German teen magazine, first published on 26 August 1956. Initially subtitled ‘the magazine for film and television’, it quickly included the latest music stars on its pages as well. During the 1970’s the magazine sold over one million copies every week, a trend that endured well into the 1990’s. In 2010 Bravo still sold over 500.000 copies, making it the best selling teenage magazine in Europe.
Besides music, Bravo also informs its readers about sexuality and the latest fashion trends. Two issues in 1972 with articles about masturbation were prohibited for sale to under-age customers because they were deemed youth-endangering. Under the pseudonyms ‘Dr. Christoph Vollmer’ and ‘Dr. Kirsten Lindstroem’ the then-47-year-old author of romance novels Marie Louise Fischer gave advice on relationships from 1964 to 1969. In 1969, Martin Goldstein, a practising doctor, psychotherapist, and religion teacher, took over and replied to readers’ questions under the pseudonym ‘Dr. Jochen Sommer’.
Several international versions of Bravo were published, in countries like Bulgaria, Portugal, Russia, Spain and Mexico.
Magazine covers and features
Kate Bush never once graced the cover of Bravo, but she was featured in the magazine a handful of times. In the first issue of 1978, she was presented as the ‘Neue Senkrechtstarterin aus England’ (‘New perpendicular started from England’). She was featured on a poster in 1978 and 1980, and in 1985 the lyrics of Running up that hill were printed, together with a German translation, on a ‘Bravo Songbook’ page.
