The Book Trade And Libraries : Germany

Johannes Gutenberg is considered the inventor of the art of printing books with movable type. The first book to be printed in this manner, the 42-line Bible, was published in Mainz in 1455. Gutenberg was both its printer and publisher. The birth of this new technology marked the beginning of German book publishing and selling. By the end of the 15th century, Frankfurt am Main had become the leading publishing center in Germany and a hub of European trade. In the 18th century, because of restrictions imposed by the emperor, it was surpassed by Leipzig. After World War II, Frankfurt regained its preeminence as a result of the country’s division. Now several cities are major publishing centers in Germany: Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart, Cologne and Hamburg. In terms of book production, the Federal Republic ranks third behind the United Kingdom and China. In 1995 more than 70,000 first and new editions were published in Germany. About 700,000 titles were available.

Publishing houses and retail booksellers. There are over 2,000 publishers in the Federal Republic. 100 of them have an annual turnover of more than DM25 million, but none of them dominates the market. Many small companies also contribute to the variety of literature available to the public. After World War II, book clubs attracted a wider readership. Today approximately 6.6 million readers belong to a book club.

In 1995 the total turnover of books and journals came to about DM16.5 billion, an increase of 3.5 percent over the figures for the previous year. In statistical terms, the average price of a new publication in 1995 was about DM39.00. On average, however, a book costs about DM25.00. Aside from the pharmacies, the book trade is the only branch of commerce in Germany permitted by law to dictate retail prices. This guarantees that nearly all books are available throughout the whole of Germany at uniform net published prices and that the entire population thus has access to this cultural asset. Mergers have taken place with increasing frequency in the book trade, fostering a trend toward large bookstores. In the 1970s the smaller shops with sales space of up to 500 square meters were in the majority. Now the larger bookstores spreading over several floors are becoming more and more prevalent, especially in the centers of the major cities.