Newspapers of the East Cantons: Belgium's German-language media

Belgium's German-language press rests on the Eupen daily Grenz-Echo, the public broadcaster BRF, the free weekly Wochenspiegel and the Ostbelgien Direkt website, all in German and available online, with Grenz-Echo keeping some articles for subscribers.

From Versailles to Ostbelgien

The cantons of Eupen and Malmedy were transferred to Belgium by the Treaty of Versailles in 1920. Their German-language press was shaped by the annexation of 1940 to 1944, and then by the gradual building of the German-speaking Community's autonomy.

Nine municipalities and around 78,000 residents

The German-speaking Community comprises nine municipalities, including Eupen, Kelmis, Raeren, Bütgenbach and St. Vith. This small readership, wedged between Germany, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, explains the modest size of its media, which pay close attention to cross-border issues.

Grenz-Echo, Eupen's daily since 1927

Founded in 1927, Grenz-Echo is the only Belgian daily in German. It covers Community politics, life in the municipalities of northern and southern Ostbelgien, the regional economy and local sport, with a digital edition that is partly behind a paywall.

BRF, the German-language public broadcaster

Belgischer Rundfunk, based in Eupen, is the public broadcaster of the German-speaking Community. It airs radio news bulletins, television programmes and runs a free news website, a natural counterpart to RTBF and VRT for the other communities.

Wochenspiegel and Ostbelgien Direkt

Wochenspiegel, a free weekly delivered to letterboxes, mixes classified ads with local news. The Ostbelgien Direkt website, a digital-only regional outlet, quickly publishes local incidents, political debates and reader comments, in a blunter tone than Grenz-Echo.

The Eupen Parliament in the news

The Parliament of the German-speaking Community and its government, both based in Eupen, sit at the heart of local political news. The media follow education, health and employment, powers gradually transferred to the Community over successive reforms.

What role for French?

Many residents also read the French-language press, especially the Liège editions of Sudinfo and L'Avenir, since Liège and Verviers are the nearby major centres. The Belgian regional press thus covers Ostbelgien, particularly Malmedy and Waimes, French-speaking municipalities with language facilities.

Aachen, Cologne and the German press

The proximity of Aachen draws many readers to the Aachener Zeitung or to German public channels such as WDR. To place these titles in context, see the German press online; they rarely report on Belgian institutions, however.

Luxembourg, the southern neighbour of Ostbelgien

In the south, St. Vith and Burg-Reuland look towards the Grand Duchy, where many cross-border commuters work. The Luxemburger Wort, published largely in German, and the other titles of the Luxembourg press cover cross-border employment and taxation.

Sport and community life in the cantons

Football club KAS Eupen, which has played in the Belgian top division, takes up a large share of Grenz-Echo and BRF coverage. Local clubs, skiing in the High Fens and cycling around St. Vith also fill the sports pages.

News agency and national wire stories

Belga does not produce a German-language wire: newsrooms in Eupen translate national dispatches themselves from French or Dutch. BRF therefore publishes summaries of federal politics in Brussels, useful for German speakers less familiar with the other languages.

Subscriptions and fact-checking

Grenz-Echo offers a digital subscription and an e-paper, while BRF and Wochenspiegel are free. For sensitive information, compare the two main local sources and check press releases from the ministry of the German-speaking Community before drawing any conclusions.

Following Ostbelgien news from abroad

1. Read the Grenz-Echo headlines each morning, then dig into the local stories you care about with a digital subscription.
2. Listen live or by podcast to the news from BRF, the German-language public broadcaster in Eupen.
3. Bookmark Ostbelgien Direkt for fast-moving news and local debates.
4. Visit the official German-speaking Community website for government and Parliament decisions.
5. Add a Liège daily or the Aachener Zeitung for cross-border matters.
6. Check the date of articles on municipal mergers or institutional reforms, topics that resurface often.

Access to Belgium's German-language media

Ostbelgien key facts

• Language: German, with French in common use
• Capital: Eupen, seat of the Parliament and government
• Daily: Grenz-Echo, founded in 1927
• Public broadcaster: BRF (Belgischer Rundfunk)
• Free weekly: Wochenspiegel
• Time zone: Central European Time
• Currency: the euro

Reading traps in the German-language press

• Confusing a German outlet from Aachen with a Belgian one, when laws, taxes and institutions differ on either side of the border.
• Believing that Malmedy and Waimes belong to the German-speaking Community, when they fall under the French Community.
• Taking reader comments on a local website for the editorial line or for verified information.
• Sharing an old wire story about the Community's powers without checking the reforms made since.
• Using sites that bypass the Grenz-Echo paywall, which are often riddled with malicious advertising.

Questions about German-language media in Belgium