Kosmos (publisher)

Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co. KG (formerly Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, W. Keller & Co.) is the name of the Stuttgart publisher, who made a name for itself by natural leader, counselor, art, children 's books and experiment kits has. The company is also active as a game publisher. One of the most well-known title of the game program is Settlers of Catan.

  • 2.1 Books
  • 2.2 Children's Books
  • 2.3 Teaching materials and experimental sets
  • 2.4 Board games

History

Foundation

In 1822 the present Kosmos Verlag was founded as Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung in Stuttgart. First belletristic aligned to Cosmos developed in the 20th century to a successful counselor, non-fiction and games publisher.

On July 6, 1822 wine tax collector Johann Friedrich Franckh ( 1795-1865 ) and his brother Friedrich Gottlob Franckh ( 1802-1845 ) received the concession to operate a range of products and publishing house in Stuttgart. Furthermore, the bookseller outraged in the capital of the Kingdom of Württemberg, that the authorities industry strangers allowed to carry a bookstore. Soon Waiblingen Wilhelm and Eduard Moerike belonged together with the tutor to the young Wilhelm Hauff and his time unknown Swabian authors whose discovery and promotion of the Franckh brothers with great passion dedicated verlegerischer. Even with the number of Cabinet Library of classic novels, they proved equally ampersand as programmatic skill: novels were foreign authors, the mid-19th century known and popular, were published in Franckh and sold at prices that were lower than the borrowing costs of the libraries.

1904 Society of Friends of Nature

After the death of the brothers publishing activities rested a long time. Only when Euchar Nehmann sen. and Councilor Walther Keller took over the publishing house in 1893, came to renewals: Your first attempt innovation - the washable book cover - was not successful. The second, however, the so-called abdominal binder is not an integral part of the publishing industry today. As the two friends wanted to stay innovative, they set the booming natural sciences and the interest of the people it exploited and founded in 1904 the cosmos Society of Friends of Nature. Its members were initially given once a quarter, but soon even monthly magazine Kosmos, whose aim was to make scientifically sound information easily understandable to any interested accessible. As part of the annual salary also four " book supplements " were delivered that described in the form of a paperback book of around 70 pages a particular topic in more detail. By 1912, the number of members increased and thus the number of copies of the magazine to 100,000.

Among the authors in the journal and in the books belonged to the writer William Bölsche, the biologist Raoul Heinrich Francé and the doctor Gerhard Venzmer.

Over time, the design, the purchasers of the magazine have been changed automatically members of society and have received numerous perks such as discounts on the purchase of products from the Kosmos. This book production soon began again to flourish, which is now extended to science and natural history publications, and later on children 's literature.

Development since 1945

  • The three offshoot? Kids since 1999
  • Cooperation with USM: PC games, radio plays, audiobooks ( licensed products )
  • Litigation with EUROPE / Sony
  • New series with girls as a target group: The three star tail!
  • Books as E -books
  • Mobile Apps

After the bombing of Stuttgart in October 1943, a large part of the work of 40 years was destroyed. Nevertheless, a measure of reconstruction, and in time for the Jubilee Year 1952, the new beginning to be celebrated. The second - generation publisher published what interested the time in terms of science and technology. Rolf Keller and Euchar R. Neumann made ​​their hobbies to the program: In the 1950s and 1960s, the titles range was extended to the topics railways, electronics and horses. A legend in the railroad scene, the published since the early 1960s, illustrated books and technical books of the railway poet Karl -Ernst Maedel who combined images of renowned photographers know mediating and original texts developed.

In 1990, the company Franckh'sche Verlagshandlung, W. Keller & Co., was changed Verlag GmbH & Co. The two magazines Lok magazine, published by Maedel, and tram magazine were sold in 1995 in Franckh cosmos at the Munich Geramond publisher. The increasing competition in the market for the magazines led to austerity measures, the book supplements the quarterly magazine Kosmos were adjusted using the Volume No. 300 after 75 years, in 1999 merged the traditional magazine natur kosmos.

In February 2013 it was announced that the Kosmos has taken retroactive effect from January 1, 2013 as the main shareholder United Soft Media (USM ). Former majority owner was Langen Herbig Nymphenburg terra magica.

Products

The success of the book program contributed since the first third of the 20th century in both popular science writers such as Hanns Günther, as well as scientists such as RH Francé. In the years 1906-1910, the eight-volume monumental work was published " The life of the plant ." Since 1909, the publisher publishes an easy to understand astronomical year book entitled "COSMOS star Booklet ", which was later renamed "Kosmos sky Year ".

As What flowers there? in 1935 first appeared, suspected, the publisher and the authors concluded that they had created a standard work. To date, more than three million copies have been sold. Following the success long ago linked a whole program popular nature guide to the question ... What about? became the Cosmos trademark. Numerous books, especially on the topics of garden, animals and astronomy followed. The first horse book was published in 1961.

Children's Books

Non-fiction and entertainment for children and young people were developed by the publisher since the beginning of the 20th century. Thus, besides youth versions of famous novels were published in the 1920s known as YA classics like The Cave Children of Alois Sonnleitner Th, which are to this day in the program. The successful in the U.S. youth crime series The Three Investigators was added to the program in 1968 and continued until today.

Teaching materials and experimental sets

Model for the experimental sets in Germany were the kits of the teaching aids department of Franckh'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung W. Keller & Co. with their COSMOS society for nature lovers. In the early 1920s the teaching materials division was created in the cosmos since then - experimental sets are being developed. 1922 was the subject of the first electrical experiment kit on the market. The boxes radio man, Technikus, All- Chemist, optic and electrical husband were sought after and popular with young people.

There was a whole series of COSMOS experiment kits, which is still continuing today. Examples are chemical internship, Astronomy - Experiments on the trail of the planets, learning computer Logikus and cosmos CP1. With these and other experimental sets generations have been brought up by young people in science and engineering topics.

The success was so great that the publisher could sell the boxes soon world, idea and implementation were awarded at the Paris World Exhibition of 1937 with a gold medal. The program has been developed for different ages and now covers the whole spectrum, from primary school through high school. As the experimental box All Chemist in two stages, first as C 1 and C 2 has been designed. In addition, small packets for individual experiments are repeatedly developed, eg for growing crystals.

Cosmos Pantograph 1970

Cosmos electronic learning Logikus (from 1968 )

Experimental kit "Radio electronics 1 " (from 1972) with mounted push-pull amplifier

Board games

A lanky detective initiated in 1985 the success of the cosmos games gallery which found enthusiastic supporters from the start. In the same year, the Sherlock Holmes Criminal - Cabinet was named Game of the Year. Since then dive cosmos games regularly on the selection lists; a climax marked the successful Settlers of Catan Game of the Year 1995. During the games until then had played only a minor role in Franckh - Kosmos, this changed fundamentally after the success of Settlers of Catan. Decisive role in the success of the cosmos games Reiner Müller, who was wearing as games editor program responsibility. From 1998, the games were outsourced editorial and program development of TM games (named after Klaus Teuber and Reiner Müller) transmitted.

After a considerable expansion of the game program, a part of the editorial tasks were taken over by the Stuttgart publishing house in subsequent years. There was initially Barbara Schmidt in charge of the editorial work on the most Cosmos children's games, the Lord of the Rings title and simpler games like Ubongo. There is now a multi-headed editorial in Stuttgart.

  • Sherlock Holmes Criminal - Cabinet, Game of the Year 1985
  • Müller & Sohn, Game of the Year special award: the beautiful game 1986
  • Roman Forum, Game of the Year shortlist 1988
  • Janus, Game of the Year shortlist 1988
  • Heuchel & Meuchel Game of the Year shortlist 1990
  • Valley of the Kings German game prize 4th 1992
  • The Settlers of Catan Game of the Year ] ] in 1995 and German Games Award 1995
  • Marracash, German game prize 1996 6th Place
  • The Settlers of Catan - The Card Game, Game of the Year list in 1997 and German game prize 2nd place in 1997
  • By Jove, German game prize 9th place 1997
  • Caesar & Cleopatra, Game of the Year shortlist 1998 German game prize 8th place in 1998 and à la carte Card Game Award 1998
  • Through the Desert, Game of the Year list in 1998 and German game prize 4th 1998
  • Kahuna, Game of the Year shortlist 1999
  • Giants, Nominated for Game of the Year in 1999 and German game prize 6th 1999
  • Ta Yü, Game of the Year shortlist 1999
  • La Città, Game of the Year shortlist 2000 and German game prize 4th 2000
  • Babel, Game of the Year list in 2001 and German game prize 8th 2001
  • The Lord of the Rings, Game of the Year special award: Literature in the game 2001
  • Everything in Bucket Game of the Year shortlist 2002
  • Nautilus, German game prize 6th 2002
  • Balloon Cup, Game of the Year shortlist 2003
  • Lionheart, German game prize 5th 2003
  • The Bridges of Shangrila, German game prize 10th Place 2004
  • Ingenious, Nominated for Game of the Year in 2004 and German game prize 5th 2004
  • In 80 days around the world, Nominated for Game of the Year in 2005 and German game prize 6th 2005
  • Jambo, Nominated for Game of the Year 2005, German game prize 8th place in 2005 and à la carte Card Game Award 2005
  • Ubongo, German game prize 4th 2005
  • The little ghost, Children's Game of the Year 2005
  • Elasund, German game prize 6th 2006
  • Blue Moon City, Nominated for Game of the Year in 2006 and German game prize 4th 2006
  • Just 4 Fun, Nominated for Game of the Year 2006
  • The Pillars of the Earth, German Games Award 2007
  • Keltis Game of the Year in 2008 and German game prize 8th 2008
  • World Without End Game of the Year 2010, plus German game prize 3rd place 2010
  • Octopus alarm, Nominated for the children's game of 2010 and German Kids Award 2010
  • Monster case, Nominated for the Children's Game of the Year 2011 and German Kids Award 2011
  • The legends of Andor, Kenner Game of the Year in 2013 and As d' Or - Jeu de l' Année 2013
Types of business entity My Secret Unicorn Graphic training aids Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective (gamebook) Lord of the Rings (board game) Ingenious (board game) Around the World in 80 Days (game) Jambo (board game) Spiel des Jahres#Children.27s game of the year Integrated Authority File
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