COPENHAGEN PAPER CELEBRATES ITS 200TH BIRTHDAY

Wanganui Chronicle, 17 January 1949, Page 6

COPENHAGEN PAPER CELEBRATES ITS 200TH BIRTHDAY

(By Charles Croot, Reuters Correspondent). COPENHAGEN, (By Airmail).— i When Denmark’s largest newspaper the conservative “Berlingske Tidende” appeared on Danish breakfast tables on January 3, 1949, it was more than just another edition of the paper. On that day, “Berlingske Tidende” celebrated its 200th anniversary of continuous publication. The d resent editor-in-chief, M. Terkel M. Terkelsen, said that his paper does not claim to be the oldest in Europe—“ But it is the oldest national daily newspaper which ha s appeared without interruption since its foundation and which is still owned by the family of the original founder.” Each edition of the paper, from the first, on January 3, 1749, is carefully preserved at Berlingske House, now one of the most modern buildings in Copenhagen. The first edition, which appeared under the title of “Kbenhavnske Danske Post Tidender” was in octavo size and had 16 pages. The first three pages were devoted td tributes to the then King, Frederik V, the next three to foreign news and the remainder to advertisttnents. A young Copenhagen printer, Ernst Henrich Berling, founded the newspaper. His enterprise prospered and in 1750 his paper appeared in quarto size. It was issued every Tuesday and Saturday, and the subscription rate was the equivalent of 6/8d a year. PAPER BY ROYAL MAIL Berling had one great advantage over any competitors. He had been granted the exclusive privilege of being allowed to send his paper through the Royal Mail. This meant that the Post Tidender could be exported, and the horse drawn Royal Mail coaches of the day left Copenhagen regularly with supplies of the paper for all parts of Europe. When Berling died in October 1750, his two sons took over. Government and private demand for advertisment space increased and the pa. or prospered more, and more. In 1766, full freedom of the press was introduced in Denmark and a new era began for the Post Tidender.

The influence which the paper had on public opinion was considerable. But, in 1799, the Danish Government, disturbed at the tone of various pamiphlets which began to appear after the removal of all censorship, decreed that no newspaper should discuss the nation’s economic, social, domestic or foreign affairs. Literature then came into its own and the arts, through the columns of Post Tidender and other newspapers flourished. Under the editorship of Medel Levin Nathanson, there began a period of literary and dramatic views. The paper invited, and published, contributions by leading literary men of the day—including Denmark’s famous fairy story-teller, Hans Andersen, To read the files of copies a newspapei’ issued through the past 200 years is to read living history. But as the use of heavy type headlines is only a relatively recent development, again and again events which could have made banner headlines in modern newspapers are buried amid a mass of minor detail. The first use of anything approaching a headline—merely type of slightly larger size than that of the body of the story —was for the announcement of the death of Lord Nelson at the Battle of Trafalgar. The headline reads simply: “Death of Lord Nelson.” News of the Battle of Trafalgar appeared in the edition dated November 22,1805—a month alter the battle took place. The report on the Battle of Trafalgar contains Nelson’s famous signal: “England expects. . . .”. The files of the Berlingske Tidende record again and again in sober type events which shattered empires and which opened up new eras. Last vital event to win a banner headline in the paper was the liberation of Denmark. The front page paperwide headline reads: “Denmark is free again.” Preparations have been made to celebrate January 3, 1949, with all due ceremony. Exact replicas of the mail coaches which once carried the newspaper across the Danish borders into Europe will leave Berlingske House on that day. Leading journalists from many parts of the world have been invited to attend the receptions, dinner and galas which are to be held. The special edition of January 3, will reveal a hitherto undisclosed secret in newspaper’s history—that a Danish King, Christian VI, used at one time to write’ its editorials.