Written in English, About Germany

A new German paper has hit the newsstands on the other side of the Atlantic. Appropriately named the Atlantic Times, the once-monthly publication is written and produced in Germany by Germans for an English-speaking American audience. The aim of the paper, according to its publisher Detlef Prinz, who has gained political backing for his project, is to improve German-American relations. "In the United States too many people know too little about Germany. We want to change that," said chief editor Bruno Waltert. In order to increase awareness for the new paper, the first edition of 24,000 was sent out to various leaders in politics, business and culture -- free of charge. The paper, which ordinarily costs one dollar in the United States, is financed largely through advertisements from big-name German companies, such as Deutsche Bank, Lufthansa, SAP and Audi. For the first edition, Prinz was able to convince Chancellor Gerhard Schröder and former US Foreign Minister Henry Kissinger to pen a few lines. For the next edition, German Economics Minister Wolfgang Clement is expected to put his thoughts on German-American relations down on paper -- not exactly big name-drawing power for US readers already unfamiliar with German politics.