{"id":8586,"date":"2016-10-31T12:35:32","date_gmt":"2016-10-31T10:35:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/?p=8586"},"modified":"2025-11-14T12:05:57","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T10:05:57","slug":"saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/","title":{"rendered":"The Hofer Family and their Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

The Hofer Family and their Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung<\/h3>
31. October 2016<\/div><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

No publication in Saarbr\u00fccken or the Saarland is as well-known as the Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung. The Saarland\u2019s only daily newspaper is not only, in fact, the third-oldest newspaper in Germany; it also feels as though it has always been there, and there is hardly anyone in Saarbr\u00fccken and beyond who hasn\u2019t held a copy at least once.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Saarbr\u00fccker\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
The \u201cHofer Corner\u201d (Hofersches Eck) of the Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The following notes come from a handwritten family chronicle of the Hofer family [1], which Mrs. Hildegard Hofer, n\u00e9e Kraemer, copied by hand multiple times\u2014complete with family coat of arms\u2014into albums and presented to her children as birthday gifts in the 1990s. She begins the chronicle with a note on her records:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\u201cThe old chronicle (from the time of a Johann Hofer in Nuremberg) has been lost. Only reports from the Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung, with which the Hofer family has been closely connected since its founding, provide me with material for my account. When I met Gerd Hofer, my future husband, in 1934, there was no one left who could tell me about the past. The Hofer parents died when the sons were still small children. Gerd and his brother Hanskarl were 5 and 3 years old.\u201d<\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Hildegard Hofer<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

In what follows, I will reproduce the notes of Hildegard Hofer, slightly adapted in places and put into more modern wording. The story is fascinating, even though very few people in Saarbr\u00fccken today make a direct connection to the name Hofer. Yet this family played, in my opinion, the greatest role in building what we now know as the Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung, and thus in fostering knowledge as well as political and cultural education in the Saarland. Hardly anyone remembers that well into the early 20th century, the intersection of Eisenbahnstra\u00dfe and Gutenbergstra\u00dfe\u2014where the newspaper\u2019s publishing house still stands\u2014was colloquially known as the \u201cHofersches Eck\u201d [2]. The roughly 200 years between the printing of the first paper and the eventual (partial) expropriation of the family by political forces are worth telling. And so, to the notes of Hildegard Hofer:<\/p>

The Hofer family descends from an old lineage of printers. Johann Hofer, who at the beginning of the 17th century owned an art print shop in Nuremberg and, according to his son\u2019s notes, was exceptionally proficient in his craft, described himself as an imperial citizen of the free city of Nuremberg. His death forced the widow to give up the business.<\/p>

One of their sons, Bernhard Gottfried, born on October 24, 1729, devoted himself to his father\u2019s art and wrote: \u2018When I was at the Highest\u2019s Gymnasium, I came to the noble art of printing and learned it for five years with Andreas Riesling.\u2019 He then set out, as was customary at the time, to travel and further his training in the world. He meticulously recorded his journeys, from which we see that he was a lively, pious, and enterprising printer. He worked in almost all the cities then famous for the \u2018black art\u2019: among others Vienna, Augsburg, Prague, Dresden, Berlin, Leipzig, Frankfurt, W\u00fcrzburg. From there he planned to go to Switzerland, but on the way he learned that there was a position in Zweibr\u00fccken and stayed there for some time.<\/p>

Soon, however, the restless one moved on again. He worked in Switzerland, in Constance, Strasbourg, Karlsruhe, and then, having returned to Zweibr\u00fccken for a few months, intended to visit his native city and settle there.<\/p>

\u2018But as the dear God,\u2019 he writes guilelessly, \u2018showed me another path, I followed the advice of good friends and acquaintances and went to Saarbr\u00fccken, where the dear God had chosen for me to earn my bit of bread in peace. There I became engaged to the only daughter of Mr. Court Printer Mengert.\u2019 The Saarbr\u00fccken civil registry notes on November 29, 1759 (the translation is surely not exact): Bernhard Gottfried Hofer, legitimate unmarried son of Johann Hofer, former printer in Nuremberg, now weds Maria Dorothea, of the Reformed religion, daughter of the local court printer Johann Heinrich Mengert.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Saarbr\u00fccker\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Entry in the Saarbr\u00fccken civil registry, November 29, 1759<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

With this marriage, in 1761, the printing house of his father-in-law passed into the possession of Bernhard Gottfried Hofer, who, through diligence, soon became Court Printer to the Prince of Nassau-Saarbr\u00fccken. Truly a good solution for all involved. Along with his new privilege, he received the house at Talstra\u00dfe 2 as a residence, as well as free deliveries of wood and coal. [3]<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Saarbr\u00fccker\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
House of the Hofers at Talstra\u00dfe 2<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Before us stands the image of a modest, devout citizen whose entire being is rooted in trust in God. In faithful belief, he laid the foundation of the enterprise that would become the later Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung, today the third-oldest newspaper in Germany. It began its development 300 years after the invention of the printing press.<\/p>

The prince, Wilhelm Heinrich of Nassau-Saarbr\u00fccken (1718\u20131768), who began his reign in 1741, was a significant promoter of trade and industry. Together with his architect and master builder Friedrich Joachim Stengel, he oversaw the redesign of the Saar towns of Saarbr\u00fccken and St. Johann. He had Ludwigskirche (completed in 1775) and the Old Catholic Church built. (Enclosed is a copy of the \u2018good wishes\u2019 printed by Gottfried Bernhard Hofer for the laying of the foundation stone of the Ludwigskirche.)\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Saarbr\u00fccker\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Good wishes by Bernhard Hofer for the laying of Ludwigskirche\u2019s foundation stone<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

In 1761, to speed up the unloading of Saar ships, the Saar crane was built. The destroyed crane is being rebuilt today to preserve such old things for posterity. The population has increased: 200 houses with 180 households in Saarbr\u00fccken.<\/p>

On January 24, 1761, the progressive Prince Wilhelm Heinrich announced to his subjects \u2018that he had long wished to extend to his faithful subjects the advantages and conveniences which others elsewhere enjoyed through gazettes.\u2019<\/p>

On January 24, 1761, the prince\u2019s chancery, on his behalf, issued a call to the Nassau-Saarland subjects to \u2018subscribe to the weekly paper that would appear for the first time at Easter.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Saarbr\u00fccker\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Proclamation by Prince Wilhelm Heinrich of January 24, 1761, introducing a gazette<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Court Printer Bernhard Gottfried Hofer was commissioned to print the \u2018General Weekly Paper\u2019. The publisher\u2019s duties and the financial risk were left by Wilhelm Heinrich to the printer Hofer. Hofer tried, even in announcing the paper, to keep this risk small. Those who intended to subscribe in advance were to pay only 20 kreuzer per year (with weekly delivery)! \u2018Others,\u2019 it was threatened, \u2018who do not keep up with the paper properly, will receive it irregularly and pay 1 kreuzer for each individual issue.\u2019<\/p>

Might the whole idea have come from the enterprising court printer Hofer, who, in view of the economic upturn along the Saar and the rapidly growing population, sniffed out a profitable business? Be that as it may\u2014from Easter 1761 onward, the paper appeared weekly under the title \u2018Nassau-Saarbr\u00fcckisches Wochenblatt\u2019.<\/p>

Unfortunately, no copies survive from the first three years; the oldest known issue dates from September 25, 1764. [4]<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Saarbr\u00fccker\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Nassau-Saarb\u00fcckerisches Wochenblatt from September 25, 1764<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

In 1777, the founder of the newspaper, Bernhard Gottfried Hofer, died. His widow Maria Dorothea Hofer ran the printing house for the next ten years, until their son Christian (1766\u20131820) could take over the paternal inheritance. Under Prince Ludwig, he guided the paper and steered it through the storms of the revolutionary era. Christian died in 1820.<\/p>

In the following years, his widow Dorothea-Katarina Hofer, n\u00e9e Schulze, of Saarbr\u00fccken, managed the business. In September 1836, she announced a change of title to \u201cIntelligenz-Blatt\u201d, stating that in addition to the necessary, the paper intended to make room for the useful and the pleasant, and would henceforth appear twice weekly. \u201cTo meet the wishes of many subscribers to this paper, I intend, with the approval of the High Oberpr\u00e4sidium of the Rhine Province, to give it a broader scope from October of this year,\u201d etc.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Saarbr\u00fccker\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Intelligenz-Blatt chronicle<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

She was also the one who, for a long time, had to submit a copy of her likely non-political paper each week to the Metternich-era censors, personally guaranteeing the content with her signature. Week after week, the mayor\u2019s office certified the non-political content of the \u201cWidow Hofer.\u201d<\/p>

Censorship was neither the first nor the last of its kind. Widow Hofer ran the business into old age. Anton Traugott, son of Christian and grandson of Gottfried (May 27, 1806 \u2013 June 12, 1864), took over the company. It fell to him to initiate the paper\u2019s future upswing from a small local sheet to a respected daily newspaper. On January 1, 1861, he gave the paper the title \u201cSaarbr\u00fccker Zeitung.\u201d The printing and publishing operations were moved to Eisenbahnstra\u00dfe 8, next to the Friedenskirche. Three years later, the company traded as \u201cGebr. Hofer\u201d (Hofer Brothers), the brothers being Anton\u2019s sons Fritz (1834\u20131880) and Carl (1838\u20131887).<\/p>

During their joint ownership, a new building was erected on Eisenbahnstra\u00dfe in 1871, and the company moved to this future traditional location [5]. In this period under the Hofer brothers, a very interesting event took place: in 1870, the newspaper published the first balloon-borne airmail reports in contemporary history.<\/p>

After Fritz Hofer died in 1880, Carl Hofer the Elder managed the publishing house until 1887. Carl died, and his widow Johanna\u2014from the well-known Saarbr\u00fccken Jacob family\u2014took over the management together with their son Carl the Younger (1866\u20131915).<\/p>

Meanwhile, Johanna\u2019s youngest son Richard finished his training. He was born on April 4, 1887. Following the old family tradition, he devoted himself to his forefathers\u2019 art and became a master printing machinist. He received further professional training in Freiburg, where he also completed commercial studies. In 1910, he returned to Saarbr\u00fccken and, after being granted power of attorney, joined the company. In 1912, he became a partner. In 1915, Carl Hofer Jr. died, and Richard became the sole managing director. His wife Liselotte, n\u00e9e Poppen (born August 7, 1890), was from Waldkirch im Breisgau and supported him with all her strength. She died of influenza on October 20, 1918.<\/p>

A difficult time began for Richard, both professionally and privately. His mother Johanna died on November 14, 1918. In 1920, the French occupation authorities expelled the publishing management and editorial staff. The paper was banned throughout the Saar territory. The editorial team and Richard Hofer had fallen afoul of the authorities and avoided arrest by fleeing to Baden-Baden. (Already in 1828, the newspaper\u2019s reporting had displeased the French government; I wrote about Widow Hofer, the wife of Christian.) Richard remained in Baden-Baden, intending to open a printing house there. He unexpectedly sold his majority shares. According to a letter, he saw the only way to preserve the paper\u2019s German character in selling. [6]<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Saarbr\u00fccker\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Ownership structure of the Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

He died suddenly on January 5, 1921, in Baden-Baden. That marked the end of Hofer family ownership. The Gebr. Hofer AG was founded. The sons of Richard and Liselotte were Gerd and Hanskarl. Because of their parents\u2019 early deaths, they were raised by their grandmother Trudel Poppen. They spent their youth in Waldkirch in the Black Forest. With an eye to a possible future role in their father\u2019s former company, both sons learned the printers\u2019 trade and became certified master printers.<\/p>

The widow of Carl Hofer the Younger still held shares in Gebr. Hofer AG. With skillful negotiation, it might have been possible for the young Hofers to re-enter the company. People hoped so\u2014until the war in 1939. [7]<\/p>

Things turned out differently. Gerd and Hanskarl returned from the war safe and sound. They tried to obtain a publishing license, which was impossible during the French occupation. After the war, Margarete Hofer, widow of Carl Hofer Jr., sold her remaining shares in Hofer AG. With that, any chance of ever re-entering the company was gone. Without offering the shares to the family, she squandered the last opportunity.<\/p>

Gerd had since married Hildegard Kraemer (b. July 7, 1917) and joined his in-laws\u2019 business, Juwelier Kraemer in Saarbr\u00fccken.<\/p>

The younger brother, Hanskarl (b. January 2, 1918), also a printer, married Gisela Beck from Bochum. Their son is Richard. Hanskarl worked for various publishers. He led the magazine \u201cDie Elegante Welt\u201d for two years and later worked at a trade magazine in Bad W\u00f6rishofen. He died on July 1, 1980.\u201d<\/p>

Thus end the notes of Hildegard Hofer.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Saarbr\u00fccker\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
Telephone subscribers in Saarbr\u00fccken, 1887, which lists the owners of the printing house, Gebr. Hofer (with telephone number 16).<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

With the end of this story, the Hofer era at the Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung ended \u2014 but not the family\u2019s story. As Hildegard wrote, she married Gerd Hofer, and the two ran the business of Juwelier Kraemer, another historically interesting Saarbr\u00fccken family. Their eldest (twin) sons, Gerd Jr. and J\u00fcrgen, eventually took over the business; Gerd also founded another company in Saarbr\u00fccken during those years: the watch brand NIVREL, now based in St. Arnual. The two other children of Gerd Hofer Sr. and Hildegard Hofer live today in Munich (Werner) and near Cologne (Liselotte). The two children of Gerd Hofer Jr. and his wife Gitta run the businesses in Saarbr\u00fccken today: son Sven Hofer is owner and managing director of Juwelier Kraemer on Bahnhofstra\u00dfe in Saarbr\u00fccken; daughter Dr. Anja Hofer is, together with her mother Gitta, managing director of NIVREL Uhrenproduktion Gerd Hofer GmbH. Today\u2019s relations with the Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung are friendly and businesslike (as advertisers), but there are no longer any direct ties. At the 250th anniversary ceremony of the Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung at the Staatstheater Saarbr\u00fccken on June 9, 2011, the newspaper\u2019s management invited Anja and Sven Hofer and introduced them to the audience during the celebration.<\/p>

Sources and Notes<\/h2>

[1] The passages reproduced here are taken from the handwritten chronicles prepared by Hildegard Hofer for her eldest sons Gerd (1940\u20132007) and Werner (b. 1944). I was provided with the original (Gerd Hofer version) and a transcript (Werner Hofer version).<\/p>

[2] Cf. Gr\u00e4bner, Dieter; Weszkalnys, Stefan: B\u00fcrger, Br\u00fccken und Duelle \u2013 Die Geschichte der Gro\u00dfstadt Saarbr\u00fccken; Conte Verlag, Saarbr\u00fccken 2009, p. 39, quoted from the memoirs of Saarbr\u00fccken architect Hans Weszkalnys.<\/p>

[3] Note by Guido Grohmann: The Hofers resided there until 1838; the house had been acquired by Johann Mengert in 1743, cf. B\u00fcnte, Hans: Die abenteuerliche Geschichte einer Zeitung \u2013 250 Jahre Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung 1761\u20132011; Gollenstein Verlag, Merzig 2012, p. 19.<\/p>

[4] See also B\u00fcnte, Hans: Die abenteuerliche Geschichte einer Zeitung \u2013 250 Jahre Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung 1761\u20132011; Gollenstein Verlag, Merzig 2012, p. 24.<\/p>

[5] The so-called Hofersches Eck, see [2].<\/p>

[6] Quotation by Richard Hofer on October 3, 1920, in the Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung under the title \u201cEin letztes Wort\u201d: \u201cAs the readers of the Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung know, I and a large part of my senior staff have been forbidden to stay in the Saar territory and the occupied area. We then tried to manage the paper from outside the borders of the Saar territory, but new measures made even this possibility more and more difficult, to such an extent that I had no other option but to entrust the management of operations to other hands.\u201d Quoted here from: B\u00fcnte, Hans: Die abenteuerliche Geschichte einer Zeitung \u2013 250 Jahre Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung 1761\u20132011; Gollenstein Verlag, Merzig 2012, p. 119.<\/p>

[7] At this point, Hildegard Hofer\u2019s recollections do not entirely match the historical record. In fact, the branch of the Hofer family that still owned 40% was forced by the Nazis to sell in 1936. See, for example: \u201cEin aufregendes Kapitel Pressegeschichte,\u201d article in the anniversary supplement of the Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung, May 30, 2011, p. 13.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung was founded by Bernhard Gottfried Hofer, whose descendants still live in Saarbr\u00fccken today.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8307,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-8586","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-saarbruecker-geschichten"],"yoast_head":"\nDie Familie Hofer und ihre Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung - Guido Grohmann Photography<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Die Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung wurde begr\u00fcndet von Bernhard Gottfried Hofer, dessen Nachkommen bis heute in Saarbr\u00fccken leben.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Die Familie Hofer und ihre Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung - Guido Grohmann Photography\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Die Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung wurde begr\u00fcndet von Bernhard Gottfried Hofer, dessen Nachkommen bis heute in Saarbr\u00fccken leben.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Guido Grohmann Photography\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"facebook.com\/guido.grohmann\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"facebook.com\/guido.grohmann\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2016-10-31T10:35:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-11-14T10:05:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/saarbruecker-zeitung-hofer-saarbruecker-geschichten-01-farbe.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1440\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"900\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Guido Grohmann\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Guido Grohmann\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"1 minute\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Guido Grohmann\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/#\/schema\/person\/fc6a193814ea2f3a6b7d0c9caf89b5ec\"},\"headline\":\"Die Familie Hofer und ihre Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-10-31T10:35:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-14T10:05:57+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/\"},\"wordCount\":2598,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/#\/schema\/person\/fc6a193814ea2f3a6b7d0c9caf89b5ec\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/saarbruecker-zeitung-hofer-saarbruecker-geschichten-01-farbe.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Saarbr\u00fccker Geschichten\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/\",\"name\":\"Die Familie Hofer und ihre Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung - Guido Grohmann Photography\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/saarbruecker-zeitung-hofer-saarbruecker-geschichten-01-farbe.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2016-10-31T10:35:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-11-14T10:05:57+00:00\",\"description\":\"Die Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung wurde begr\u00fcndet von Bernhard Gottfried Hofer, dessen Nachkommen bis heute in Saarbr\u00fccken leben.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/saarbruecker-zeitung-hofer-saarbruecker-geschichten-01-farbe.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/saarbruecker-zeitung-hofer-saarbruecker-geschichten-01-farbe.jpg\",\"width\":1440,\"height\":900,\"caption\":\"Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung Familie Hofer\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Startseite\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Die Familie Hofer und ihre Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/\",\"name\":\"Guido Grohmann Photography\",\"description\":\"\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/#\/schema\/person\/fc6a193814ea2f3a6b7d0c9caf89b5ec\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/#\/schema\/person\/fc6a193814ea2f3a6b7d0c9caf89b5ec\",\"name\":\"Guido Grohmann\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f07fd88b8041a279426fb7b69561c2e56cfca3dcc19915a3bb33be6899f5b7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f07fd88b8041a279426fb7b69561c2e56cfca3dcc19915a3bb33be6899f5b7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Guido Grohmann\"},\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\",\"facebook.com\/guido.grohmann\",\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/guidogrohmann\/\",\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/guido-grohmann-aa203153\/\"],\"url\":\"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/author\/adminguidophoto\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Die Familie Hofer und ihre Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung - Guido Grohmann Photography","description":"The Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung was founded by Bernhard Gottfried Hofer, whose descendants still live in Saarbr\u00fccken today.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Die Familie Hofer und ihre Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung - Guido Grohmann Photography","og_description":"Die Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung wurde begr\u00fcndet von Bernhard Gottfried Hofer, dessen Nachkommen bis heute in Saarbr\u00fccken leben.","og_url":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/","og_site_name":"Guido Grohmann Photography","article_publisher":"facebook.com\/guido.grohmann","article_author":"facebook.com\/guido.grohmann","article_published_time":"2016-10-31T10:35:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2025-11-14T10:05:57+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1440,"height":900,"url":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/saarbruecker-zeitung-hofer-saarbruecker-geschichten-01-farbe.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Guido Grohmann","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Guido Grohmann","Est. reading time":"1 minute"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/"},"author":{"name":"Guido Grohmann","@id":"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/#\/schema\/person\/fc6a193814ea2f3a6b7d0c9caf89b5ec"},"headline":"Die Familie Hofer und ihre Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung","datePublished":"2016-10-31T10:35:32+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-14T10:05:57+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/"},"wordCount":2598,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/#\/schema\/person\/fc6a193814ea2f3a6b7d0c9caf89b5ec"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/saarbruecker-zeitung-hofer-saarbruecker-geschichten-01-farbe.jpg","articleSection":["Saarbr\u00fccker Geschichten"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/","url":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/","name":"Die Familie Hofer und ihre Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung - Guido Grohmann Photography","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/saarbruecker-zeitung-hofer-saarbruecker-geschichten-01-farbe.jpg","datePublished":"2016-10-31T10:35:32+00:00","dateModified":"2025-11-14T10:05:57+00:00","description":"The Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung was founded by Bernhard Gottfried Hofer, whose descendants still live in Saarbr\u00fccken today.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/#primaryimage","url":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/saarbruecker-zeitung-hofer-saarbruecker-geschichten-01-farbe.jpg","contentUrl":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/saarbruecker-zeitung-hofer-saarbruecker-geschichten-01-farbe.jpg","width":1440,"height":900,"caption":"Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung Familie Hofer"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/saarbruecker-geschichten-die-familie-hofer-und-ihre-saarbruecker-zeitung\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Startseite","item":"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Die Familie Hofer und ihre Saarbr\u00fccker Zeitung"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/#website","url":"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/","name":"Guido Grohmann Photography","description":"","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/#\/schema\/person\/fc6a193814ea2f3a6b7d0c9caf89b5ec"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/#\/schema\/person\/fc6a193814ea2f3a6b7d0c9caf89b5ec","name":"Guido Grohmann","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f07fd88b8041a279426fb7b69561c2e56cfca3dcc19915a3bb33be6899f5b7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/1f07fd88b8041a279426fb7b69561c2e56cfca3dcc19915a3bb33be6899f5b7c?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Guido Grohmann"},"logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de","facebook.com\/guido.grohmann","https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/guidogrohmann\/","https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/guido-grohmann-aa203153\/"],"url":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/author\/adminguidophoto\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8586","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8586"}],"version-history":[{"count":42,"href":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9149,"href":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8586\/revisions\/9149"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8307"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/guidogrohmann.de\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}