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“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen” - Jan Hofer has welcomed the viewers of the “Tagesschau” as a speaker for over 35 years.

This is also the case on the program this Monday, December 14th.

A special evening for Hofer: for the last time, he hosted the flagship news on German television.

Hofer will retire at the end of the year.

As expected, this 8 p.m. broadcast on ARD was also about Corona, politics and sport.

But in the last few minutes Hofer himself was the focus.

His successor Jens Riewa ushered in the departure of his colleague: "There are two of us today because an era is coming to an end on German television."

A film showed the highlights of Hofer's career.

It began with the news read out by Hofer of Boris Becker's first Wimbledon victory in 1985, went through the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 to the attacks of September 11, 2001 and Angela Merkel's chancellorship.

And criticism was also alluded to - for example, angry audience reactions when Hofer presented the 2014 World Cup final in outerwear that resembled the jersey colors of Germany's opponent Argentina.

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After the weather, Hofer turned to his audience himself.

“That was my last daily news show after almost 36 years.

A big thank you for staying loyal to us and me for so many years, ”said Hofer.

He thanked them for the congratulations - he hadn't expected the overwhelming number.

He also thanked his colleagues “in front of and behind the camera”.

"For me today for the last time it means: Good evening ladies and gentlemen and do it well." While he said goodbye to the audience, he took off his red tie with a smile.

"You will always be Mr. Tagesschau"

A few hours before his last broadcast, Hofer enthusiastically posted the audience rating from the previous evening on his Instagram profile: 15.9 million viewers had tuned in.

“Last night in the Tagesschau.

Thank you thank you thank you.

Can we top that tonight? ”He wrote.

Many people thanked him for his work in the comments.

"You will always be Mr. Tagesschau," it said about.

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No other spokesman has been active for the "Tagesschau" as long as Jan Hofer: He has been part of the ARD aktuell's speaking team since 1985, with which he spent about half his life on the ARD news program.

In 2004 Hofer became chief spokesman.

He started his media career with radio.

Later, in addition to his work as a newscaster, he was also the presenter of television and talk shows, including 20 years for the “Riverboat” of the MDR.

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Jan Hofer does not want to go into full retirement yet, as he told the "Hamburger Abendblatt".

He is talking to his management about whether he should do his own podcast.

NDR director Joachim Knuth praised Hofer as an institution: “Quiet, thoughtful, serious.

Jan Hofer is an institution and has been the face and voice of television news in Germany for decades.

He has managed to keep up with the times without bending. "

After around 36 years in the "Tagesschau" service, saying goodbye is not difficult, Hofer said on Monday in Hamburg.

For example, he likes to do without getting up early and shift work.

Now he is looking forward to more time for his family and hobbies.

Hofer has four children and is married to a second marriage.