Freies Wort


Freies Wort is the largest regional newspaper in southern Thuringia. Including Meininger Tageblatt, Freies Wort has a circulation of 80,000.

History and profile

The newspaper was founded as an organ of the Suhl sector of the SED. It was first published as Das Freie Wort on 15 August 1952 with a circulation of 157,400 and was the smallest SED-controlled newspaper at the time and eight city desks. The newspaper was renamed to Freies Wort on 9 March 1956.
After German reunification, the newspaper was privatised in 1991 and sold to Süddeutscher Verlag, Munich and Deutsche Druck- und Verlagsgesellschaft.
The chief editor is Herbert Wessels, second editor is Markus Ermert.

Local news desks

Freies Wort has seven local news desks:
  1. Suhl
  2. Zella-Mehlis
  3. Ilmenau
  4. Sonneberg
  5. Hildburghausen
  6. Schmalkalden
  7. Bad Salzungen

    Shared content

Freies Wort cooperates with the Meininger Mediengesellschaft mbH which issues the FW Meininger Tageblatt, the two newspapers share articles and sometimes whole pages.
Together with the newspapers Neue Presse, Südthüringer Zeitung and Frankenpost Freies Wort forms the "Regionalzeitungsgruppe Hof/Coburg/Suhl" operated by Süddeutscher Verlag. The four newspapers share a common national and international section.