Volk und Wissen Verlag

Volk und Wissen Verlag (VWV) is a German educational publishing house whose history is inseparable from the school system of the German Democratic Republic. It was founded on 12 October 1945 on the initiative of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany (SMAD) and, as Volk-und-Wissen Volkseigener Verlag Berlin, became the central state publisher that supplied almost all schoolbooks for the GDR. Beyond textbooks it issued teachers' journals such as Kunsterziehung, Die Neue Schule and Neue Erziehung im Kindergarten, and it was among the publishers of the Mathematische Schülerbücherei. The house was subordinate to the Ministry of People's Education, which also granted the printing licences for schoolbooks. By 1989/90 the publisher employed around 470 people, about half of them in editorial roles, and released more than 500 titles a year, with 1,100 titles available and 25 to 30 million copies shipped annually, making it the largest firm in its sector. Because the existing schoolbooks consistently carried SED ideology and could no longer be used after the GDR's education system was transformed, the peaceful revolution of 1989/90 brought the publisher its largest single order in history: in 1990 some 26.5 million schoolbooks with neutral content were printed, and old stock was pulped. In spring 1991 the publisher was privatised by the Cornelsen publishing group, which then appeared on the market as Cornelsen. Volk und Wissen. It has since ranked among the largest schoolbook publishers in Germany and is market leader in the five new federal states. In 1995 Cornelsen acquired the North Rhine-Westphalian Kamp-Schulbuchverlag, which was subsequently renamed Volk und Wissen/Kamp Verlag. Volk und Wissen was retained as a publishing brand of Cornelsen Verlag, whose holding has offices in Berlin, Munich and Mülheim an der Ruhr. In 2004 the publisher was physically integrated into Cornelsen Verlag, and both have since worked together in Berlin-Wilmersdorf; the former building in Berlin-Mitte was taken over by the Zimbabwean embassy. Today the Volk und Wissen programme covers schoolbooks and other educational media for almost all school types and subjects in Germany. Its well-known primary-school series include the Freunde family — Sprachfreunde, Lesefreunde, Mathefreunde, Umweltfreunde and ABC-Freunde — which are the textbook network for primary schools in the eastern federal states. Since 2004 Volk und Wissen has belonged to Cornelsen, and this is now also visible on the covers of new textbooks, whose users benefit from the advantages already available for Cornelsen textbooks.

Volk und Wissen Verlag was founded on 12 October 1945 on the initiative of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany (SMAD). As Volk-und-Wissen Volkseigener Verlag Berlin it became the central state publisher that issued almost all schoolbooks for the districts of the GDR. Alongside textbooks it published teachers' journals including Kunsterziehung. Zeitschrift für Lehrer und Jugenderzieher, Die Neue Schule and Neue Erziehung im Kindergarten, and it was among the publishers of the Mathematische Schülerbücherei. In 1947 Heinrich Deiters, Wilhelm Heise and Erwin Marquardt founded the publisher's Pädagogische Bibliothek. Hans Friedrich (I.M.) Lange (1891–1972), himself an author of books, served as chief editor (Cheflektor) from 1946 to 1958, and Doris Wetterhahn was among its editors-in-chief. In 1951 Fritz Rücker (1892–1974), former people's education minister of the dissolving state of Brandenburg in the GDR, became head or deputy head of the main directorate, from 1952 head of the publisher's pedagogy department and from 1956 to 1959 pedagogical director. From 1957 Günter Wolff was the publisher's artistic director. The publisher was subordinate to the Ministry of People's Education, which also issued the printing licences for schoolbooks. By 1989/90 it employed 470 people, about half of them in the editorial area. More than 500 titles appeared each year, 1,100 were available in total, and 25 to 30 million copies were shipped annually, making it the largest firm in the sector; revenue, held down by low prices, stood at 28 million marks of the GDR. The peaceful revolution of 1989/90 brought the publisher the largest order in its history: because the existing schoolbooks, also produced by Volk und Wissen, consistently represented SED ideology and were therefore no longer usable after the transformation of the GDR education system, in 1990 a total of 26.5 million schoolbooks with neutral presentations were printed. Existing stocks of old schoolbooks were pulped. In spring 1991 privatisation followed through the Cornelsen publishing group, which now appeared on the market under the name Cornelsen. Volk und Wissen. The publisher has since been among the largest schoolbook publishers in Germany and is market leader in the five new federal states. In 1995 Cornelsen acquired the North Rhine-Westphalian Kamp-Schulbuchverlag, which was subsequently renamed Volk und Wissen/Kamp Verlag. Volk-und-Wissen was retained as a publishing brand of Cornelsen Verlag, to which further publishing brands belong; the holding's business seats are in Berlin, Munich and Mülheim an der Ruhr. In 2004 the publisher was spatially integrated into Cornelsen Verlag, and both have since worked together in Berlin-Wilmersdorf; the building previously used in Berlin-Mitte was taken over by the Zimbabwean embassy. The publishing programme covers schoolbooks and other educational media for almost all school types and subjects in Germany. In 2019 the Saxon Ministry of Education banned the use of the topic booklet Naturwissenschaften: Biologie, Chemie, Physik – Farben, published in 1998 by Volk und Wissen/Kamp Verlag, because it contained racist formulations such as 'negrid', 'europid' and 'mongolide Rassekreise'; it had not been available in bookshops for some years. The former publishing building had been begun before the Second World War, its U-shaped plan determined by its position on Kommandantenstraße, the former Lindenstraße and Beuthstraße. Six storeys with a basement were planned, the sixth storey with attic set back from the main façade, but the building was not completed because of the war. After the end of the Second World War construction continued step by step. From 1961 the building stood in the border area between East and West Berlin, and the wing on Kommandantenstraße even reached into the border strip along the Berlin Wall; a remnant of the border signal fence has survived on the building. Volk und Wissen took over the building as owner in 1952 and continued construction in 1953 with the completion of the first and second upper storeys. By 1958 the side wing on Beuthstraße could be completed up to the fourth upper storey. Only in 1975 was this wing also finished by the architect Werner Ebel. After German reunification the façade was redesigned in 1994 by Waldemar Poreike (1927–2014), with the middle five axes slightly projecting to emphasise the portal area and a cornice drawn above the fourth storey, more strongly executed in the central area. In 1965 the publisher received the Vaterländischer Verdienstorden in gold. Several of its books were honoured in the Schönste Bücher der DDR competition, and the Stiftung Buchkunst in Frankfurt am Main awarded a number of VWV books in its Die schönsten deutschen Bücher competition.

• Volk und Wissen Verlag founded on the initiative of the Soviet Military Administration in Germany (SMAD).

• Hans Friedrich (I.M.) Lange serves as chief editor (Cheflektor).

• Heinrich Deiters, Wilhelm Heise and Erwin Marquardt found the publisher's Pädagogische Bibliothek.

• Fritz Rücker becomes head/deputy head of the main directorate.

• The publisher takes over the publishing building as owner; Fritz Rücker becomes head of the pedagogy department.

• Fritz Rücker serves as pedagogical director.

• Günter Wolff becomes the publisher's artistic director.

• The publisher receives the Vaterländischer Verdienstorden in gold.

• The Beuthstraße side wing is completed by architect Werner Ebel.

• The publisher employs 470 staff, issues over 500 titles a year and ships 25–30 million copies annually, making it the largest firm in the sector.

• 26.5 million schoolbooks with neutral content are printed; old stocks are pulped.

• Privatisation through the Cornelsen publishing group, which appears on the market as Cornelsen. Volk und Wissen.

• The façade of the former publishing building is redesigned by Waldemar Poreike.

• Cornelsen acquires the North Rhine-Westphalian Kamp-Schulbuchverlag, subsequently renamed Volk und Wissen/Kamp Verlag.

• The publisher is spatially integrated into Cornelsen Verlag in Berlin-Wilmersdorf.

• The Saxon Ministry of Education bans use of the 1998 Volk und Wissen/Kamp topic booklet Naturwissenschaften: Biologie, Chemie, Physik – Farben over racist formulations.

Schoolbook and educational-media brand for almost all school types and subjects in Germany, historically the central GDR schoolbook publisher and today a Cornelsen brand with particular strength in the eastern federal states.

• Sprachfreunde

  Primary-school German textbook series within the Freunde network, placing subject-specific content in thematic contexts and supporting systematic language development with differentiated tasks.

• Lesefreunde

  Primary-school reading textbook series promoting reading competence and motivation, focused on developing reading strategies.

• Mathefreunde

  Primary-school mathematics textbook series for grades 1–4, the textbook network for primary schools in the eastern federal states.

• Umweltfreunde

  Primary-school environmental studies textbook series supporting the development of subject-specific competences and learning and working techniques.

• ABC-Freunde

  Primary-school series within the Freunde network.

• Mathematische Schülerbücherei

  Mathematical student library series co-published by the house.

• Kunsterziehung. Zeitschrift für Lehrer und Jugenderzieher

  Teachers' journal published by the house.

• Die Neue Schule

  Teachers' journal published by the house.

• Neue Erziehung im Kindergarten

  Kindergarten education journal published by the house.

• 2019 ban of a topic booklet over racist formulations

Read more

1. 1Volk und Wissen Schulbuchprogramm | Cornelsencornelsen.de
2. 2Über uns | Cornelsencornelsen.de
3. 3Volk und Wissen Verlag – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
4. 4Volk und Wissen Verlag – Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5Geschichte - Gymnasium | Cornelsencornelsen.de
6. 6Geschichte - Mittlere Schulformen | Cornelsencornelsen.de