Heinrich Bertelsmann: Tackling Poverty through Technology and Education
Gütersloh, 1885: The C. Bertelsmann Verlag publishing company is observing its fiftieth anniversary with a four-day celebration, including a trip to the “Hermannsdenkmal” monument. The proprietor of the publishing company, Heinrich Bertelsmann, renews his ties with every employee by greeting each one personally with a handshake – and with the present of a silver thaler for each year of service.
of the publishing company (1827-1887)
The standards may have changed since then, but the principle of advocating employee well-being and motivation is one that Bertelsmann developed at an early stage. The publishing company’s founder was known for his social commitment and model citizenship. His successor Heinrich Bertelsmann built on those ideas. Raised and educated in the revivalist spirit, he had taken over the publishing company at the end of 1850. Under his management the company massively expanded the number of its publications by 1887. Its workforce grew from fourteen to between 60 and 70. In 1868, the publishing house moved from the old church square, “Kirchplatz”, into what is now “Eickhoffstrasse” in Gütersloh and equipped itself with state-of-the-art publishing technology. In fact, one of Gütersloh’s first steam engines was set up in the C. Bertelsmann printing shop.
Social Commitment in an Age of Industrialization and Economic Growth
As far as industrialization goes, Gütersloh was a latecomer. However, from the 1880s onwards the town profited from an economic upswing, which also encompassed the C. Bertelsmann publishing house. This put Heinrich Bertelsmann in a position to get involved in social projects to an even greater degree than before. In addition to holding numerous honorary posts, two major projects were especially dear to his heart:
The first one was the “Barthsche Stiftung”, a charitable trust on whose administrative board Heinrich Bertelsmann served. Apart from building and operating a poorhouse and a hospital, the trust established various funds to support the needy widows of Lutheran clergymen in Gütersloh or improve conditions at a knitting and sewing school for destitute children, etc.
Heinrich Bertelsmann’s second pet project was a “toddler’s school” in Gütersloh. This was designed for needy children whose parents worked and who consequently required care and teaching during the day. Heinrich Bertelsmann made personal and financial contributions to the project, serving as chairman of the school’s managing board from 1884 onward, and donating several thousand reichsmarks for its maintenance. After his death in 1887 the school was transferred to his widow Charlotte Bertelsmann, who ensured its continuation. To this end, she endowed the “Barthsche Stiftung” with 15,000 reichsmarks to ensure the upkeep of the school.
Heinrich Bertelsmann was also solicitous in the care of his employees. He would visit sick workers at home and support them to the best of his ability in times of need. One enduring and tangible mark of his concern for his staff’s welfare was the establishment of a disability and old-age pension scheme in 1887.
More about the history of Bertelsmann
Carl Bertelsmann
Ever since C. Bertelsmann Verlag was established in Gütersloh in 1835, the history of the city and company have been inextricably intertwined. This connection is rooted in the personal history of the founding publisher.More...
Johannes Mohn
Johannes Mohn, who managed the C. Bertelsmann publishing company from 1887 to 1921, was affectionately referred to as the “fourth pastor of Gütersloh” by the town’s citizens.More...
Heinrich Mohn
Heinrich Mohn was born in Gütersloh on 23 March 1885, the only son of Johannes and Friederike Mohn. His severe asthma forced him to break off his education at the Evangelisch-Stiftisches Gymnasium (Protestant Secondary School), the customary path for his family, and he instead began an apprenticeship in his family’s publishing business.More...
Reinhard Mohn:
Entrepreneur Par Excellence
"You have to persuade people.” For Reinhard Mohn, this was one of the powerful maxims he lived his life by. He used it in reference to his wartime experiences as a young officer, and, as one of the most successful entrepreneurs of the 20th century, he also used it in reference to his work. 
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