Media Metropolis Hamburg

Here it was that Henri Nannen founded his newsweekly "Stern", Gerd Bucerius the newspaper "Die Zeit" and Axel Springer "Bild". This is where dpa rose to become the largest German news agency and where the most creative advertising agencies have their headquarters and the most internet domains per capita are registered: Hamburg is one of the most important media business locations in Germany.

The industry sector boasted more than companies. And since 2000 the sector has grown by 13 per cent; since 1995 by a whopping 74 per cent. It is estimated that some 70,000 people generate an annual turnover of 25 billion euros in Hamburg's publishing and printing industries, advertising and film businesses, multimedia, broadcasting (radio and TV), music and arts as well as in the trade-fair and congress sectors.

Publishing legends established their companies in Hamburg. The flagships of the German press fly their colours in the Hanseatic city to this day. Almost 50% of the market share of the German mainstream press is in the hands of just three major Hamburg publishing houses (Bauer, Gruner+Jahr and Springer).

Not only does the beautiful Hanseatic city provide a popular setting for films, more than 1000 film companies are based in Hamburg, and after Berlin, Hamburg is the city with the most cinemagoers and the largest cinema turnover.