Adventist Publishing House in Germany Turns 125

Advent-Verlag, the Seventh-day Adventist publishing house founded by Ludwig Richard Conradi in Hamburg, Germany, is turning 125 in 2020. Advent-Verlag opened in 1895 to spread Adventist literature to German-speaking people across the world from the port of Hamburg. Today, Advent-Verlag GmbH is a modern publishing house with 16 employees and a subsidiary, Wartberg-Verlag GmbH. Advent-Verlag GmbH is a registered company that has an eye on the future.

“In the recent past we deliberately initiated a generational change in the publishing house,” said Advent-Verlag shareholder representative Johannes Naether. “We handed over the management to a new generation in trust. It was important to us for the new team to be supported by the expertise of long-standing publishing employees, so that the publishing house is optimally positioned and its tradition-steeped history can be continued,” he added.

WORDS THAT LAST

“Words That Last,” the publishing house’s motto, is not just a slogan, according to publishing director Jessica Schultka. “It has been the DNA of the Adventist publishing house for 125 years,” she emphasized. “Although the range of tasks has changed in recent years, the core competence of the publishing house has always been the publication of Adventist books, magazines, and study materials that, then as now, aim to encourage people to think about God,” she added.

As they work to guarantee this for the future, the editorial team works to publish books on topics related to theology, pastoral care, and lived faith. They also publish devotional books, study books, journals, and magazines that promote, deepen, and accompany faith, leaders said.

On the occasion of the anniversary, the Lüneburg-Wolfsburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce was a guest at the publishing house. Sönke Feldhusen, deputy general manager of the organization, presented a certificate of honor on the special occasion.

“We are proud and grateful for our tradition-rich past, because the Advent-Verlag publishing house is a defining part of Adventist history in Germany,” managing director Dieter Neef explained during the ceremony. The publishing house employs workers in the Lüneburg region, securing jobs there since 1994. It is the reason leaders said they felt honored by the Chamber of Industry and Commerce acknowledgment.

CEREMONY POSTPONED

As leaders explained, Advent-Verlag Lüneburg has offered readers direction and meaning in life, interacting wholistically across generations. According to their description, they want to inspire readers to reflect on God and live authentic biblical faith in everyday life by promoting, deepening, and accompanying it in a sustainable way.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the planned anniversary celebration had to be postponed until 2021, leaders said.

Those interested in knowing more about the work and everyday life of Advent-Verlag Lüneburg can visit advent-verlag.de/wir-feiern, and watch a video at youtu.be/VGdTzI-PaJGQ.