Friedrich Westermann

Friedrich Westermann

Friedrich Westermann (born February 11, 1840 in Braunschweig ; † February 4, 1907 there ) was a German publisher . After the death of his father, George Westermann , he continued to run the Braunschweig-based Westermann-Verlag , from which the Westermann Group emerged .

biography

Louise Westermann, b. Oldenbourg

Friedrich Westermann was the eldest son of the publisher George Westermann (1810–1879) and his wife Blanca Westermann (born Vieweg, 1814–1879), the daughter of the publisher Friedrich Vieweg , who was also based in Braunschweig . He had three younger siblings: Stephanie (1842-1913), Charlotte (1844-1919) and Carl (1848-1909). Friedrich Westermann completed a scientific and commercial training in the book industry in order to support his father in the publishing house and to be able to take over his company later. On July 29, 1868 he married Louise Oldenbourg (1846–1874), daughter of the Munich publisher Rudolf Oldenbourg (founder of R. Oldenbourg Verlag ). The Westermann couple had two children: Georg (1869–1945), who followed his father as publishing director, and Elisabeth (1871–1960). Three years after Louise Westermann's death on June 21, 1874, Friedrich Westermann married Countess Mathilde von Görtz-Wrisberg (1850–1933), daughter of Count Hermann von Görtz-Wrisberg . Friedrich Westermann's second marriage remained childless.

In 1879, Friedrich Westermann took over Westermann-Verlag and founded an open trading company (OHG) together with the other heirs and the authorized signatory Robert Brandt . In 1889 he became the sole owner of the publishing house. Under the direction of Friedrich Westermann and later under the leadership of his son Georg Westermann and his successors, the publishing house advanced to become one of the most successful German textbook publishers on the basis of the Diercke World Atlas and other successful textbooks .

literature

• Everhard Westermann (ed.): The publisher George Westermann 1810–1879. A picture of life in letters and diaries. Georg Westermann, Braunschweig 1965
• 150 years of Westermann 1838–1988… and I have the honor to report it to you. A company history spanning a century and a half. Westermann Verlag, Braunschweig 1988; ISBN 3-07-500000-0

Web links

• Westermann's yearbook of illustrated German monthly magazines at www.ablit.de (information on classic adventure novels and adventure literature of the 19th century)
• Westermann Group website