Berlin "Bild" columnist Franz Josef Wagner died
Columnist Franz Josef Wagner has died at the age of 82. This was announced by the Springer publishing house in Berlin. Wagner was editor-in-chief of "BZ" and author of the daily column "Post von Wagner" in the tabloid newspaper "Bild" for around 25 years.
07.10.2025, 11:10
SDA
"In him, Axel Springer has lost one of its most creative minds and a unique writer," said the publisher. "Our thoughts are with his family and friends."
With "Post von Wagner" in Germany's largest tabloid newspaper, the journalist and publicist was one of the best-known German columnists for many decades.
"Yours sincerely, Franz Josef Wagner"
The column always had the same structure: It began with the salutation "Dear...". The addressees - from Princess Kate, criminals, the national eleven, the Pope, baby polar bears, hurricanes to the Federal Chancellor - were sometimes more, sometimes less, given their due. It was a letter that not everyone wanted to receive. The column always ended like this: "Yours sincerely, Franz Josef Wagner".
Many top journalistic positions
Wagner was born a teacher's child on August 7, 1943 in what is now the Czech Republic. His mother fled with him and his brother. His father was at war. Wagner grew up in Regensburg. After odd jobs in Geneva and Paris, he completed a traineeship at the "Nürnberger Zeitung" as a young man.
He later worked as a reporter in Munich for "Bild". Wagner has held many top positions in his professional life: At the Burda publishing house, he was editor-in-chief of the illustrated magazine "Bunte" in the 1990s. He also helped develop the German edition of the fashion magazine "Elle" and the Burda magazine "Superillu". For a short time, he also managed the East German tabloid "Super!" for Burda, which was soon shut down.
At the end of the 1990s, the 1.90 meter tall chain smoker became editor-in-chief of "B.Z." and "B.Z. am Sonntag" in Berlin at Springer. The Springer publishing house then made him a columnist.
