Condé Nast closes German Vanity Fair

The German edition of celebrity and style magazine Vanity Fair is to shut after the country proved too tough a nut to crack for the publisher of the American-based magazine.

Jonathan Newhouse, head of Condé Nast International, said this week's edition will be the last.

He blamed "serious business challenges" and "difficulties which could not have been foreseen even a short time ago".

But in reality, uptight and distinctly unglamorous Germany always displayed apathy toward the frothy mix of showbiz and lifestyle articles the glossy mag offered.

"In a normal economic climate, we would have bravely carried on publishing Vanity Fair," Newhouse said. "In today's bleak economic climate, it is impossible."

The magazine will shut down offices in Berlin and Munich. However, Condé Nast could not say how many jobs would be affected or how many people would be moved to other titles owned by the publisher.

The magazine was launched amid considerable fanfare in February 2007, but quickly disappointed high expectations in German media circles.