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Leeuwarder Courant ePaper

Read today Leeuwarder Courant Dutch ePaper published from Leeuwarden, Netherlands

Leeuwarder Courant Newspaper Information

The Leeuwarder Courant is the oldest daily newspaper in the Netherlands. Founded by Abraham Ferwerda, it first appeared in 1752. The Leeuwarder Courant was the first paper in the Dutch province Friesland and its capital Leeuwarden. It is considered a "popular" (as opposed to "quality") newspaper.

Abraham Ferwerda was a printer and publisher in Leeuwarden, who first published the Leeuwarder Courant on July 29, 1752, and reportedly made a fortune publishing his paper. From the beginning, the intention was to produce a politically neutral paper which would gain revenue from objectively reporting news; until well into the nineteenth century the paper maintained its rather bland image. A conscious choice was also to focus on mercantile and international news, rather than report on too many local issues which might cause controversy with the local and national governments. In fact, during the latter part of the eighteenth century (the period which saw the decline of the Dutch Republic) the paper was criticized its lack of patriotism. For a long time it was the only medium for advertisements in the region, which helped ensure its commercial success, and until 1842 it was the only serious newspaper in Friesland.