Die Dame was wildly popular in 1920s Germany.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The German art collector and publisher Christian Boros announced on Facebook that he is reviving the classic 1920s publication Die Dame (The Lady), which ran between 1912 and 1943.
Mixing fashion, literature, art, architecture, and society stories, Die Dame was an iconic German-language magazine that captured the spirit of the avant-garde. Its heyday, however, was during the Roaring Twenties, when it was among the earliest to reflect the changes in society and feature independent and career-oriented women. In fact, it was the first publication of its kind to address the interests and issues faced by the modern woman.
Now, some 73 years since the last issue came out, the magazine is hitting the shelves once again. According to a press release issued by Axel Springer—one of the largest publishing houses in Europe, which partnered with Boros on this—the upcoming revival aims to connect the spirit of the historical European avant-garde with today’s “urban bohemian class.”
An image that the collector posted on his Facebook page to announce the new publication might provide some clues as to what could be meant by “urban bohemians.”
“I’m delighted to revive this magazine as publisher,” Boros announced on Facebook.
Photo: Christian Boros via Facebook
Interestingly, while other established print magazines see a decline in sales, Boros is advocating for a haptic reading experience. “Especially in the digital age, there is a large desire for the tangible,” Boros said in a statement. “That’s why the time is right for this analog edition. Die Dame will be a printed salon of elegance and intelligence combining the spirit and extravagance of Berlin in the 1920s, with the attitude, culture, and style of today,” he explained.
It is the latest cultural publication Boros adds to his growing list of endeavors, which already includes the Distanz Verlag, an art book publishing house, which the collector runs with fellow culture publisher Uta Grosenick.
Berlin based collector and publisher Christian Boros and his wife Karen.
Photo: JOHN MACDOUGALL/AFP/GettyImages
The first issue will hit the shelves in the fall, with a print run of ca. 60,000 issues and seasoned journalist Lena Bergmann as editor in chief. Bergmann has previously worked with other Axel Springer publications including the political magazine Cicero and Architectural Digest.
Contrary to the global trend towards digital publishing, Axel Springer continues to launch new arts and culture print publications. Last May, the publishing giant also founded BLAU, an art magazine that comes out nine times a year.