The key facts

  • The journal Emma is closing after nearly 50 years: the final issues will come out on October 27 and December 8, 2026.
  • Founder Alice Schwarzer stated that the closure is not related to financial reasons.
  • The publication's archive will be transferred to the German Literary Archive in Marbach in the summer of 2027.

The journal Emma is ending its existence

The German feminist journal Emma is closing after nearly 50 years of existence. Its founder, the feminist Alice Schwarzer, announced this in an interview with Der Spiegel. The final two issues will come out on October 27 and December 8, 2026.

Reasons for the closure

According to Schwarzer, the decision is not related to economic reasons: revenue from publishing the journal, she claims, still exceeds costs. 'No, we are leaving because we believe: enough is enough!' she declared. Schwarzer noted that the journal held its ground across three generations of feminists and stood 'against all nonsense in the name of feminism', but over half a century the editorial team has 'grown tired'.

History of the publication

The first issue of Emma came out on January 26, 1977. Schwarzer claims that misogyny from the 'male media' pushed her to create the journal. Over half a century, the publication raised topics of child sexual abuse, Islamism, female genital mutilation, as well as problems of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. 'Emma changed Germany in some ways,' ORF quoted Schwarzer as saying.

Final issue and archive

The final issue will be made twice as thick as usual: the editorial team will sum up the results on 50 key topics. The journal's archive will be transferred to the German Literary Archive in Marbach in the summer of 2027 — all issues, correspondence with authors and readers, as well as campaign documents will be available there.

Criticism of the position on Ukraine

Schwarzer was repeatedly criticized for her position on Ukraine: since 2022, together with Sahra Wagenknecht, she advocated for speedy peace negotiations with Russia. In 2024, she admitted that because of this course, every fifth reader canceled their subscription to the journal.