Fountain Publisher
Fountain Publisher (Brunnen Verlag GmbH) is a German Christian publishing house founded in 1919, selling books, Bibles, gifts, cards, and calendars through direct-to-consumer e-commerce to faith-based readers, families, and theology professionals across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1919
- HeadquartersGießen, Germany
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Fountain Publisher does
Fountain Publisher operates the legal entity Brunnen Verlag GmbH, a privately held Christian publishing house founded in 1919 and headquartered in Gießen, Germany. Its origins trace to a 1908 bookshop established for the Pilgermission (Pilgrims' Mission) connected to St. Chrischona near Basel. The company produces and sells a comprehensive catalog of German-language Christian literature spanning children's books (including the long-selling 'little hedgehog and his friends' series at over 800,000 copies sold), novels, biographies, theological works, Bibles, guidebooks, and faith-based children's titles, alongside complementary gift items (candles, stationery, seasonal decorations), greeting cards, and wall/pocket/Advent calendars.
The product surface is increasingly multi-format. Beyond the physical catalog of approximately 2,500 in-stock titles, Brunnen operates a dedicated e-book shop (brunnen-verlag.e-bookshelf.de), the Bilderbuchkino interactive picture-book platform, the Serendipity devotional content program with downloadable materials, and the Faithful New Adult sub-brand targeting young-adult Christian fiction. The publisher accepts manuscript submissions directly from authors, suggesting an in-house editorial pipeline organized by category (theology, novels, biography/life & faith, children's books, Serendipity/devotionals).
The business model is direct-to-consumer e-commerce serving the DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland), with logistics and wholesale handled by the in-group partner ChrisMedia GmbH, which also acts as a wholesaler for approximately 60 other Christian publishers and offers access to roughly 25,000 additional Christian titles. Pricing is unit-based, with books priced between approximately €8 and €22, free domestic shipping above €49, and cross-border flat-rate shipping of €8 to Austria and €14 to Switzerland. Payment is accepted via SEPA direct debit, PayPal Checkout, and invoice (for public-sector buyers only). The company is privately held with no external investors, no funding rounds disclosed, and is led by Dr. Klaus Meiß as Publisher Director and Managing Director.
Fountain Publisher firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fountain Publisher
- Legal name
- BRUNNEN VERLAG GmbH
- Website
- https://brunnen-verlag.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1919
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Fountain Publisher (Brunnen Verlag GmbH) is a German Christian publishing house founded in 1919, selling books, Bibles, gifts, cards, and calendars through direct-to-consumer e-commerce to faith-based readers, families, and theology professionals across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Fountain Publisher industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Christian Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313), Book Publishers (513130), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Greeting Card Publishers (513191)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Greeting Cards (2771), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Religious Children’s Publishing (Faith-Based Kids & YA) (MPAJAHAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Devotional & Prayer Publishing (Devotionals, Prayer Books, Meditation Guides) (MPAJAHAB), Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources) (MPAJAHAD), Worship & Liturgy Publishing (Liturgical Texts, Missals, Service Books, Hymnals) (MPAJAHAE), Picture Book Publishing (MPAJAFAA), Religious & Spiritual Books Retail (CRALAAAE), Religious & Specialty Publishing Distribution (CRAOALAD)
Keywords
Where Fountain Publisher is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gießen
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Fountain Publisher business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Sale of physical books including children's books, novels, biographies, theological works, Bibles, and gift books. One-time purchase model for individual titles.
- E-books: Digital book sales through separate e-book shop (brunnen-verlag.e-bookshelf.de)
- Gift and Lifestyle Products: Sale of gift items including candles, decorations, calendars, stationery, garden items, and lifestyle products
- Calendar Products: Sale of wall calendars, pocket calendars, and Advent calendars
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard shipping within Germany |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Austria delivery |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Switzerland delivery |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Book prices |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Payment methods |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Fountain Publisher product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fountain Publisher (legal name Brunnen Verlag GmbH) is a German Christian publishing house founded in 1919 in Gießen that publishes and sells Bibles, theological works, biographies, novels, and children's picture books in the German language. The company also offers Christian-themed gift items (candles, stationery, decorations), greeting cards, wall and Advent calendars, e-books via its own e-book shop, and the Bilderbuchkino interactive children's picture-book platform. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer through its own e-commerce website (brunnen-verlag.de) with fulfillment handled by partner ChrisMedia GmbH across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Product overview
Brunnen Verlag GmbH operates as a Christian publishing house offering a comprehensive portfolio of religious and general books alongside gift products. The core product is the book program spanning children's books, novels, biographies, spiritual/theological works, and Bibles. Supporting product lines include gifts (candles, stationery, seasonal decorations), cards (greeting cards, seed cards), calendars (Bible reading, wall calendars, advent calendars), and the Serendipity devotional program. The publisher also offers digital products including an e-book shop and Bilderbuchkino interactive picture book platform. The Faithful New Adult sub-brand targets young adult readers with Christian fiction.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Books (Bücher) The core publishing product line including children's books, early reader books, youth books, novels and stories, biographies/life accounts, Faithful New Adult fiction, guidebooks/non-fiction, spirituality titles, theology works, and Bibles in the German language, targeted at Christian readers and families in the DACH region.
- Gifts (Geschenke) Christian-themed gift items including candles, wooden decorations, stationery, herbs and spices, seasonal items, garden items, music items, stamp-and-sticker sets, gift books, and other lifestyle products targeted at gift buyers for religious milestones and celebrations.
- Cards (Karten) Greeting cards and paper goods including card sets, seed cards, folding cards with wooden applications, postcards, blessing cards, food cards, and the Himmelsglück line, targeted at consumers marking religious and personal occasions.
- Calendars (Kalender) Bible-reading calendars, wall calendars, pocket calendars, and Advent calendars designed to support spiritual guidance and faith development throughout the year, targeted at Christian readers and gift buyers.
- Serendipity A devotional and spiritual content program offering downloadable materials for Christian faith development, targeted at readers seeking ongoing spiritual formation beyond individual books.
- Faithful New Adult A sub-brand of Christian fiction aimed at young adult readers, featuring novels and faith-based literature tailored to a younger demographic within the Christian reading audience.
- E-Book Shop Digital distribution platform for electronic versions of Brunnen Verlag's published titles, providing e-book versions of selected books for digital readers, with no shipping costs.
- Bilderbuchkino An interactive digital picture-book viewing and presentation system for Brunnen Verlag's children's picture books, used to display children's literature in interactive settings.
Quantifiable outcome
- The 'little hedgehog and his friends' series has sold over 800,000 copies in Germany
Companies that use Fountain Publisher
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Fountain Publisher technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Fountain Publisher partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- ChrisMedia GmbHcoreChrisMedia GmbH serves as the primary logistics and distribution partner for Brunnen Verlag. Located at Robert-Bosch-Str. 10, 35460 Staufenberg, they handle order fulfillment, warehousing (approximately 2,500 titles in stock), and operate as a book wholesaler offering approximately 25,000 Christian titles. They provide bundled shipping for orders combining publisher and wholesaler titles under one invoice. Orders received by 1 PM on weekdays ship same day.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Fountain Publisher competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Verlag C.H.Beck (Theology line): C.H.Beck is a major German general publisher with a significant theology and religion list, comparable to Brunnen's theology and Bible offerings but operating across a much broader secular and academic portfolio.
- Herder Verlag: Herder is one of Germany's largest Catholic-affiliated publishers, with a theology, Bible, children's, and gift offering that overlaps with Brunnen's categories despite the different denominational anchor.
- SCM Verlagsgruppe (including SCM Hänsser): SCM Verlagsgruppe is the largest Christian publishing group in Germany, combining multiple imprints covering books, music, children's titles, and gifts — a broader incumbent that overlaps with virtually every Brunnen category at greater scale.
- Gütersloher Verlagshaus: Gütersloher Verlagshaus publishes Protestant theology, ethics, and religious education titles in German, comparable to Brunnen's theology line within the German Protestant publishing ecosystem.
Direct peers
- Francke Buchhandlung: Francke is a long-standing German Christian publisher co-promoted alongside Brunnen in joint catalogs ('Brunnen & Francke') and operates in the same German Protestant/evangelical publishing niche with overlapping editorial and gift categories.
- Calwer Verlag: Calwer Verlag publishes Christian theology, pedagogy, and children's books in German, overlapping directly with Brunnen's theology and children's book segments.
- Gerth Medien: Gerth Medien is one of Germany's largest Christian publishers and media houses, selling books, music, and gifts to the DACH Christian audience — a near-perfect direct comparable to Brunnen Verlag's core book and gift business.
- CLV (Christliche Literatur-Verbreitung): CLV is a German Christian literature distributor and publisher serving the evangelical market through a broad catalog and wholesale model similar in spirit to ChrisMedia's wholesale business.
- Down to Earth (German Christian gift/paper goods): Down to Earth produces faith-based paper goods, greeting cards, and gift items in Germany, directly overlapping with Brunnen's Karten, Geschenke, and seasonal product categories.
- Asaph Verlag: Asaph Verlag is a smaller German Christian publisher focused on faith-based books, music, and devotionals — directly comparable to Brunnen on editorial mission and target audience, though at smaller scale.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Fountain Publisher social profiles
Digital presenceFountain Publisher financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fountain Publisher leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Fountain Publisher funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fountain Publisher M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Fountain Publisher
What does Fountain Publisher do?
Fountain Publisher (legal name Brunnen Verlag GmbH) is a German Christian publishing house founded in 1919 in Gießen that publishes and sells Bibles, theological works, biographies, novels, and children's picture books in the German language. The company also offers Christian-themed gift items (candles, stationery, decorations), greeting cards, wall and Advent calendars, e-books via its own e-book shop, and the Bilderbuchkino interactive children's picture-book platform. Distribution is primarily direct-to-consumer through its own e-commerce website (brunnen-verlag.de) with fulfillment handled by partner ChrisMedia GmbH across Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Is Fountain Publisher a public or private company?
Fountain Publisher is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Fountain Publisher founded?
Fountain Publisher was founded in 1919. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Fountain Publisher based?
Fountain Publisher is headquartered in Gießen, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Fountain Publisher make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are E-books, gift and Lifestyle Products and calendar Products.
Who are Fountain Publisher's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Verlag C.H.Beck (Theology line), Herder Verlag, SCM Verlagsgruppe (including SCM Hänsser) and Gütersloher Verlagshaus. Direct peers are Francke Buchhandlung, Calwer Verlag, Gerth Medien, CLV (Christliche Literatur-Verbreitung), Down to Earth (German Christian gift/paper goods) and Asaph Verlag.
Does Fountain Publisher have an API?
No public API is recorded for Fountain Publisher.
What industry is Fountain Publisher in?
Fountain Publisher's product category is Christian Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAHAJ, Religious Children’s Publishing (Faith-Based Kids & YA), with a secondary code of MPAJAHAB, Devotional & Prayer Publishing (Devotionals, Prayer Books, Meditation Guides). Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.