On 11 April 1961 Rudolf Augstein, the founder of Der Spiegel, wrote an editorial addressed Lieber Spiegel-Leser, dear Spiegel reader. In it he named the only way for a journalist to change reality. Er kann sagen, was ist. He can say what is. Today the words Sagen, was ist, to say what is, stand on the wall of the atrium of the Spiegel building at the Ericusspitze in Hamburg. The lettering copies Augstein’s handwriting. The building opened in 2011. Augstein did not invent the phrase. It can be traced back to Rosa Luxemburg.