Our
History

From our founding as a book printing house to our digital diversification into a wide range of business areas:

The history of DuMont shows how we have continued to reinvent ourselves over the last 400 years.

1620

Our story begins in 1620 in Cologne with a printing house for festival and prayer books operated by Bertram Hilden.

1624

His son Peter Hilden begins production and publication of “Extra ordinariae relationes” published by the University of Cologne, a Latin newspaper with its own correspondents in The Hague, London, Paris, Brussels, and Vienna.

1802

The Schauberg heirs acquire the “Kölnische Zeitung” produced in their printing house.

1805

At the age of 25, Marcus DuMont marries Katharina Schauberg and acquires the “Kölnische Zeitung” and the printing house for 1400 Reichstaler.

1833

Newspapers are printed for the first time on a high-speed press (Koenig & Bauer).

1847

When the long-standing headquarters on Breite Straße are established, DuMont employs 62 people and already has 9,500 newspaper subscribers.

1849

M. DuMont Schauberg establishes a carrier pigeon service Paris-Brussels-Aachen for faster transmission of stock market prices. The “Kölnische Zeitung” publishes the first telegraphed news.

1876

In 1876, the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” celebrates its debut, originally conceived as an advertising supplement to the “Kölnische Zeitung.” In 1890, the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” becomes an independent newspaper and achieves a impressive circulation of 44,500 copies in just three years later.

1949

After the end of the licensing requirement following World War II in 1949, the paper returns with an initial circulation of 70,000 copies.

1956

In 1956, the DuMont Buchverlag is founded and quickly attracts international recognition with its art books and travel guides.

1964

The studio dumont is founded. The “EXPRESS” is launched, becoming one of the most important tabloids in Germany in the following years.

1982

In 1982, M. DuMont Schauberg acquired a 20% stake in the “Kölnische Rundschau”.

1985

The first rotary press is put into operation for the “EXPRESS” at the new printing center in Cologne-Niehl.

1990

The first issue of the “Mitteldeutsche Zeitung” (MZ) as an independent, non-partisan newspaper was published in 1990, following the last issue of the former SED district newspaper “Freiheit”. The printing and publishing house are merged into a GmbH shortly thereafter.

1998

In 1998, the newly built Neven DuMont-Haus in Niehl becomes the new headquarters of the media group.

1999

In the following year, DuMont takes over the publishing and title rights of the “Kölnische Rundschau”.

2006

In 2006, M. DuMont Schauberg becomes the majority shareholder of the Frankfurter Rundschau. M. DuMont Schauberg also acquires interest in the Haaretz Group in Tel Aviv and acquires all shares of the previously state-owned Bundesanzeiger Verlag.

2008

In 2008, DuMont’s publications begin offering their content through a mobile portal.

2009

DuMont takes over Berliner Verlag, including the papers “Berliner Zeitung” and “Berliner Kurier”, as well as the “Hamburger Morgenpost”. Heinen-Verlag GmbH holds a 35 percent interest in Presse- und Medienhaus Berlin (PMB).

2010

The editorial teams of the media group’s four subscription publications consolidate their activities in the DuMont Redaktionsgemeinschaft in 2010.

2014

In 2014, the media group realigns itself with the future program “Perspektive Wachstum”. The focus is on the three business areas Regional Media, Business Information, and Marketing Technology.

The group’s services and external service offerings are also consolidated in the DuMont Medien- und Management-Services. The printing presses are also brought under uniform leadership.

2015

M. DuMont Schauberg modernisiert seinen Markenauftritt und tritt künftig unter der Dachmarke „DuMont“ auf.

2016

DuMont acquires 75% of facelift, one of Europe’s leading providers of social media marketing software.

The company, founded in 2011, develops and sells an innovative and multi-certified SaaS solution called facelift Cloud, which allows brands and agencies to realize and optimize their communication and advertising on social networks.

Upljft is established as a 50:50 joint venture between facelift and the agency thjnk. The goal: Upljft combines creativity and technology to effectively implement sophisticated campaigns on social media.

2017

In 2017, the Berliner Verlag begins a new era with a clear focus on the digital realm.

The move to a new building and modern infrastructure eliminate the final boundaries between print and digital. Since then, the “Berliner Zeitung” and “Berliner Kurier” now jointly produce content in one of the most modern newsrooms for all their offerings.

DuMont invests in Munich-based censhare AG, a leading provider of marketing cloud services and acquires 36.5% of its shares.

2018

In 2018, DuMont enters into a strategic partnership with the MADSACK media group in the nation’s capital. Together, they establish a joint editorial department for politics and business.

DuMont takes over DTAD Deutscher Auftragsdienst AG. The Berlin-based company is a leading provider of public and commercial contract data in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
The Hamburger Morgenpost Medien moves into the modern new building ottensenOPEN, which provides perfect conditions for multimedia work.

Since July, the data service area belonging to DuMont Business Information has appeared with a new independent name and logo: Validatis – valid. precise. valuable.

2019

In 2019, after ten years in the DuMont group of companies, Berliner Verlag receives new owners: Silke and Holger Friedrich.

The DuMont Business Information business area grows: Reguvis takes over training company bav – Bremer Außenwirtschafts- und Verkehrsseminare GmbH and training company ZAK from Cologne.

2020

In 2020, DuMont sells the Mitteldeutsche Zeitung media group to Bauer Media Group and Hamburger Morgenpost Medien to business engineer and digital manager Arist von Harpe.

For the realignment of the Regional Media business area, DuMont merges its publishing activities in the Regionalmedien publishing house in Cologne, which primarily focuses on the digital development of the “Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger” and “EXPRESS,” as well as radio activities and advertising papers.

DuMont takes over the remaining shares in facelift and censhare AG and henceforth wholly owns both MarTech companies.

DuMont adopts a new legal structure and corporate governance: a corporate group becomes a group of individual companies. The three business areas Regional Media, Business Information, and Marketing Technology are managed by individual holdings, each with its own advisory board and management.

2021

The restructuring of the company into a group of individual companies is successfully completed. With a series of subsidiaries that are among the best players in their respective business areas, DuMont supports its media offerings – and becomes a driving force behind the media revolution.

The Marketing Technology business area continues to grow and receives an umbrella brand: All companies are now united under the UNITED Marketing Technologies brand.

The Business Information area is also growing: Since March 2021
Martin Mantz GmbH, a leading provider of digital compliance solutions, has been part of DuMont.

Regionalmedien publishing house in Cologne accelerates its digitization strategy and now operates under the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger Medien brand.

2022

In 2022, Facelift acquires social analytics specialist quintly, significantly expanding its offering. quintly is one of the leading SaaS companies in the field of social media analytics and covers all major social networks with a strong product focus and customers in over 40 countries.

DuMont Process has a new owner: In connection with increasing its focus on its core business activities in the three areas of Regional Media, Business Information, and Marketing Technology, DuMont sells the customer service subsidiary DuMont Process to call center operator CCOne.

Upljft is also sold: Joint venture partner thjnk acquires all shares of the over 70-person-strong Upljft from its previous joint venture partner DuMont.

UNITED Marketing Technologies acquires 75.1% of the Bonn-based company artegic. This expands the portfolio of UNITED Marketing Technologies with the leading German specialist in software-as-a-service solutions for real-time marketing automation via email and mobile communication (SMS, messaging).

Growth continues: UNITED Marketing Technologies acquires 100% of Marketing Resource Management provider MARMIND with headquarters in Vienna. With its functions, MARMIND covers the beginning (planning and budgeting) and end phase (results) of the marketing process, making it an important strategic addition to the UNITED offering.

2023

As of March 2023, the companies in the DuMont Business Information area operate with their own brand and identity.

Through restructuring of existing activities, acquisitions, and the establishment and development of data businesses, the Business Information area has become an independent business unit and will operate under the QUiNFOS name in the future.

Martin Mantz will become ETICOR following a successful realignment.

Pressekontakte

Anfragen zu allen Themen zu DuMont sowie zum Geschäftsfeld Marketing Technology:

Anfragen zu den Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger Medien:

Anna-Sophia Lasos, Leiterin Unternehmenskommunikation

Themen zum Geschäftsfeld Business Information

Cornelia Seinsche, Leiterin Kommunikation DuMont Business Information

© DuMont 2023