Emma (magazine)

The first issue of Emma was published on 26 January 1977.^[1][2] The founder of the magazine was Alice Schwarzer,^[1] who is still publisher and editor-in-chief. The magazine was modelled on the American magazine Ms. in terms of content, targeted audience and layout.^[3] It has its headquarters in Cologne.^[4] In December 2002, the Emma website was launched.

The name of the magazine is a wordplay of the term emancipation (German: Emanzipation).^[2]

Since its foundation, Emma has been the leading feminist magazine in Germany, and the only political magazine in Europe entirely run by women.^[4]

The magazine has often been criticised for its opinionated and activist stance. However, it has affected German society, creating awareness for and instigating debates on social and women's issues.^[5]

Until 2010 the magazine was published every two months.^[2] It began to come out quarterly in 2010, but in 2013 it again began to be published every two months.^[2]

The estimated circulation of the magazine was 60,000 copies in 2012.^[2]

Alice Schwarzer published an open letter to Chancellor Olaf Scholz in her magazine Emma at the end of April 2022.^[6] In it, she and 27 others from the culture and media industry warned of a further escalation of the Ukraine war. They called on Chancellor Scholz not to supply offensive weapons to Ukraine and to do everything he could to end the war. A victory for Ukraine is unlikely, and the military situation must be accepted in order to prevent further deaths, the authors wrote.^[7] They wrote: "A Russian counter-attack could then trigger the case for assistance under the NATO treaty and thus the immediate danger of a world war."^[8]

Some of the first signers were actor Lars Eidinger, singer-songwriter Reinhard Mey, controversial comedian Dieter Nuhr, satirical cabaret artist Gerhard Polt, former politician Antje Vollmer (A90/Greens), writer Martin Walser, social scientist Harald Welzer, TV-scientist Ranga Yogeshwar, and writer Juli Zeh.^[9]

The open letter amplified a public debate about the position of the German government on the war. The letter attracted a lot of opposition. Political scientist Thomas Jaeger said Schwarzer was factually incorrect. It is covered under international law that a defending state can also support itself with weapons. No distinction is made between defensive and offensive weapons. Also, the Russian president's interpretation can turn anything into a reason for war. Putin's actions are arbitrary.^[10]

The journalist Antje Hildebrandt accused the letter signers of selfishness. She compared their demands to people in a burning house who are left on their own because the owner could report this as trespassing.^[11]

• List of magazines in Germany