Media Archive Images

The Bertelsmann social model undergoes a continual evolution in the 1970s Employees have participated in the company's profits since 1970. A poster marking the 10th anniversary of profit participation Employee meeting, or "MAB" for short, at Mohndruck in 1979. The aim of this model is to involve employees in discussions and decisions on specific issues relating to their working environment. An exemplary partnership: Chairman & CEO Reinhard Mohn and Supervisory Board Chairman Martin Wolf (l) receive the Partnership Award from the "Foundation for Social Change in the Entrepreneurial Business Sector" in 1982 In-house information at Bertelsmann: By the late 1970s, many divisions already have their own staff periodicals The "Bertelsmann Report" calls on the staff to participate in the first employee survey in 1977 Since 2002, the employee surveys have taken place worldwide across all parts of the Group Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe and Chief HR Officer Immanuel Hermreck at the Group Dialog with the works councils, 2015 Bertelsmann AG Supervisory and Executive Board, 1971 Joint session of the Supervisory Board and Executive Board, 1971 In 1971, Gerd Bucerius becomes the first Chairman of the Bertelsmann AG Supervisory Board CEO Reinhard Mohn becomes the first Chairman of the Executive Board in 1971 Reinhard Mohn at the cornerstone ceremony in January 1974 The construction site, 1974 The new company headquarter (Hauptverwaltung) is finished in 1976 The architect Robert Rathai presents the key to Reinhard Mohn in January 1976 Lobby, 1976 Open-plan office, 1976 Topping-out ceremony for the extension in November 1979 Aerial view, 1980 In 1977 Bertelsmann buys a shareholding in Bantam Books, the biggest paperback publisher in the U.S. Oscar Dystel (l), Publishing Director Bantam Books, with Reinhard Mohn Bantam Books tradeshow booth at the 1979 Frankfurt Book Fair In 1979, Bertelsmann acquires the Arista Records label, which has a lot of stars in its repertoire Arista founder Clive Davis, flanked by his stars Whitney Houston and Carlos Santana, 2000 In 1981, Bertelsmann buys a stake in Offset Paperback Manufacturers in Dallas Gruner+Jahr launches its activities in the U.S. with the acquisition of "Parents" Magazines Gruner+Jahr also enters the U.S. printing market, buying up the Brown Printing Company in 1979 Reinhard Mohn establishes the Bertelsmann Stiftung foundation in 1977 Reinhard and Liz Mohn at the topping-out ceremony for the Foundation's new building, 1990 Since 1988 (and until 2008), the Bertelsmann Stiftung awards the Carl Bertelsmann Prize to honor innovative and exemplary solutions to political and social problems The Carl Bertelsmann Prize is replaced by the Reinhard Mohn Prize in 2009. Liz Mohn, Gunter Thielen and German Chancellor Angela Merkel (l) with the winners Signing of the contract between Bertelsmann and RCA in 1985 Mark Wössner, Michael Dornemann, James A. Alic, Richard W. Miller (both RCA) and Egmont Lüftner (left to right) By 1990, all of Bertelsmann's music labels are integrated into BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group). International bestsellers from BMG BMG Board members Michael Dornemann and Egmont Lüftner with superstar Whitney Houston in 1988 In 1986, Bertelsmann acquires the Doubleday publishing company, which also includes book clubs and printing plants Reinhard Mohn and Mark Wössner in New York, 1987 The new publishing group at the Frankfurt Book Fair, 1988 The U.S. publishers and BMG move into the new Bertelsmann Building in New York in 1992 Reinhard Mohn takes over from Gerd Bucerius as Chairman of the Supervisory Board 1981 The new Bertelsmann Executive Board: Manfred Fischer, Mark Wössner, Hermann Hoffmann, Ulrich Wechsler, Egmont Lüftner and Hans Zopp (from l to r) Mark Wössner is appointed the new Chairman & CEO in 1983 Reinhard Mohn with his wife Liz and Mark Wössner, 1985 Chairman & CEO Mark Wössner and CLT Director General Gust Graas sign the contracts for RTL Plus in 1983 A look into the first RTL plus news studio in Luxembourg, 1984 The broadcasting center moves to Cologne in 1988 Stern TV presented by Günther Jauch makes its debut on RTL plus in 1990 Under Program Director Marc Conrad (l) and CEO Helmut Thoma, the broadcaster first becomes the market leader in 1992 A look into the studio of the popular comedy series RTL Samstag Nacht, 1996 News anchors Peter Kloeppel and Ulrike von der Groeben, 1998 Part of the RTL program lineup since 2002: the popular casting show "Deutschland sucht den Superstar" (German Idol) The new VVA premises, 1979 Major fire at Mohndruck, 1979 Mohndruck CEO Mark Wössner and Reinhard Mohn assess the extent of the damage on the grounds, 1979 Employees rescue magnetic data tapes from the Mohndruck data center The new data center on the VVA grounds, 1980 Electronic image processing at Mohndruck, 1980 Patented creativity: In 1982, Mohndruck engineers invent the "Flexcover," a new type of book UDI Chairman Manfred Lahnstein inaugurates Gütersloh's MohnBuchSystem in September 1983 Entry into digital technology: In 1982, Bertelsmann starts up its video production line In 1985, the company enters into industrial production of Compact Discs Premastering the sound material for CD production, 1986 Master disc production under cleanroom conditions, 1986 A Sonopress staff member testing software before it is replicated, 1985 "Bertelsmann Digital Information Systems" tradeshow booth at CeBIT 1987 Ads for the software publisher Ariolasoft The Bertelsmann subsidiary Topac develops packaging for all kinds of sound and data storage media