Annabelle (magazine)

Annabelle was established in 1938[3] and the first issue was published on 1 March 1938.[1][4] The idea to launch Annabelle was developed by the publishers Karl von Schumacher and Manuel Gasser.[5] The founder and the launching editor was Mabel Zuppinger,[3][4] an Austrian woman living in Zurich.[6]

The magazine was part of and published by Tamedia[7][8] until October 2019 when it was sold to Medienart.[9] It was published monthly,[2] later increasing its frequency to weekly.[10] The target audience of the magazine is women in German-speaking Switzerland.[7]

Although Annabelle is a women's fashion magazine, it also has a long history of covering political and social issues, including feminism.[11] Initially, the magazine was a regular publication for housewives.[5] During the 1940s and 1960s it covered articles on the growing consumer industry and at the same time it supported the education of girls.[5] In the next decade it extensively featured articles related to the problems of working women as well as divorce and sex-related problems.[5] In the 1980s the magazine specifically targeted young, active, and energetic women who were emancipated, but feminine.[5]

Annabelle also deals with the status of women living in other regions, featuring articles concerning the sexuality of women in the Arab world and honour killing in Albania.[4] In 2006 the magazine launched a petition, "No weapons at home", to support for a ban on shotguns at home.[12] The magazine campaigned for a 30 percent increase in the number of women in the boardrooms of Swiss companies in 2013.[3] The same year Tamedia, the parent company of the magazine, banned it from reporting political events, such as the emancipation of women, that might cause social unrest.[11] The magazine also publishes interviews with significant figures, including Federal Councillor Simonetta Sommaruga.[13]

From 2004 to 2013 Lisa Feldmann was the editor-in-chief of Annabelle.[4] She was replaced by Silvia Binggeli.[14] Since July 2019 Jacqueline Krause-Blouin assumes the editor-in-chief position.[9]

Annabelle has a travel supplement, ReiseNews, which is published five times a year.[15]

Annabelle had a circulation of 71,292 copies in 2010, 71,445 copies in 2011 and 70,178 copies in 2012.[16] In 2015 the magazine sold 66,121 copies.[7] The 2016 circulation of the magazine decreased to 51,255 copies.[17]

• Official website