dpa is turning 70 years old on August 18, 2019

The German Press Agency (dpa) is turning 70 years old on August 18, 2019 – the same age as the Federal Republic of Germany. The mission laid out by the founders of the agency is still relevant today. Only a few years after the end of the so-called “Third Reich”, that mission was designed to diametrically oppose the brutal propaganda machine of the Nazi regime: “The cultivation of objective news and independence from any governmental, political or economic interest groups will be at the center of the agency.” This was the content of dpa’s very first report, which was sent to the wire in 1949.

dpa has followed our country’s history closely, and has always reported on it reliably and effectively. We’ve reported on the creation of a new state, the first social-liberal coalition, the RAF terrorist group, on Germany’s reunification, the first female chancellor and on the 2014 World Cup victory. dpa has also always represented our country’s view on the world, for instance during the expansion of the European Union, during natural disasters, or on September 11, 2001. 

70 years of independent agency journalism are a valuable heritage for society. It’s our job to take responsible care of that heritage.

Peter Kropsch, CEO and Sven Gösmann, Editor in Chief