Kiepenheuer & Witsch

Kiepenheuer & Witsch is a German publishing house based in Cologne. Commonly abbreviated as KiWi, it was founded in 1951 by Joseph Caspar Witsch and Gustav Kiepenheuer. The company publishes books primarily for the German-language market and presents its catalogue through its publisher website, which features books, authors, bestsellers, new releases and a magazine. Its catalogue spans literary fiction and entertainment as well as nonfiction. The publisher’s website organizes books into subject and genre areas, including history and contemporary history, and short stories and collections. Its displayed formats include hardcover, paperback and paperback editions with flaps. The catalogue combines German-language authors and works in translation; the website, for example, lists books by Shida Bazyar, Maxim Biller, Eric Pfeil, Vladimir Sorokin and Miranda July. The publisher’s official history page divides its account into periods beginning with “1947–1968: Founding and pioneering work” and continuing through later eras, including digital change, developments from 2019 to 2026, new leadership and a 75th-anniversary period. The company remains active, with its site presenting new releases and current author and book information. Its publishing operation is part of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group.

Kiepenheuer & Witsch is a Cologne-based German publishing house founded in 1951 by Joseph Caspar Witsch and Gustav Kiepenheuer. The publisher’s own history page frames its early period as “1947–1968: Founding and pioneering work.” The period label begins before the commonly cited founding year; it is the publisher’s heading for its historical account, not a claim that the company was founded in 1947. The publisher identifies subsequent stages as “1969–1980: A new era,” “1980–1999: The 80s and 90s,” and “2000–2010: Start into the new millennium.” Its account then highlights “2011 to 2014: The digital revolution of publishing” and “2015–2018: Record revenues and sad farewells.” The headings show the publisher’s own broad periodization, but do not provide enough detail to attribute particular developments, individuals or financial figures to those eras. For 2019–2026, the history page uses the heading “New leadership and publishing anniversary: 75 years.” The company’s current website shows an active publishing programme, with new releases, author features, bestseller listings and a magazine. Its catalogue includes fiction and entertainment, nonfiction, history and contemporary history, and short-story collections. The publisher is part of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group.

• 2019

  New leadership and anniversary period

• 2011

  Digital change period begins

• 1951

  Publisher founded in Cologne

A German-language trade publisher with a catalogue spanning literary and entertainment books and nonfiction.

• Books by Kiepenheuer & Witsch

  The catalogue includes literary and entertainment titles, nonfiction, history and contemporary history, and short-story collections, offered in formats including hardcover and paperback.

1. 1Bücher und Autoren | Kiepenheuer & Witschkiwi-verlag.de
2. 2Verlagsgeschichte | Kiepenheuer & Witschkiwi-verlag.de
3. 3Bücher | Kiepenheuer & Witschkiwi-verlag.de
4. 4Erzählungen & Kurzgeschichten | Kiepenheuer & Witschkiwi-verlag.de