Franz Josef Wagner

Franz Josef Wagner (7 August 1943 – 6 October 2025) was a German author and journalist. He was editor-in-chief of the magazine Bunte and later of the tabloid B.Z., launched Elle magazine's German edition, and wrote a number of books, one of which was adapted for television.

Life and career Wagner grew up in Regensburg. His father was a teacher. After finishing his schooling, Wagner worked for the , one of Germany's oldest daily newspapers. In the early 1960s he worked as a journalist for Bild in Munich. In 1966 Wagner joined the Axel Springer media company in Hamburg. During this stint at Axel Springer, Wagner was for a time a war correspondent. In 1988, Wagner moved to Hubert Burda Media in Munich. At Hubert Burda Media he served as editor-in-chief of the magazine Bunte. Wagner, together with journalist , started the German edition of Elle magazine in 1988, and the magazine Superillu in 1990. In 1991 Wagner started the short-lived tabloid . In July 1998 Wagner returned to Axel Springer, becoming editor-in-chief of the tabloid B.Z. He was replaced as editor-in-chief in 2000, after his paper had published a denigrating article about Franziska van Almsick. From early 2001 until his death, Wagner had a column, Post von Wagner, for Bild, the largest German tabloid. This column appeared five times a week, from Monday to Friday. Wagner authored eight books. His last book, an autobiography, was published in 2010.

He was married, had one daughter and lived in Berlin-Charlottenburg. Wagner died on 6 October 2025, at the age of 82.

Books by Wagner Novels Das Ding, Blanvalet. Munich 1978. Adapted into a two-part television film, , in 1979 by German television broadcaster ZDF Im September, wenn ich noch lebe. Blanvalet. München 1979. Big Story, Bertelsmann. Munich 1982. Wolfs Spur, Bertelsmann. Munich 1984.

As ghostwriter Udo Jürgens: Smoking und Blue Jeans – Jahre eines Traumtänzers. Lübbe. Bergisch Gladbach 1984. Franz Beckenbauer: Ich – Wie es wirklich war. C. Bertelsmann. Munich 1992. Boris Becker: Augenblick, verweile doch … Bertelsmann. Munich 2003.

Autobiography Brief an Deutschland, Diederichs, Munich 2010,