Westermann is a German publisher founded in 1838. Its imprints include Schroedel, Diesterweg, Schoeningh, Westermann, Winklers, Spectra, Logo, Advesco, Schubi, E. Dorner, Westermann Wien, Jugend & Volk, Arena Verlag mit Ensslin, Westermann Lernspielverlag, and Berufsschulverlag BV1.
Medien Union GmbH is a holding company with stakes in several large German regional newspapers, including Stuttgarter Nachrichten, Stuttgarter Zeitung, Die Rheinpfalz, and the national daily newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung, as well as in a number of radio stations.
Medien Union, founded in 1947, is the parent company of the regional daily Rheinpfalz which was founded in September 1945 with help of the Allied Forces that occupied Germany after WW II. Medien Union is controlled by the Schaub family, which holds 50.4% through Dieter Schaub, son of founder Joseph Schaub, and the families of co-founders Arthur Lenk, Hans Wipprecht, Xaver Resch and the Nagel family.
Analysis & Key Developments
Financial
Westermann’s group revenues amounted to 299 million EUR in 2014, an increase of 3% from the previous year, which was estimated at 290 million EUR.
Digital
In February 2015, Westermann launched the online tutoring platform kapiert.de, authored by the group’s imprints Westermann, Schroedel, Diesterweg, and Schöningh.
In February 2014, Westerman’s longtime CEO Hans-Dieter Moeller left the company. Moeller was succeeded by Ralf Halfbrodt, who served previously as managing director of the newspaper division.
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