Berlin – September 13, 2026 -- German Sunday broadsheet WELT AM SONNTAG will retire its blue masthead for the first time since 1952 as part of a full relaunch set for the print edition of September 12/13, 2026. The redesign marks the most significant change to the paper's title header in 74 years, according to publisher PREMIUM-GRUPPE.
New masthead drops blue background for white design shared with daily WELT
The white lettering on blue ground that has defined the title since 1952 disappears. The logo replaces the bold bar with the lighter WELT brand mark on a white background and introduces the globe symbol taken from the daily edition into the Sunday paper for the first time, visually linking the two titles within the print family.
Opinion section expands into standalone book to widen debate coverage
The Meinung (Opinion) desk is being enlarged and will receive its own dedicated section, aimed at broadening the range of viewpoints represented. A new family page is being introduced to reflect readers' everyday lives, intended to become a weekly reading ritual.
Panorama section moves forward as counterpoint to politics coverage
The Panorama section is repositioned earlier in the paper as a deliberate contrast to the weight of the politics section. The former "Thema" section is renamed "Report" and moved toward the back of the paper as the designated space for analytical depth.
In-house designers cut clutter, drop info boxes to slow the reading pace
The redesign, developed with the paper's own design team, removes distracting elements such as fact boxes on interviews in favor of a smoother reading flow. Column widths become more flexible, white space is used deliberately, and the color palette is reduced. Each page will be anchored by a large-format photo, either news-driven or emotional in tone. Typography changes include multi-line decorative initials set in "FreightDisp Pro, Black" and bolder section headers to orient readers within the new structure.
Editor-in-chief frames redesign as tool for structuring complex reporting
Jacques Schuster, editor-in-chief of WELT AM SONNTAG, said quality journalism requires giving complex issues structure and order, and that the new format creates a frame allowing readers to focus on the paper's research and analysis.
Mathias Sanchez, CEO of PREMIUM-GRUPPE, which also operates POLITICO and ICON, described the overhaul as an investment in the strength of the company's tactile premium product, positioning the relaunch as a response to demand for more focus and slower weekend reading.