[1] L'Est Républicain was founded in Nancy by Léon Goulette on 5 May 1889, the day of the inauguration of the Exposition Universelle for which the Eiffel Tower was built.

The newspaper was then the sixth daily in the Nancy press, alongside the Journal de la Meurthe et des Vosges (1799), L'Espérance (1838) and L'Impartial.

[6][7][8] On 1 April 1911 René Mercier became head of the newspaper, replacing Léon Goulette who held an anti-Dreyfusard position.

Due to the premises' becoming too cramped, René Mercier bought land from the Compagnie de l'Est, at the corner of the Faubourg Saint-Jean.

In March 1913, the editorial staff moved into a hotel designed by the French architect Pierre Le Bourgeois in the style of the École de Nancy.

The newspaper was modernized: new presentation, introduction of photographs, new sections on fashion, industry and agriculture, hiring of young journalists and numerous correspondents.

The newspaper then shifted rather to the left, while denouncing pacifists and antimilitarists, and supporting the action of the Lorraine-based Raymond Poincaré, President of the French Republic.

The newspaper helped maintain the morale of Nancy, especially during the Battle of Grand Couronné in 1914, and when evacuating the city was considered in 1918.

[citation needed] In 1927, the newspaper was printed in 100,000 copies and extended its distribution to Haute-Saône and the Territoire de Belfort.

On 14 June, as the Germans entered Paris, the newspaper was scuttled, just like its competitor, L'Éclair de l'Est, the next day.

Finally, on 8 October 1944 L'Est Républicain returned with Jacques Zenner as editor[13] 11 and several agencies, in Metz, Nancy, Besançon, Pontarlier, etc.

In May 1997, L'Est Républicain became the majority shareholder of the Les Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace, based in Strasbourg, by buying back the shares of Banque Vernes [fr] for 250 million francs.

[7] On 26 October Christophe de Beco, nephew of CEO Gérard Lignac, was appointed managing director of L'Est Républicain.

[18] In October 2002, Le Journal de la Haute-Marne became a société par actions simplifiée[14] 50% owned by L'Est Républicain.

[19][20] On 23 September 2006 L'Est Républicain revealed a confidential-defense note from the DGSE indicating that the Saudi secret services were convinced that Osama bin Laden died on 23 August 2006 of a typhoid fever attack.

[27][28] On 12 July 2011 the Autorité de la concurrence authorized the takeover of the Est Républicain group by Crédit Mutuel.

[30] On 1 October 2013 the Franche-Comté daily Le Pays [fr], owned by L'Alsace, was sold to L'Est Républicain.

[6] In March 1913, the head office was transferred to a building[36][37][38][39] located at the corner of avenue Foch and boulevard Joffre, opposite the Magasins Réunis, not far from the station.

It was designed by the French architect Pierre Le Bourgeois in the style of the École de Nancy, similar to Art Nouveau.