Quick Facts
| Intro | German mass media owner | ||||||
| Is | Historian Art historian Publisher | ||||||
| From | Germany | ||||||
| Field | Arts Academia Business Journalism Social science | ||||||
| Gender | male | ||||||
| Birth | 9 February 1940, Heidelberg | ||||||
| Age | 83 years | ||||||
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| Profiles |
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Biography
Hubert Burda (born 9 February 1940) is a German art historian and publisher. Burda is the CEO and owner of Hubert Burda Media, publishing more than 250 magazines inside and outside Germany, including Focus and Bunte.
Early life
Burda is the youngest of the three sons of Franz and Aenne Burda. He studied Art History and Sociology at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.
Career
He is president of the Verband Deutscher Zeitschriftenverleger (the Association of German magazine publishers) and cofounder of the European Publishers Council (EPC) as well as a council member of the World Economic Forum (WEF). His commitment to cultural endeavours includes the Hermann Lenz Award for German lyrics, formerly the Petrarca Prize, which was first awarded in 1975.
He is chairman of the council of the Munich Ludwig-Maximilians-University, and founded the Hubert Burda Centre for Innovative Communications at the Ben-Gurion University, Israel.
In 2001, in memory of his late son Felix from his first marriage, Burda established the Felix Burda Foundation dedicated to the early detection and prevention of colon cancer.
Through his active involvement in Partners in Tolerance, Burda supports Steven Spielberg's Shoah Foundation. In October 1999, he received the Interfaith Gold Medallion from the International Council of Christians and Jews for his services to German–Jewish reconciliation. In 2005, together with German publishing houses, he initiated the project Paten für Toleranz to support the Jewish Centre Jakobsplatz in Munich.
As of November 2015, Forbes estimated his net worth at US$2.6 billion.
Personal life
Burda married Maria Furtwängler in 1991. They have two children, Jakob (born 1990) and Elisabeth (born 1992).
Awards
Burda has received numerous awards and distinctions for his achievements in publishing and business, including the European Print Media Prize and the Gold Medal Freedom of Speech of the European Association of Communications Agencies (EACA). In 2002, the title of honorary professor was bestowed on him by the Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg and he received the Grand Cross of Merit. In 2006, the Central Council of Jews in Germany awarded Burda its Leo Baeck prize.
