About Augsburg Journal

Augsburg Journal

Augsburg Journal is a Swabian society, politics and business magazine published in Augsburg, Bavaria, with a digital edition at augsburg-journal.de. Founded more than 50 years ago by Kurt Schilffarth as a family publishing venture, it has grown into what its publisher calls Swabia's largest magazine for society, politics, business and quality of life. The monthly print magazine runs to more than 130 pages per issue and addresses the region's decision-makers and opinion leaders, while the online portal extends the brand with daily news, service content and social media. Since the Mediengruppe Pressedruck, publisher of the Augsburger Allgemeine, acquired a 51 percent majority stake, the family-run house has been pursuing a digital growth strategy under the continued leadership of Anja Marks-Schilffarth.

Overview

Augsburg Journal occupies the premium segment of the regional magazine market in Bavarian Swabia. Its formula combines society reporting, in the German sense of "Society": people, networks and events, with coverage of regional politics, the local economy and lifestyle topics. Each monthly issue profiles interesting personalities from Augsburg and the surrounding region, tracks trends in business and culture, and presents the city’s social calendar, from gala evenings to charity events. The publisher describes its readers as opinion leaders in business, politics, urban society and public life: affluent, mobile, networked on- and offline, and strongly rooted in Augsburg.

The print magazine appears monthly with a circulation of around 12,000 copies plus online subscriptions, and is widely present across the city and region of Augsburg. The Augsburg Journal Verlag also publishes the weekly "Augsburg Journal Reporter", extending the brand into the weekly segment. Online, augsburgjournal.de carries news and magazine content with sections spanning VIP news, city and region, food and enjoyment, beauty and health, business and careers, living, mobility, sport, events and friends, and arts and culture.

The publishing house remains a family business in character even after the majority takeover: Anja Marks-Schilffarth, daughter of founder Kurt Schilffarth, continues as editor-in-chief and managing partner and is regarded as the public face of the magazine. The partnership with Mediengruppe Pressedruck is aimed at developing the digital channels of a house that has historically been print-focused.

History

The Augsburg Journal was founded over five decades ago by Kurt Schilffarth, who built it with his family into a fixture of Augsburg's media and social life. From the beginning, the magazine positioned itself close to the city's society: its editorial team cultivated relationships with the people who shape Augsburg's business, political and cultural life, and the magazine became the chronicler of the region's public life, coining the in-house motto that in Augsburg's society, "in ist, wer drin ist", those who matter are those who appear in its pages.

Under the leadership of the next generation, with Anja Marks-Schilffarth as editor-in-chief and managing partner, the magazine consolidated its position as the region's leading society and business title, publishing monthly issues averaging around 130 pages. The Corona pandemic tested the house severely: advertising revenue collapsed in spring 2020, forcing the cancellation of the regular May issue, which was replaced by a special "Corona Sonderausgabe" produced jointly with the neue SonntagsPresse and distributed free of charge, a episode the publisher documented openly for its readers.

A strategic turning point came with the decision of the Schilffarth family to sell 51 percent of the Augsburg Journal Verlag to Mediengruppe Pressedruck, the Augsburg-based media group behind the Augsburger Allgemeine. The family retained 49 percent. The stated rationale was the challenge of digital transformation: Pressedruck contributes digital infrastructure and know-how, while the Journal brings its brand, its society network and its editorial identity. Under the new ownership structure, the publishing house is developing a digital growth strategy intended to expand its online and social channels significantly.

Coverage and Content

The magazine's content universe revolves around people, power and lifestyle in Swabia. VIP news and society reporting cover the personalities of Augsburg's business world, politics and cultural scene, along with the galas, openings, charity events and receptions where the region's networks meet. Political coverage focuses on Augsburg's city politics and Swabian regional affairs, while business reporting profiles companies, founders and executives from the region.

Lifestyle sections address enjoyment and quality of life: gastronomy, travel, fashion, beauty and health, homes and interiors, mobility and sport. Arts and culture coverage spans exhibitions, theatre, music and the city's festivals. The weekly "Augsburg Journal Reporter" complements the monthly with a faster, news-driven take on the region. Online, the portal publishes daily updates across its sections, mixing magazine-style features with timely local news, event tips and service content.

The editorial stance is affirmative and close to its subjects rather than investigative: the Journal sees itself as a companion to Augsburg's public life, celebrating the region's achievements and personalities. Advertising plays a central role in the business model, with the media data offering print, online and social media placements aimed at advertisers seeking the region's affluent audience.

Special issues and events extend the brand beyond the monthly rhythm. The publisher has produced themed editions and partnered with regional institutions on gala evenings and award ceremonies, using the magazine's society network to create occasions that are themselves news. The Corona special edition of May 2020 remains a telling episode: when the advertising market collapsed, the house chose transparency, explaining the situation to readers in an open letter and producing a free special issue with the neue SonntagsPresse rather than going silent, a decision that reinforced reader loyalty in a difficult moment.

Organization and Ownership

The Augsburg Journal Verlag is majority-owned (51 percent) by Mediengruppe Pressedruck, the media group that publishes the Augsburger Allgemeine, one of Germany's major regional dailies. The founding Schilffarth family retains a 49 percent stake. The publishing house is led by Anja Marks-Schilffarth, daughter of founder Kurt Schilffarth, who serves as editor-in-chief and managing partner and remains the public face of the brand.

The editorial team describes itself as living and loving Augsburg, accompanying its readers in rediscovering their city every day. The publisher's media data presents the magazine as reaching the region's style and consumption avant-garde in the city and surrounding countryside. The partnership with Pressedruck gives the family business access to the digital infrastructure of a large regional media group, supporting the expansion of augsburgjournal.de and the brand's social media presence.

Digital Presence

The online portal augsburgjournal.de is the digital flagship of the brand, publishing news, features and service content across sections including VIP news, city and region, enjoyment, beauty and health, business and careers, homes, mobility, sport, events and friends, and arts and culture. The site complements the monthly print magazine with daily updates and provides advertisers with online placements alongside print and social options.

Social media is an integral part of the brand's digital strategy: the Journal maintains active profiles where it shares society news, event impressions and magazine highlights, engaging a community that follows Augsburg's public life online as well as in print. The publisher's stated ambition under the new ownership is to grow these digital channels substantially, turning a historically print-centred family business into a multi-platform regional media brand for Swabia's opinion leaders.

The digital growth strategy pursued with Mediengruppe Pressedruck addresses the central challenge facing regional magazine publishers: translating a print-based relationship with an affluent, loyal readership into digital reach and revenue. The Journal's approach builds on its existing strengths, its unparalleled access to Augsburg's society and business networks, its event presence and its recognizable brand, while adding the technical and marketing infrastructure of a large media group. If successful, augsburgjournal.de will evolve from a companion to the print magazine into a standalone daily destination for Swabia's decision-makers.