Gerhard Ludwig
Gerhard Ludwig ( * June 27, 1909 in Berlin, † April 19, 1994 in Cologne ) was a German entrepreneur. He was awarded in June 1946 by the British military administration the license for the press Sale at Cologne Main Station and opened in December 1949, the first range bookstore on the territory of the German Federal Railroad.
Cologne talks Wednesday
This created one of the most famous German station bookshops, which became the Wednesday meetings in the 50s the scene of a first German talk shows and Ludwig thus made known nationwide.
Since December 6, 1950 Gerhard Ludwig organized in the so -called "Third waiting room " - the train station bookstore - its become for instance the political-cultural " Wednesday meetings ." Under the slogan " Free admission, Free Questions, Free answers " invited Ludwig also titled "The Green Carpet " guests in his bookstore. Prominent guests from all over the Republic gave lectures or read from their latest releases. The themes of these public and initially intended as advertising discussions found great resonance with the public and media. Among the participants of the sometimes heated discussion among, for example, Heinrich Böll, Joseph Beuys, Erich Mende, Ludwig Erhard, Werner Finck, Peter Bamm, Bernhard Grzimek, Peter Lorre, Gottfried Benn, Theodor W. Adorno, Rudolf Augstein, Gustaf, Caterina Valente, Heinz Rühmann, Horst Buchholz or Ernst von Salomon. It was about controversial topics such as " freedom of the press " (21 May 1952), " The Rowohlt Publishing and its authors " (7 October 1953), the " rearmament " (3 November 1954), or " capital punishment, yes or no? " (16 March 1955). On July 4, 1956 Carlo Schmid writes a farewell message to the guestbook, the " Wednesday talks" be terminated due to conversion after 265 episodes. Among the debates partially over 800 spectators came into the station. On September 23, 1957, the reconstruction was completed and inaugurated the new concourse. 1990 sent the WDR radio program excerpts from his early tape recordings by Gerhard Ludwig.
Paperbacks
On July 25, 1957 years Ludwig opened in Cologne Hauptbahnhof Germany's first pocket book store, continuing an idea that he had developed with the publisher Heinrich Maria Ledig - Rowohlt and the Kassel railway station bookseller Father Took into action: "World Literature at affordable price a wide audience to make it accessible. " This was at the same time to the first self-service shop in the German book trade.
1988 acquired the Stuttgart railway station bookseller Dr. Adam Claus Eckert Cologne bookstore and extended it to the brand. It now belongs to the group of Dr. Eckert is headquartered in Stuttgart. Within ten major train stations in Germany, the company is represented with books and magazines.