Almost two months after leaving as editor-in-chief of the Bild newspaper, Julian Reichelt spoke for the first time in a published newspaper interview.

In an interview with the weekly newspaper “Zeit”, the 41-year-old journalist expressed his disappointment with the boss of the Axel Springer Group Mathias Döpfner in several places.

Reichelt also spoke about his professional plans.

The ex-editor-in-chief, who headed Germany's largest tabloid for several years, pointed out that he had not lied to the group about his relationship with an employee. He said of Döpfner: “That's why I was very surprised at how surprised he claims to have been. The bottom line was that I was thrown out because of my relationship. "A Springer spokesman said in response to a dpa request:" We have nothing to add to our previous presentation. "

Springer released Reichelt from his duties in mid-October. The group had justified the end of the cooperation as follows: “As a result of press research, the company had gained new insights into the current behavior of Julian Reichelt in the last few days. The company investigated this information. The management board learned that Julian Reichelt did not clearly separate personal and professional matters even after completing the compliance procedure in spring 2021 and told the management board the untruth. "

In the spring, the media company initiated internal proceedings against Reichelt.

According to Springer, the core of the investigation was the allegations of abuse of power in connection with consensual relationships with female employees and drug use in the workplace.

The group came to the conclusion that Reichelt should get a second chance.

The US newspaper New York Times then published a report on Reichelt and the group in October, and an investigative team at the Ippen media group had been researching for months.

The results were partly incorporated into a report by the news magazine Spiegel.

"The picture was Julian Reichelt"

When asked about the time whether he saw his “eviction” coming, Reichelt said: “No, I was on vacation, was standing by the car train to Sylt when the call came from Mathias on the cell phone.

After twenty years of loyal work, ten of them in war zones, I was disposed of on the phone in twenty minutes. "

Reichelt said about his professional future that he “definitely wants to continue”.

He added: “If there isn't a suitable one, in a free country you have the opportunity to create this job yourself.” He doesn't want to do PR, “but journalism for the masses.

I love giving a strong voice to millions of people ”.

He also talked about being asked whether he could live without "a picture", the newspaper was his life.

Reichelt said: “That is wrong.

Julian Reichelt is not an image, but rather: an image was Julian Reichelt.

What this brand represented was based on my work, my thoughts. "