[1][2] Established in 1993 as an alternative to the Der Spiegel weekly news magazine,[3][4] since 2015 the editorial staff has been headquartered in Germany's capital of Berlin.

[17][18] The lead story on the alleged comeback of Hans-Dietrich Genscher as the successor of Richard von Weizsäcker in the office of the Federal President was later proven to be a canard.

[19] There was an equal mix of positive and negative reviews: Whereas journalists tended to take a critical view towards Focus, advertisers had consistently favorable responses.

[23][24][25] In mid-1994, a Dutch court ruled that due to brand disputes, Focus was no longer allowed to be sold in Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

[36][37] Over the first five years of its existence, Focus repeatedly created a sensation with its interviews of key celebrities, e.g. in 1996 with real estate mogul Jürgen Schneider after his arrest, or in 1997 with Leo Kirch in the aftermath of his media group's collapse.

[38] The Focus concept was also successfully adapted outside of Europe,[39] e.g. in the form of Época magazine by the Brazilian media house Grupo Globo.

[40][41] At the beginning of 1999, Focus for the first time achieved higher readership than Spiegel,[42][43] and in the years to follow, managed to further expand its lead position.

[44][45] The year 2000 saw the launch of Focus Money, an off-shoot of the news magazine, dedicated to business and financial topics.

[60][61] Irrespective of the public debate surrounding the affair, Focus continued its development, yet like all news magazines, was grappling with declining circulation.

[69][70][71][72] According to media reports, publisher Markwort and Baur had "rejected" the new direction of the Focus and "ultimately obstructed it more and more heavily".

[73][74] The paid circulation of single copies "more and more heavily" declined under Weimer's and Baur's leadership, dropping below the 100,000 mark.

[78] For example, the magazine ran an exposé on soccer manager Uli Hoeness's voluntary disclosure of his tax evasion and landed the scoop on the so-called "Nazi-era treasure trove" of art collector Cornelius Gurlitt.

[84] In 2016, there was again a change at the head of the editorial staff:[85] Robert Schneider, formerly Editor-in-chief of Superillu,[86] replaced Reitz, who remained until the end of the year, responsible for the topics of politics and debate.

[97] With comparatively shorter texts, more graphics, more impactful visuals and ranking lists, readers are offered information that is easier to absorb.

[101] Major controversy erupted over a Focus story on a mission involving Germany's elite counter-terror unit, GSG 9, in the village of Bad Kleinen, leading to staff offices being searched in January 1994.

[102] Law enforcement authorities investigated the magazine because confidential sources had been quoted, e.g. an assessment report from the Federal Criminal Police Office, the Bundeskriminalamt, and the pocket agenda of the killed RAF terrorist, Wolfgang Grams.