Who's Who (UK)

Who's Who is a personal encyclopedia which was founded in 1847 by Scottish publisher Adam Black in Edinburgh and published by A & C Black publishing house from 1848. For the first time in 1897 biographical data have been published with alphabetical classification.

The last edition of Who's Who in the English language was published in Germany in 2001 in cooperation of the publishing Who's Who Media Marketing GmbH with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung by Theodor Dölken. The book has been superseded by appearing in the 3- month cycles CD -ROM WHO 'S WHO European Business and freely accessible biographical largest economic database who- database.com.

Personal Encyclopedias in other countries

The British reference book Who's Who biographies of famous people since 1849 has led to appropriate personnel encyclopedias in other countries:

• Denmark: Krak Blå Bog annually (since 1910)
• Germany: Who is it? (1905-1935) and Who's who? almost a year ( since 1951 )
• Germany: Who's Who in the Federal Republic of Germany (since 1989)
• Norway: he Hvem Hvem? ( since 1912 ) with 14 editions in the 20th century
• Sweden: Vem är det? (since 1912) every 2 years
• DDR: Who was who in the GDR?

History

A & C Black was also the publisher of the 7th to the 10th edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica. At the foundation of the Who's Who was it since the short entries of printed works did not allow to map detailed portraits of important personalities. At the same time, not all personalities are taken into account. 1848, dedicated the first encyclopedia of the people Who's Who on 250 pages of the British royal family, the aristocracy, politicians, judges and officers. Within a few years the reference book that was dedicated to following issues different groups of people, a renowned Lexicon.

During his lifetime sold Adam Black Who's Who, with all the trademark rights to the Chicago-based publishing company Sears Roebuck. Today, the publishing rights of the Who's Who will be the U.S. publisher James Finkelstein, the controlling, among other things, the Washington political journal "The Hill " and since 2009 the publications of the U.S. music magazine " Billboard ".

The popularity of the name called countless imitators who mostly came through dubious business practices in the criticism. This brand Miss Brach was made possible by the addition of names or terms such as " Huebner's Who's Who" or " WHO 'S WHO in business - online" so that the brand was clearly alienated. The original and protected name is, however, only " WHO 'S WHO ". Other publishers are related to the original in any relationship.

After the death of Adam Black published in 1874 from 1899 spending of Who's Who in the United States ( Marquis Who's Who ) and Australia. In 1905, a German equivalent under the title Who is it? ( since 1951 Who's who?) issued. 1936 published the Hungarian Szabo Taylor in Zurich WHO'S WHO in Central and Eastern Europe, the first WHO'S WHO edition with classic red cover and articulated biographies in English on the European continent. At the same time the name of the lexicon developed a symbol for a selected group of people, which to this day literally, for example, from the "Who's Who of the economy " is mentioned. After the Second World War was followed by many European countries. Since 1978, the title WHO'S WHO of the publisher Friedrich Sutter issued in Germany, in Austria, in Italy, in Medicine, in Arts and Literature, in Fashion and Technology with Dr. Theodor Dölken. In Germany a new registration of the trademark " Who's Who" of the German Patent and Trademark Office in 1978 was rejected because the utterance "Who's Who " had become established as a generic term. However, the word -picture brand of "Who's Who " remained, and the rights to it now are in Dr. Dölken.

In this context, the term has been free for the use of those who use Who's Who with the connection of another name, such as " The Smith - Who's Who of communication". At the same time, the advertised " Who's Who" found as a variant of Feeder. These registers are often in the language of the publishing and differ considerably by a lack of acceptance criteria of the persons represented. Together, the classic WHO 'S WHO editions since 1849 the red book cover, free admission according to established criteria and structured biographical texts in English.