Melantrich
Melantrich was a major Czech publishing and newspaper house established in 1897 and closed in 1999.
Last updated November 4, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Melantrich, formally known in Czech as Nakladatelství Melantrich, was one of the most important Czech publishing and newspaper enterprises of the twentieth century. It was founded in Prague in 1897 by the Czech National Social Party, a political movement whose name reflected the Czech national-socialist tradition of the period and was unrelated to German National Socialism. The original enterprise was established as Knihtiskárna národně sociálního dělnictva, or the Printing Press of the National Socialist Workers. Its first newspaper, Česká demokracie, did not achieve lasting success, but the organization created the institutional and technical base for a much more influential publishing operation. A decisive turning point came in 1907, when printer and manager Jaroslav Šalda worked with party leader Václav Klofáč to launch České slovo. The daily newspaper became successful enough to support expansion, and in 1910 the company acquired the Hvězda building on Wenceslas Square in Prague. The publishing house adopted the name Melantrich in honor of the Renaissance printer and publisher Jiří Melantrich of Aventino. After reconstruction in 1922, the Wenceslas Square building became identified with the Melantrich name and later developed into one of the most recognizable sites associated with Czech political and media life. The company broadened its publishing program after receiving official permission in 1919 to issue a larger range of newspapers and journals. Its portfolio included daily papers, illustrated periodicals, weekly publications, books, commercial graphics, and later film and music-related activities. Pražský ilustrovaný zpravodaj is generally identified as the first tabloid published in the Czech lands. Titles such as Večerní slovo and Svobodný zítřek achieved very large circulations, in some instances exceeding one million. Melantrich also became a substantial book publisher, issuing works by writers including Božena Benešová, Jan Čep, Jaroslav Durych, Egon Hostovský, Josef Kopta, Vítězslav Nezval, Ivan Olbracht, and Vladislav Vančura. During the interwar First Czechoslovak Republic, Šalda's management helped Melantrich become the country's largest publishing house. Expansion included the acquisition of the Koppe & Bellmann printing works in Smíchov in 1926 and the establishment of branches in Ostrava in 1928, Brno in 1934, and later Žilina. The company also entered film production and commercial graphics during the 1930s. In 1936 it established MelPa, a music-publishing venture formed with Pazdírek. The German occupation in 1939 placed the company under severe political pressure. Melantrich remained in operation, but Šalda was imprisoned in 1941 and Nazi collaborators took control. After the Second World War, České slovo was renamed Svobodné slovo. Šalda was removed from his executive position by the party after he declined to return to political involvement. The communist takeover in 1948 brought nationalization and organizational fragmentation. In 1950, the reconstituted Czechoslovak Socialist Party received the right to control the enterprise while the state remained its formal owner. The publishing house was renamed Svobodné slovo-Melantrich in 1950, shortened to Svobodné slovo in 1960, and restored to Melantrich in 1967. These ownership and control arrangements later became the subject of post-1989 disputes and litigation. Melantrich's Wenceslas Square balcony gained renewed historical importance during the Velvet Revolution in 1989, when it served as a platform for speakers addressing crowds of protesters. The socialist party later used the balcony as a central symbol of its unsuccessful 1990 election campaign. During the 1990s, however, ownership disputes, repeated changes in the leadership of Svobodné slovo, and declining newspaper circulation weakened the business. A media company connected with the Chemapol group acquired Melantrich in 1996. Svobodné slovo was renamed Slovo and sold in 1998, while Chemapol entered bankruptcy proceedings that year. Melantrich ultimately closed in 1999, unable to compete effectively in the transforming Czech media and publishing market. Its former Prague headquarters was later converted into a luxury hotel.
History
Melantrich originated in Prague on July 9, 1897, when the Czech National Social Party established a printing enterprise called Knihtiskárna národně sociálního dělnictva. The political movement had emerged from a split in the Czechoslavonic Social Democratic Workers' Party. Alongside the press, it launched the daily Česká demokracie under Václav Klofáč, but that newspaper did not achieve substantial success. The enterprise's trajectory changed in 1907. Jaroslav Šalda, a skilled employee of the printing press, joined Klofáč in creating České slovo. The daily proved commercially successful and supplied the financial foundation for a broader media organization. In 1910 the company purchased the Hvězda building on Wenceslas Square. It later adopted the name Melantrich, referring to the Renaissance Czech printer Jiří Melantrich of Aventino. Following reconstruction in 1922, the building became a prominent physical symbol of the publishing house. In 1919, after obtaining an official permit, Melantrich expanded into a broad range of newspapers and journals. Its activities included the first tabloid in the Czech lands, Pražský ilustrovaný zpravodaj, as well as other mass-circulation daily and weekly titles. In 1924 it became a joint-stock company. The company expanded its production infrastructure by acquiring the Koppe & Bellmann printing press in Smíchov in 1926 and opening branches in Ostrava in 1928, Brno in 1934, and later Žilina. During the 1930s it added film production and commercial graphics, and in 1936 created the MelPa music-publishing company with Pazdírek. Melantrich was also a major book publisher. Its list covered a broad range of contemporary Czech literature and included authors such as Božena Benešová, Jan Čep, Jaroslav Durych, Egon Hostovský, Josef Kopta, Vítězslav Nezval, Ivan Olbracht, and Vladislav Vančura. Some periodicals, including Večerní slovo and Svobodný zítřek, reportedly reached circulations above one million. Under Šalda, Melantrich became the largest publisher in the First Czechoslovak Republic. The Nazi occupation in 1939 changed the company's operating environment. Melantrich stayed in business, but Šalda was imprisoned in 1941 and Nazi collaborators took over the enterprise. Following the war, České slovo was renamed Svobodné slovo. Šalda was later removed from his executive role by the party after he refused to resume political participation. The communist seizure of power in 1948 led to nationalization and the division of Melantrich into three parts. In 1950, the Czechoslovak Socialist Party received the right to control the company, while formal ownership remained with the state. The organization was renamed Svobodné slovo-Melantrich in 1950, Svobodné slovo in 1960, and Melantrich again in 1967. The legal basis of these arrangements became contentious after the fall of communism. In 1989, during the Velvet Revolution, the balcony of the Melantrich building became a stage for public speakers addressing demonstrators assembled in Wenceslas Square. The socialist party subsequently used the balcony as a central emblem of its unsuccessful 1990 electoral campaign. The company's commercial position nevertheless deteriorated during the 1990s. Ownership conflicts and litigation occupied much of the first half of the decade, while Svobodné slovo experienced repeated editorial leadership changes and declining circulation. A media company linked to the Chemapol group acquired Melantrich in 1996. Svobodné slovo was renamed Slovo and sold in 1998. Chemapol went bankrupt in the same year, and Melantrich closed in 1999. The company was one of several established Czech publishing organizations that struggled to adapt to the competitive post-communist media environment. The former Melantrich building was subsequently converted into a luxury hotel.
- 1999
Closure
[1]Melantrich ceased operations after prolonged ownership and commercial difficulties.
- 1996
Acquisition associated with Chemapol
[1]A media company connected with the Chemapol group acquired Melantrich.
- 1989
Role in the Velvet Revolution
[1]The Melantrich building balcony became a major public speaking platform during the Velvet Revolution.
- 1967
Return to the Melantrich name
[1]After periods under the Svobodné slovo name, the publishing house again used Melantrich.
- 1948
Nationalization
[1]The communist takeover resulted in nationalization and division of the company.
- 1945
České slovo renamed Svobodné slovo
[1]The principal newspaper was renamed Svobodné slovo after the Second World War.
- 1936
Creation of MelPa
[1]Melantrich and Pazdírek established the music-publishing company MelPa.
- 1924
Conversion to a joint-stock company
[1]The enterprise adopted a joint-stock structure.
- 1910
Acquisition of the Wenceslas Square building
[1]Melantrich acquired the Hvězda building, later identified with the publishing house.
- 1907
Launch of České slovo
[1]Jaroslav Šalda and Václav Klofáč launched the daily České slovo, which became the company's principal growth engine.
Products and positioning
A politically connected Czech mass-media and publishing house that combined newspapers, periodicals, books, printing, and cultural production.
Daily newspaper · 1907
České slovo
Launched in 1907 by Jaroslav Šalda and Václav Klofáč, České slovo became the newspaper that transformed the party printing press into a commercially powerful publishing enterprise. It was the principal predecessor of Svobodné slovo, the postwar title adopted after 1945.
Daily newspaper · 1945
Svobodné slovo
Renamed from České slovo in 1945, Svobodné slovo was Melantrich's principal postwar newspaper. Its editorial leadership changed repeatedly during the 1990s, while circulation declined amid ownership disputes and the restructuring of the Czech media market. It was later renamed Slovo and sold in 1998.
Illustrated newspaper · 1919
Pražský ilustrovaný zpravodaj
An illustrated periodical launched after Melantrich received authorization to publish a wider range of newspapers and journals. It is identified as the first tabloid in the Czech lands and represented the company's move toward mass-market visual journalism.
Evening newspaper
Večerní slovo
Večerní slovo was one of Melantrich's high-circulation newspaper titles. Together with Svobodný zítřek, it illustrates the scale reached by the company's periodical publishing during the interwar and later periods.
Books
Books by Czech authors
Melantrich maintained a broad book list spanning contemporary Czech literature. Its authors included Božena Benešová, Jan Čep, Jaroslav Durych, Egon Hostovský, Josef Kopta, Vítězslav Nezval, Ivan Olbracht, and Vladislav Vančura.
Brand decisions
1996
Acquisition by a Chemapol-linked media companyM&ABackground
The first half of the 1990s was marked by disputes and litigation concerning the future ownership of Melantrich.
Action taken
A media company connected with the Chemapol group acquired Melantrich.
Aftermath
Svobodné slovo was renamed Slovo and sold in 1998. Chemapol went bankrupt in 1998, and Melantrich closed in 1999.
1948
Nationalization and restructuringStrategyBackground
The communist takeover fundamentally changed the ownership and governance of major Czech media organizations.
Action taken
Melantrich was nationalized and divided into three parts.
Aftermath
The company operated under state ownership and changing political control, with subsequent name changes and post-1989 litigation over ownership.
1936
Formation of MelPaM&ABackground
Melantrich sought to extend its cultural publishing activities beyond newspapers and books.
Action taken
It established the music-publishing company MelPa with Pazdírek.
Aftermath
The venture broadened Melantrich's publishing portfolio into music.
1926
Expansion of printing capacityStrategyBackground
Melantrich was expanding beyond its original party-printing function into a large commercial publishing operation.
Action taken
The company acquired the Koppe & Bellmann printing press in Smíchov.
Aftermath
The acquisition strengthened the company's production base during its interwar expansion.
1910
Acquisition and naming around the Wenceslas Square headquartersStrategyBackground
The success of České slovo gave the young enterprise resources to expand its physical and publishing infrastructure.
Action taken
Melantrich acquired the Hvězda building on Wenceslas Square and later adopted the Melantrich name in honor of the Renaissance publisher Jiří Melantrich of Aventino.
Aftermath
The reconstructed building became the company's enduring public symbol and later an important site during the Velvet Revolution.
Sources1 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/melantrich · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled