In 1833 Johann Rudolf Ringi­er pur­chased a print­ing works fa­cility in the Swiss town of Zofin­gen and began by print­ing regional gazettes and school curri­cu­lums. The small workshop soon evolved into a national newspaper-pub­lish­ing house. Schweizer Illus­tri­erte was first pub­lished in 1911 us­ing letter­press. It was Switzer­land's most successful people mag­a­zine and remains so to this day. In 1959 Ringi­er took the Swiss public by surprise launch­ing the country's first tabloid, Blick. The concept of the publication’s style prompted vio­lent con­tro­ver­sy among readers but proved very successful. Ringi­er first ven­tured into the televi­sion busi­ness in 1984, founding the local TV programming compa­ny, Züriv­i­sion. In 1987, Ringi­er expanded abroad for the first time, to Asia. The compa­ny's first activ­ities in East­ern Eu­rope took place in 1990. Al­though the Inter­net only began gain­ing mo­mentum as a mass medium to­wards the end of the 1990s, Ringi­er rec­ognized its po­tential as early as 1996, and began to con­quer the electron­ic me­dia with the Blick On­line and CASH On­line websites. Ringi­er adopted a corporate strategy based on three ar­eas of busi­ness: pub­lish­ing, dig­ital busi­ness and entertain­ment in 2009. Launch­ing a joint ven­ture unique to the compa­ny’s history in 2010, Ringi­er partnered with German pub­lish­er Axel Springer to found Ringi­er Axel Springer Me­dia AG to boost busi­ness in Central Eu­rope.

[2003 to present] Ringier today - international, multimedia, diversified

In 2012 Marc Walder is ap­pointed new CEO of Ringi­er AG.

In 2010 Ringi­er and Axel Springer launch a major joint ven­ture merg­ing activ­ities in the Czech Re­public, Serbia, Po­land and Slovakia under the name Ringi­er Axel Springer Me­dia AG.

In 2009 Ringi­er launches the new busi­ness unit Entertain­ment, integrating all Ringi­er Switzer­land event, ra­dio and TV activ­ities. At the same time, the group launches its new corporate strategy building on three core busi­ness ar­eas: pub­lish­ing, dig­ital busi­ness and entertain­ment. 

Founding Times-Ringier (HK) Ltd. jointly with Times Publishing Co., Singapore, Ringier takes its first step into Asia. The Hong Kong printing plant soon makes its mark in magazine printing. Ringier subsequently sells the plant to Hong Kong Economic Times Holding Ltd. in 2011.

The newspaper Blick is pub­lished for the first time. Switzer­land's first tabloid causes a sen­sa­tion and provokes vio­lent re­actions among the Swiss public. With its use of the col­or red as well as large photographs, the paper stands out es­thet­ically from the sober Swiss newspapers of the day, which are tied to po­lit­ical parties. Blick also ven­tures into new territory in terms of con­tent, focus­ing on top­ics of nationwide inter­est, fea­tur­ing extensive sports coverage and initiating a po­lit­ically independent status. Ringi­er's first at­tempt to pen­e­trate the newspaper mar­ket proves a success. Blick is still Switzer­land’s most widely read dai­ly to this day.

Johann Rudolf Ringi­er, a pastor's son, buys a print shop in Zofin­gen (Switzer­land) and be­gins print­ing regional gazettes and schools curriculums. The first newspaper he produces as a pub­lish­er is the weekly Zofin­ger Wochenblatt. Zofin­gen is a small rural town with a popu­lation of about 3,000.