WSJ to launch German-language site

The Wall Street Journal announced plans Wednesday to launch a German-language news siteas well as digital products designed to build its presence in Germany, Europe’s largest economy.

The move is part of the Journal’s worldwide digital expansion which combines global news with locally focused coverage. The company’s portfolio of local language sites currently includes WSJ China and WSJ Japan.

“Germany is an economic powerhouse and its relative importance in our increasingly complex world is growing. But that means German businesses, professionals and leaders must have instant access to the highest quality news from around the globe,” said Robert Thomson, editor-in-chief of Dow Jones & Co. and managing editor of The Journal, in a statement. “There is no doubt German readers are distinct and discerning and we will do our utmost to satisfy their demands.”

The January 2012 launch will expand Dow Jones’ current German language news offering, which includes a German language newswire service.

The Web site, together with mobile and tablet applications, and mobile internet site, will feature a mix of free and subscriber-only content from The Journal and across the Dow Jones global network, as well as news and analysis written by reporters based in Frankfurt, Berlin, Düsseldorf and Hamburg.

The Wall Street Journal has appointed Knut Engelmann as managing editor, Germany, newswires and wallstreetjournal.de, charged with overseeing a new combined news operation serving both Dow Jones Newswires and the German language Web site.

Prior to joining Dow Jones, Engelmann spent 16 years at Thomson Reuters, most recently as Wall Street editor and global company news editor based in New York.   He has also run Reuters’ news operations in Germany, Switzerland, Austria and the Balkans from Frankfurt.