What Schwabenverlag does

Schwabenverlag AG is a German Catholic publishing and retail company headquartered in Ostfildern (operational) and registered in Stuttgart, founded in 1848 and incorporated as an Aktiengesellschaft in 1875. Operating under the Verlagsgruppe Patmos umbrella, the company runs six book publishing imprints — Patmos Verlag, Matthias Grünewald Verlag, Verlag am Eschbach, Jan Thorbecke Verlag, Schwabenverlag, and Kunstverlag Ver Sacrum — spanning theology, spirituality, lifestyle, and pastoral practice. It also publishes eight periodicals including Katholisches Sonntagsblatt (Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart magazine), the German edition of L'Osservatore Romano, Prediger und Katechet (the oldest sermon magazine in German-speaking countries), and Theologische Quartalschrift (founded 1819). Three specialized religious bookstores operate in Ulm, Tübingen, and Rottenburg, complemented by the pastoral.de digital portal, a "Lebe gut" podcast and customer magazine, and an e-commerce platform.

The company is publicly listed on the Freiverkehr Plus segment of the Baden-Württembergische Wertpapierbörse (ISIN: DE0007217507) with 817,600 total shares (799,600 ordinary and 18,000 preferred). As of December 19, 2025, approximately 89% of shares are held by Bistum Rottenburg-Stuttgart, making it both majority owner and primary institutional customer. Revenue is generated through four streams: book sales (one-time purchases via e-commerce and physical retail), recurring periodical subscriptions (annual billing to parishes, dioceses, and individuals from €13.20 to €16.80), advertising sales through KONPRESS-Medien eG and Anzeigengemeinschaft Süd, and reader/pilgrimage travel services operated with tour operator partners Mondial Tours, INTI Tours, and Bottenschein Reisen. Geographic reach is concentrated in Germany with shipping to Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and other EU countries; reader trips extend internationally to Rome, Georgia, Madeira, and German pilgrimage routes.

Name

Schwabenverlag

Legal name

Schwabenverlag AG

Website

https://schwabenverlag.de

Company type

Public

Founded year

1848

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Schwabenverlag AG is a 175-year-old German Catholic publishing and retail company, operating six book imprints, eight religious periodicals, three specialized bookstores, and reader travel services under the Verlagsgruppe Patmos umbrella, with the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart holding approximately 89% ownership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Periodical Publishers (513120)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Sermon, Homiletics & Ministry Resource Publishing (Preaching Aids, Pastoral Resources) (MPAJAHAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Devotional & Prayer Publishing (Devotionals, Prayer Books, Meditation Guides) (MPAJAHAB), Worship & Liturgy Publishing (Liturgical Texts, Missals, Service Books, Hymnals) (MPAJAHAE)

Keywords

• Catholic book publishing
• Religious periodicals
• Theological journals
• Pilgrimage travel services
• Christian retail bookstores

Headquarters

HQ city

Ostfildern

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Sale of books through own publishing imprints (Patmos, Matthias Grünewald, Verlag am Eschbach, Jan Thorbecke, Schwabenverlag) via e-commerce and three physical bookstores.
2. Periodical Subscriptions: Recurring subscriptions for religious and theological periodicals including Katholisches Sonntagsblatt, L'Osservatore Romano (German edition), Predigtzeitschriften (Dienst am Wort, Prediger und Katechet, WortGottesFeiern), and theological journals (Theologische Quartalschrift, Katechetische Blätter).
3. Reader Trips (Leserreisen): Organized spiritual and cultural travel programs to destinations including Rome, Georgien, Madeira, and pilgrimage routes. Partnered with tour operators Mondiaux Tours and INTI Tours.
4. Advertising: Advertising sales in periodicals targeting Catholic and religious audiences. Managed through internal sales team and channel partners KONPRESS-Medien eG and Anzeigengemeinschaft Süd.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Schwabenverlag AG is a Catholic publishing and retail company that publishes books across six imprints (Patmos, Matthias Grünewald, Verlag am Eschbach, Jan Thorbecke, Schwabenverlag, Kunstverlag Ver Sacrum), produces eight paid periodical subscriptions covering diocesan news, homiletics, catechetics, academic theology, and Hungarian-German community news, operates three specialized religious bookstores in southern Germany, and organizes reader/pilgrimage travel services to faith-based destinations.

Product overview

Schwabenverlag AG operates as a diversified publishing and retail company within the Verlagsgruppe Patmos group. The portfolio consists of six book publishers (Patmos Verlag as the leading brand, Matthias Grünewald Verlag, Verlag am Eschbach, Jan Thorbecke Verlag, Schwabenverlag, and Kunstverlag Ver Sacrum), eight magazine/journal titles (including Katholisches Sonntagsblatt, L'Osservatore Romano, Prediger und Katechet, and theological journals), three specialized bookstores in Ulm, Tübingen, and Rottenburg, reader/pilgrimage travel services, an online e-commerce shop, and digital content including a customer magazine and podcast. The offering is organized around three thematic pillars: religion/spirituality, lifestyle, and psychology/life design.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Katholisches Sonntagsblatt Subscription magazine for the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, covering faith, life, and parenting topics for Catholic readers.
• L'Osservatore Romano (German edition) German-language subscription edition of the Vatican weekly newspaper, providing exclusive reporting and information directly from the Vatican.
• Prediger und Katechet The oldest and highest-circulation sermon magazine in the German-speaking world, offering homiletically qualified assistance for proclamation.
• Dienst am Wort Subscription journal for pastors and those in ministry, offering eight issues per year with developed sermons for each Sunday and holy day.
• WortGottesFeiern Subscription periodical issued six times yearly providing detailed designs for Word of God celebrations for every Sunday and holy day.
• Katechetische Blätter Subscription journal for religious learning in school and congregation, appearing five times yearly with suggestions for religious education.
• Theologische Quartalschrift Scientific subscription journal covering all areas of theology, founded in 1819 by professors of the Catholic Faculty at the University of Tübingen.
• Wort und Antwort Subscription Dominican journal for faith and society, offering contemporary theology and the intellectual heritage of the church.
• Unsere Post Monthly subscription periodical serving as the voice of the Hungarian Germans, providing news from the homeland, culture, and event tips.
• Bücher & Kunst Wekenmann (Tübingen) Specialized religious and theological bookstore located at Lange Gasse 5, 72070 Tübingen, offering books and art.
• Bücher & Kunst – TheoBuch (Rottenburg am Neckar) Specialized religious and theological bookstore located at Karmeliterstraße 2, 72108 Rottenburg am Neckar.
• Bücher & Kunst an der Wengenkirche (Ulm) Specialized religious and theological bookstore located at Wengengasse 15, 89073 Ulm.
• Lebe gut Reisen (Leserreisen) Reader and pilgrimage travel services offering organized spiritual and cultural trips to destinations including Rome, Georgia, the Hildegard pilgrimage paths, and Madeira, in partnership with tour operators Mondial Tours, INTI Tours, and Bottenschein Reisen.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• KONPRESS-Medien eGminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAdvertising partnership for placing advertisements in Schwabenverlag periodicals. KONPRESS-Medien eG is a denominational media cooperative based in Frankfurt am Main.
• Anzeigengemeinschaft SüdminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSouthern German advertising association for placing advertisements in Schwabenverlag publications. Based in Stuttgart.
• Mondial Tours MT SAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTour operator partner for reader trips. Organized Rome trips (e.g., November 2026 trip from €1,590). Located in Locarno, Switzerland. Responsible for travel contracts, insurance, and tour operations.
• INTI Tours e. K.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTour operator partner for reader trips. Organized Georgien (Georgia) trips (e.g., October 2026 trip from €2,180). Based in Deggingen, Germany.
• Bottenschein Reisen GmbH & Co.KGcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTour operator partner for reader trips. Organized Hildegardweg pilgrimage walks (September 2026 from €690). Based in Ehingen, Germany.
• Evangelisches Gemeindeblatt für WürttembergminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEcumenical partnership for reader trips. Co-organized Georgien trip in ecumenical spirit with Protestant newsletter publication.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• adeo Verlag: Catholic publisher in Asslar focusing on devotionals, prayer books, and popular spiritual titles. Competes in overlapping religious book categories but with a narrower, devotional-heavy portfolio.

Direct peers

• Echter Verlag: Catholic publisher in Würzburg producing theology, liturgical, and pastoral materials. Comparable product range in Catholic book publishing with strong ecclesiastical institutional sales channels similar to Schwabenverlag.
• St. Benno-Verlag: Catholic publisher serving the Diocese of Dresden-Meissen and broader German Catholic market with liturgical texts, missals, and devotionals. Directly comparable as a diocesan-anchored Catholic publisher serving clergy and parishes.
• Vier-Türme-Verlag: Benedictine-affiliated publisher based at Münsterschwarzach Abbey producing spiritual, liturgical, and theological works. Comparable niche Catholic publisher serving monasteries, parishes, and lay spirituality readers.
• Herder Verlag: Germany's largest Catholic book publisher, publishing theology, spirituality, religious education, and lifestyle titles. Operates in the same German Catholic publishing market as Schwabenverlag with overlapping author and customer bases across clergy, parishes, and lay readers.
• Verlag Friedrich Pustet: Catholic publisher based in Regensburg that produces academic theology, liturgical works, and the Regensburger Bistumsblatt diocesan newspaper. Highly comparable business model combining book publishing, periodicals, and ecclesiastical institutional customers.
• Don Bosco Medien: Salesian Catholic media company producing books, audio, film, and digital content for religious education and youth ministry. Comparable as a diversified Catholic content and media company serving parishes, schools, and families in Germany.
• Verlag Katholisches Bibelwerk: German Catholic Bible publisher producing scripture editions, study materials, and catechetical resources. Closely comparable as a confessional Catholic publisher serving dioceses, parishes, and schools for religious education content.
• Gütersloher Verlagshaus: Publishing house of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD), producing religious books, theological journals, and church periodicals. Closely analogous structure to Schwabenverlag but for the Protestant counterpart, competing for the same DACH religious readership and clergy.
• Kösel-Verlag: Catholic imprint under Penguin Random House publishing spirituality, theology, and pastoral literature in German-speaking markets. Directly comparable product focus with similar author and customer overlap.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Schwabenverlag