wbv Media GmbH & Co. KG

wbv Media GmbH & Co. KG is a German media, logistics and publishing company headquartered in Bielefeld. It traces its origins to the W. Bertelsmann Verlag, founded on 1 October 1864 by Wilhelm Bertelsmann, son of the Gütersloh publisher Carl Bertelsmann, as the book and lithographic printing house "Gebrüder Bertelsmann". Over more than a century and a half the business evolved from a printer of newspapers and official forms into a specialist publisher and media service provider. In 2018 the company renamed itself wbv Media, while its academic publishing division operates as wbv Publikation. wbv Publikation is a science and specialist publisher that transfers content from teaching and research into practice. Its programme focuses on the humanities and social sciences, education, and public administration and law. It publishes in fields such as vocational and business education, educational and social research, empirical education research, adult education, higher education and science, media education, writing studies, and school and special-needs education. Numerous major education studies appear under its imprint, including Bildung in Deutschland, PISA and Bildung auf einen Blick. Its textbook programme is published in cooperation with the utb publishing alliance. Beyond its own imprints, wbv Media operates several associated publishing houses: ATHENA-Verlag in Oberhausen (architecture, education science, cultural education, cultural studies, art, art education, philosophy, special-needs education, dance and theatre), Schneider Verlag Hohengehren in Baltmannsweiler (education and subject didactics), and EUSL-Verlag in Detmold (vocational and business education). The group also provides communication and distribution services, and describes itself as an internationally active academic publisher. wbv Media is an independent, owner-managed family business. Since 1993 W. Arndt Bertelsmann has led the company in the fifth generation as managing partner. The company celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2014. It is active at academic conferences and trade fairs across Germany, maintaining digital book tables and organising events such as book launches and specialist conferences.

The company was founded on 1 October 1864 by Wilhelm Bertelsmann, son of the Gütersloh publisher Carl Bertelsmann, as the book and lithographic printing house "Gebrüder Bertelsmann" in Bielefeld. In its early years it printed various newspapers, including the Allgemeiner Anzeiger für Bielefeld, Halle und Wiedenbrück, the Conservativer Volksfreund and the Westfälischer Hausfreund; Wilhelm Bertelsmann also served as editor of these papers. In 1870 the business acquired the J. D. Küster printing house, which was discontinued in 2021. From 1880 the operation, which produced official forms — including the Ahnenpaß in the German Reich — and published, traded under the name "Bertelsmann Buchdruckerei, W. Bertelsmann". Over the following decades the Bertelsmann publishing house developed from a forms publisher into a specialist publisher and media service provider. Since 1993 W. Arndt Bertelsmann has led the family business in the fifth generation as managing partner. He introduced the wbv brand, which stands both for W. Bertelsmann Verlag and for its thematic orientation towards economy, education and administration (Wirtschaft, Bildung, Verwaltung). In 2014 the company celebrated its 150th anniversary. On 1 March 2018 the company changed its name to wbv Media. The wbv Publikation division publishes academic literature primarily in the fields of social sciences and social research, education, profession, administration and law. For several years, until the print edition was discontinued, the company also produced the Deutschland Archiv on behalf of the Federal Agency for Civic Education (Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung). In 1996 the W. Bertelsmann Verlag, together with the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB), founded the association "Innovative Berufsbildung e. V." The association annually awards the "Hermann-Schmidt-Preis" for projects in vocational education. The prize is named after Hermann Schmidt, president of BIBB from 1977 to 1997. Today wbv Media operates as an independent, owner-managed family business with a broad portfolio. Its wbv Publikation division is a science and specialist publisher with programme emphases in the humanities and social sciences, education, and administration and law. It publishes numerous education studies such as Bildung in Deutschland, PISA and Bildung auf einen Blick, and its textbook programme appears in cooperation with utb. The group also includes ATHENA-Verlag in Oberhausen, Schneider Verlag Hohengehren in Baltmannsweiler, and EUSL-Verlag in Detmold. In addition to publishing, wbv Media provides communication and logistics services and presents itself at academic conferences and trade fairs across Germany.

• 2026

  Ingo Rother takes over responsibility for the academic programme of ATHENA at wbv.

• 2018

  The company changes its name to wbv Media.

• 2014

  The company celebrates its 150th anniversary.

• 1996

  W. Bertelsmann Verlag and BIBB found the association "Innovative Berufsbildung e. V.", which awards the Hermann-Schmidt-Preis.

• 1993

  W. Arndt Bertelsmann takes over as managing partner in the fifth generation and introduces the wbv brand.

• 1880

  The business trades as "Bertelsmann Buchdruckerei, W. Bertelsmann" and produces official forms.

• 1870

  The company acquires the J. D. Küster printing house (discontinued in 2021).

• 1864

  Wilhelm Bertelsmann founds the book and lithographic printing house "Gebrüder Bertelsmann" in Bielefeld.

Independent, owner-managed family business and internationally active academic and specialist publisher focused on transferring research and teaching into practice.

• Bildung in Deutschland

  National education report published in the wbv Publikation programme.

• PISA

  PISA studies appear in the wbv Publikation programme.

• Bildung auf einen Blick

  Education indicators report published in the wbv Publikation programme.

• Zeitschrift für Fremdsprachenforschung (ZFF)

  Journal that moved to Open Access, gaining insights into actual usage of its content.

• ATHENA-Verlag

  Oberhausen-based imprint with programme areas in architecture, education science, cultural education, cultural studies, art, art education, philosophy, special-needs education, dance and theatre.

• Schneider Verlag Hohengehren

  Baltmannsweiler-based imprint with a renowned education and subject didactics programme.

• EUSL-Verlag

  Detmold-based imprint with a programme in vocational and business education.

1. 1wbv Publikationwbv.de
2. 2Über uns | wbv Publikationwbv.de
3. 3Veranstaltungen & Tagungen | wbvwbv.de
4. 4Programmbereich Kulturgeschichte | wbv Publikationwbv.de
5. 5wbv Media GmbH & Co. KGwikidata.org
6. 6Wbv Mediade.wikipedia.org