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Guess who Charlie Hebdo mocks in first German edition

The Local Germany
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Guess who Charlie Hebdo mocks in first German edition
Photo: Charlie Hebdo/DPA

The provocative French satire magazine launched its first German - and foreign language - version on Thursday, having a pop at a fairly obvious target.

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Chancellor Angela Merkel has literally become the poster child for the launch of Charlie Hebdo’s new German version. A poster advertising the German debut features the Chancellor sitting on a toilet reading the magazine, with the slogan: “Charlie Hebdo - it’s liberating”.

Merkel also features on the very first cover, depicting her looking worn out and lying atop a hydraulic ramp as a mechanic in a Volkswagen hat says “with a new exhaust pipe, she’ll be good for another four years”. The caption reads “VW stands behind Merkel”.
 
The cover is a commentary not only on the Chancellor’s recently announced bid to run for a fourth term next year, but also on the Volkswagen emissions cheating scandal that greatly damaged the car manufacturer’s reputation and the country’s faith in its trusted firm.
 
Photo: Charlie Hebdo/DPA
 
The cover also advertises features on how to live happily in Germany and everyday sexism.
 
The French publication decided to launch a German version after the terrorist attack on its offices in 2015, in which 12 of its staff members were killed. The magazine attracted particular attention in Germany, where 70,000 copies of its “survivors’ edition” were purchased the week after the massacre.
 
The magazine continued to see regular sales in Germany thereafter.
 
For the 16-page German release, 200,000 copies have been printed, and it will mainly be made up of articles and cartoons translated from French.

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