Heinrich Mohn leads the publishing house through inflation and modernizes its structure and program

Heinrich Mohn (1885-1955) takes charge in 1921, representing the fourth generation of the family business, and modernizes the publisher, which at the time had 84 employees. The company increasingly relies on its close cooperation with Protestant societies and organizations for sales. The hyperinflation of 1923 brings heavy losses for Bertelsmann, and many jobs are lost. Heinrich Mohn manages to consolidate the increasingly difficult theological publishing business by the end of the 1920s. The high-circulation magazines by the cleric Johannes Zauleck (1849-1917) in particular help to ensure the publisher’s survival during the global economic slump. His periodicals “Für unsere Kinder” (For Our Children), “Für alte Augen” (For Aging Eyes) and the brochure “Acht Seiten Freude zu bereiten” (Eight Pages of Giving Joy), are designed for hands-on parish work and reach an audience of millions.