Cicero – Magazin für politische Kultur

What Cicero – Magazin für politische Kultur does

Cicero – Magazin für politische Kultur is a German political and cultural magazine founded in 2002 and published by Res Publica Verlags GmbH, headquartered at Fasanenstraße 7–8 in Berlin. The publication operates a dual-channel model combining a monthly print magazine with a digital platform at cicero.de, and serves German-speaking readers seeking substantive political analysis, cultural commentary, and exclusive interviews covering domestic politics, foreign policy, economics, and culture. The intended audience comprises politically engaged individuals including policymakers, business leaders, academics, and interested citizens across the DACH region.

The product portfolio spans six core lines: the ad-supported Cicero Online website, the paid premium tier Cicero Plus (€9.80/month or €99/year, €2.00 introductory first month), the monthly print subscription (Jahresabo €141.60/year), the digital E-Paper PDF edition, native iOS and Android mobile applications, and three podcast series (Politik, Literaturen, Gesellschaft). A micropayment product, tiun, allows non-subscribers to purchase individual articles. The underlying technology is conventional digital publishing infrastructure: a CMS-driven website, PDF-based e-paper delivery, subscription management systems, and native mobile apps; no proprietary AI, APIs, or integration platforms are evidenced. Order processing, payment handling, and shipping are outsourced to MEXO Medien Expert Online GmbH.

Revenue is generated through four streams: recurring print and digital subscriptions, premium Cicero Plus subscriptions, display advertising on the freemium website, and micropayments via tiun. Distribution leverages the company's own website, e-commerce shop, e-paper platform, mobile apps, social channels (Facebook, Instagram, X), and a daily email newsletter. The company is privately held by the founding/management group, led by Managing Director and Publisher Alexander Marguier alongside Publisher Dr. Dirk Notheis, with no disclosed venture or private equity backing.

Name

Cicero – Magazin für politische Kultur

Legal name

Res Publica Verlags GmbH

Website

https://cicero.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cicero – Magazin für politische Kultur is a German political and cultural magazine published since 2002 by Res Publica Verlags GmbH in Berlin, serving German-speaking readers across the DACH region through print, digital subscriptions, podcasts, mobile apps, and a premium paywall.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Political Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)

Keywords

• Political journalism
• Magazine publishing
• Digital subscriptions
• Cultural commentary
• News media

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Cicero Plus Subscription: Premium subscription service offering unlimited access to all exclusive articles online, including content from the printed magazine and selected high-quality editorial content. First month costs 2,00€, then 9,80€/month, or 99,00€/year.
2. Print Magazine Subscription: Monthly print magazine delivered to subscribers, available as print-only, digital-only, or combined print+digital (Kombiabo) packages. Options include probeabo, jahresabo, and halbjahresabo.
3. Digital Advertising: Website monetized through display advertising on cicero.de, supporting the freemium model of free access to selected articles.
4. tiun Micro-payment: Pay-per-article option allowing non-subscribers to purchase individual articles, targeting casual readers who do not want a full subscription.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Cicero publishes a monthly German-language magazine on political and cultural affairs in print and digital editions, supported by the cicero.de website, the Cicero Plus premium subscription, a portfolio of podcasts, iOS/Android mobile apps, an e-paper platform, and the tiun micropayment option for single-article purchases. Free articles on the website are monetized via advertising, while premium editorial content and the e-paper sit behind the Cicero Plus paywall.

Product overview

Cicero – Magazin für politische Kultur is a German online and print political magazine published by Res Publica Verlags GmbH. The company operates a dual offering: Cicero Online (the free and premium web platform) and Cicero+ (the paid subscription service for exclusive content). The product portfolio includes the core digital platform, a paid premium tier (Cicero+), audio content (Cicero Podcasts), print subscriptions, E-Paper digital editions, mobile applications, and tiun micropayment access. Cicero+ is the primary revenue driver, providing unlimited access to all premium articles, while free content is supported by advertising.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cicero Plus: Premium digital subscription service offering unlimited access to exclusive articles and ePaper editions.
• Cicero Podcasts

Products and services

• Cicero Online
• Cicero+
• Cicero Podcasts

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MEXO Medien Expert Online GmbHminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerMEXO Medien Expert Online GmbH handles order processing, payment processing, and shipping for Cicero subscriptions as a fulfillment service partner. Located at Am Bahnhof 3, 19086 Plate, Germany.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Tages-Anzeiger: Swiss German-language newspaper with political analysis and cultural coverage. Comparable to Cicero in German-language political commentary and subscription model, but serving a primarily Swiss audience rather than the German market.

Direct peers

• Die Zeit: German weekly newspaper with strong political, cultural, and intellectual editorial positioning. Comparable to Cicero in subscription model, audience demographics (intellectually engaged German readers), and political commentary focus.
• Stern: Iconic German weekly magazine covering politics, culture, and society. Directly comparable to Cicero in magazine format, broad political and cultural editorial coverage, and German mass-market subscription model.
• Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ): Leading German daily newspaper with a strong opinion and political analysis section. Comparable to Cicero in political commentary depth, paywalled digital model, and target audience of politically engaged German professionals.
• Neue Zürcher Zeitung (NZZ): Swiss German-language newspaper with strong political and cultural commentary. Comparable to Cicero in German-language political journalism, premium subscription model, and intellectual target audience, though operating from Switzerland.
• Welt (Die Welt): German national newspaper with strong political opinion section and conservative-liberal editorial stance. Comparable to Cicero in opinion-driven political content, paywalled digital model, and target reader profile.
• Der Spiegel: Germany's flagship weekly news magazine covering politics, economics, and culture. Closely comparable to Cicero in format (weekly print + digital subscription) and audience (politically engaged German readers), though at substantially greater scale.
• Focus: German weekly news magazine owned by Hubert Burda Media covering politics, economics, and culture. Directly comparable to Cicero in category (political news magazine), subscription model, and German audience targeting.
• Süddeutsche Zeitung: Major German daily newspaper with substantial political analysis and cultural coverage. Comparable to Cicero in political commentary, digital paywall structure, and premium subscription tier offerings.

Emerging players

• Politico Europe: European political journalism outlet focused on policy and politics coverage. Comparable to Cicero in political news focus and digital-first subscription model, though with a pan-European rather than German-specific audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cicero_online
• Facebookfacebook.com/CiceroMagazin
• Instagraminstagram.com/ciceromagazin
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cicero-magazin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cicero – Magazin für politische Kultur