On August 1, the Henri Nannen GmbH imprint publishes the first issue of STERN in a print run of 130,735 copies.

The magazine publishers John Jahr (CONSTANZE, BRIGITTE, SCHÖNER WOHNEN, CAPITAL) and Dr. Gerd Bucerius (STERN, “Die Zeit” etc.) merge with the printer Richard Gruner (Gruner & Sohn, Gruner Druck GmbH) to become Gruner + Jahr GmbH & Co. Gruner holds 39.5 percent, Jahr 32.25 percent and Bucerius 28.25 percent of the shares.

Richard Gruner sells his shares. The ownership structure of the publishing house is re-organized: Jahr and Bucerius each hold 37.5 percent and Reinhard Mohn (Bertelsmann) takes a 25 percent stake. Gruner + Jahr takes over 90 percent of the Munich publishing house, Kindler & Schiermeyer (JASMIN, ELTERN, TWEN). The remaining 10 percent stays with the Owner-Manager, Ernst Naumann, who later exchanges it for five percent of G+J shares.

G+J takes a 24.75 percent stake in the Spiegel publishing house (Der Spiegel). John Jahr (born in 1900) and Dr. Gerd Bucerius (born in 1906) withdraw from active management of the business. BRIGITTE reaches a circulation of 1.4 million and thereby becomes the largest women's magazine in Europe.

G+J acquires 15 percent of Vereinigte Motor-Verlage GmbH & Co. KG (Auto, Motor, Sport). Gruner + Jahr GmbH & Co. becomes Druck- und Verlagshaus Gruner + Jahr AG & Co KG. The first edition of the monthly magazine ESSEN & TRINKEN appears.