Fiction, books for popular entertainment and the latest nonfiction works dominate the portfolio of the Munich-based Droemer Knaur publishing group. The Holtzbrinck and Weltbild publishing groups each have a 50 percent stake in the company.
The Droemer Knaur publishing group is made up of a number of individual publishing companies, including the following:
Droemer Verlag
After the Second World War, Willy Droemer established the company's reputation as a publisher of bestsellers with names such as Mary McCarthy and Norman Mailer. In the following years, literary giants the like of James A. Michener and Johannes Mario Simmel also became part of the Droemer portfolio. Today, successful authors such as Helmut Kohl, Peter Prange, John Katzenbach, Iny Lorentz and Andreas Franz are sure to secure a place in the bestseller lists. In addition to fiction books, political publications and popular science textbooks are key features of the Droemer portfolio.
Knaur Verlag
In 1884, following sporadic publications dating back to the middle of the 19th century, the publishing house of Theordor Knaur began to offer a regular portfolio of books. Originally from the city of Leipzig, the company was registered in 1901 in Berlin’s trade register under the name Theodor Knaur Nachf. Verlag. Knaur soon gained a reputation for publishing high quality self-help books, reference works and atlases. In the 1990s fiction was added to the range of publications. Through current topics and proven backlist titles Knaur continues to hold a strong position in the self-help market.
Knaur Taschenbuch Verlag
The first Knaur paperbacks were published in 1963. Today, with its range of titles covering fiction, thrillers, historical novels and biographies, the company is one of Germany's top five publishers of paperbacks.
O. W. Barth
Founded in 1924, O. W. Barth is one of the most renowned and traditionally established publishers of spiritual literature. The bulk of the company's portfolio is made up of works on oriental philosophies and alternative medicine as well as self-help books for shaping one’s life. Stationed in Bern, Switzerland, O. W. Barth became a part of S. Fischer in 2003. On July 1, 2010 O.W. Barth was officially taken over by Droemer Knaur publishing group.
Pattloch Verlag
An important part of the publishing group since 1991 is the Christian publishing company Pattloch, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2007. The heart of its portfolio is made up of religious books, pictorial volumes and wonderful gift and children’s books. The elaborately designed bibles from artists such as Salvador Dali, Marc Chagall or Friedensreich Hundertwasser can make a collector’s heart truly throb.
