Spurbuchverlag GmbH & Co. KG

Spurbuchverlag GmbH & Co. KG is an independent German publishing house based in Baunach, Bavaria. It was founded in 1982 by Klaus Hinkel and his son Paul-Thomas Hinkel under the name Deutscher Spurbuchverlag, and was renamed Spurbuchverlag in 2002. The company has remained at its Baunach location throughout its history and registered its name as a trademark in 2023. The publisher originated in the German Scout movement. Its founding was triggered by an encounter with the French youth-book author Yves de Verdilhac (pen name Serge Dalens) and the realization that no German publisher was interested in issuing the French series Signe de Piste. Both the company name and its logo refer to that series: the mark is based on a woodland scout sign that gave the French series its name and marks the way to camp. The first title, published in July 1982, was the German first edition of Die heilige Wüste by Eric Lesprit, followed by more than 20 further scout books. In 1984 the house began producing the inter-association scout magazine Scouting, which appeared quarterly until 2012 and then as a yearbook from 2013 to 2019. Over the decades the programme broadened. After scout and youth-movement titles, the publisher added children's literature and facsimile editions, and from the mid-1990s health and alternative medicine became a central focus. A new book series in architecture and design was also established. Since 2020 children's and youth books have again been published more intensively. Today Spurbuchverlag describes itself as covering Health, Architecture, History, Art and Youth, and states that it has published more than 400 books. Its catalogue includes more than 150 available titles on scouting and the youth movement, and it sees itself in the tradition of youth-movement publishers such as Verlag Günther Wolff, Voggenreiter Verlag and Südmarkverlag. Internationally, the publisher issues the English-language imprint AADR – Art Architecture Design Research in cooperation with 20 universities, and has presented its international architecture books at the ArtsLibris fair in Madrid. Its title Bioresonanz nach Paul Schmidt has appeared in six languages. The book unVERNÜNFTIGES DESIGN by Andreas K. Vetter was among "Bayerns beste Independent Bücher" 2022, and the photo book Das Gefühl, das nur wir kennen by Stephan Lucka received the bronze medal of the Deutscher Fotobuchpreis 2023/24. According to the publisher, its total programme comprised about 850 available titles in 2024, with roughly 40 new books added each year. While most titles are in German, the house also publishes in English, Spanish, Portuguese and other languages.

Spurbuchverlag was founded in 1982 by Klaus Hinkel and his son Paul-Thomas Hinkel in Baunach, initially trading as Deutscher Spurbuchverlag. The immediate trigger was an encounter with the French youth-book bestseller author Yves de Verdilhac (alias Serge Dalens) and the discovery that no German publisher was still interested in publishing the French success series Signe de Piste. The new house took both its name and its logo from that series: the firm's mark was modelled on a woodland scout sign that had given the French series its name and that marks the way to camp. The first publication appeared in July 1982: the German first edition of Die heilige Wüste, a story set in the Australian outback by Eric Lesprit. More than 20 further scout books followed. In 1984 the publisher began producing the inter-association scout magazine Scouting, which appeared quarterly until 2012; from 2013 to 2019 it was published as a yearbook. A few years after its founding the programme was already being expanded with further scouting publications, then with children's literature and facsimile editions. From the mid-1990s, publications on health and alternative medicine were added, and these now form the publisher's main focus. A new book series also emerged in the field of architecture and design. Since 2020, children's and youth books have again been published more intensively. In 2002 the company was renamed from Deutscher Spurbuchverlag to the present Spurbuchverlag, and in 2023 the name was registered as a trademark. The publisher has remained based in Baunach throughout. In the field of scouting and the youth movement, the house still offers a broad programme of more than 150 available books and places itself in the tradition of youth-movement publishers such as Verlag Günther Wolff, Voggenreiter Verlag and Südmarkverlag. Its other current focuses are architecture, health and alternative medicine, history and art, including foreign-language publications. In cooperation with 20 universities it issues the English-language imprint AADR – Art Architecture Design Research worldwide. The publisher has for several years presented its international architecture books at the ArtsLibris fair in Madrid. The volume Bioresonanz nach Paul Schmidt has appeared in six languages. The book unVERNÜNFTIGES DESIGN by Andreas K. Vetter was among "Bayerns beste Independent Bücher" 2022, and the photo book Das Gefühl, das nur wir kennen by Stephan Lucka was awarded the bronze medal of the Deutscher Fotobuchpreis 2023/24. According to the publisher's own statement, its total programme comprised about 850 available titles in 2024, with roughly 40 new books added each year.

• 2024

  Photo book Das Gefühl, das nur wir kennen by Stephan Lucka wins bronze at Deutscher Fotobuchpreis 2023/24; programme reported at about 850 available titles.

• 2023

  Name registered as a trademark.

• 2022

  unVERNÜNFTIGES DESIGN by Andreas K. Vetter named among "Bayerns beste Independent Bücher".

• 2020

  Children's and youth books are again published more intensively.

• 2013

  Scouting magazine continues as a yearbook until 2019.

• 2002

  Renamed from Deutscher Spurbuchverlag to Spurbuchverlag.

• 1984

  Begins producing the inter-association scout magazine Scouting, published quarterly until 2012.

• 1982

  Founded by Klaus Hinkel and Paul-Thomas Hinkel in Baunach as Deutscher Spurbuchverlag; first title Die heilige Wüste published in July.

Independent, quality-focused publisher with a scout-movement heritage, combining niche youth and scouting literature with international academic architecture and health titles.

• Die heilige Wüste (Eric Lesprit, German first edition, 1982)

• Scouting magazine (1984–2012) and yearbook (2013–2019)

• AADR – Art Architecture Design Research imprint

• Bioresonanz nach Paul Schmidt (six-language edition)

• unVERNÜNFTIGES DESIGN by Andreas K. Vetter

• Das Gefühl, das nur wir kennen by Stephan Lucka (photo book)

1. 1Home - Spurbuchverlagspurbuch.de
2. 2Spurbuchverlag GmbH & Co. KG - Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Spurbuchverlag - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org