener Zeitung. Then, Reinhard Göweil took over. Under Göweil, the paper went back to its more liberal views.
On April 27, 2023, Wiener Zeitung announced it would stop printing daily. It will now print at least 10 times a year. This depends on how much money is available. The newspaper also plans to create a media center. This center will help create content and train new journalists.
At that time, the paper printed 20,000 copies on weekdays. It printed about twice as many on weekends. Almost half of the newspaper's more than 200 employees might lose their jobs. This includes 40 journalists. Many people protested in Vienna after this announcement.
On June 30, 2023, the Wiener Zeitung stopped its daily printing. This was after 320 years. It plans to continue online with a monthly print edition. It will have a team of 20 employees.
See also
- List of newspapers in Austria
