Culture of Bertelsmann

"More Than 175 Years of Entrepreneurship and Creativity"

“175 Years of Bertelsmann – The Legacy for our Future” – is the central theme for the company’s anniversary year in 2010. Bertelsmann has undergone constant change in the past and will continue to do so in the future as it perpetuates its growth and success story. At every stage in its history, Bertelsmann has successfully managed technological innovation, changing user habits and market upheavals, including the current mega-trend of digitization. In the past, the company has revolutionized book sales and distribution, was one of the initiators of commercial television in Germany, and introduced employee profit-sharing very early on. From this interplay of continuity and change, Bertelsmann draws the certainty of being ideally equipped for the years to come.

On these pages, you can read about how Bertelsmann developed into what it is today: an international, creative company. If you would like to learn more, please contact Bertelsmann’s Corporate History directly via the phone number or e-mail listed to the right.

Corporate History

Bertelsmann’s traditions and history date back to the year 1835. Since its establishment in October 2002, the Corporate History department has devoted itself to documenting the company’s history. The archive grew out of the work done by the Independent Historical Commission (IHC), which was commissioned to research Bertelsmann’s role in the Third Reich.

As the central point of contact for all matters of company history, the Corporate Archive seeks out, stores and documents all meaningful sources of company history: files, correspondence, photos, presentations, posters and much more.

Keeping complete records of our company’s history serves a number of purposes:

- Facilitate research into the company’s history

- Integrate corporate history into corporate culture

- Deliver background information for the daily work of our employees