Matthes & Seitz Berlin
Matthes & Seitz Berlin is a privately held German-language humanities book publisher serving intellectual readers through translations of contemporary and classic works in philosophy, nature writing, cultural studies, anthropology, and political theory, operating four imprints: Matthes & Seitz Berlin, Friedenauer Presse, August Verlag Berlin, and Rohstoff.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersBerlin, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Matthes & Seitz Berlin does
Matthes & Seitz Berlin is a privately held German-language book publisher operating as MSB Matthes & Seitz Berlin Verlagsgesellschaft mbH under Managing Director Dr. Andreas Rötzer, headquartered at Großbeerenstraße 57A in Berlin. Founded in 2004 as a continuation of the 1977 Munich-based Matthes & Seitz ("no-man's land between science and art"), the company publishes humanities non-fiction and literary translations from German, French, Russian, Italian, and Chinese authors across philosophy, nature writing, cultural studies, anthropology, and political theory. The publishing group comprises four brands: the flagship Matthes & Seitz Berlin imprint, Friedenauer Presse (acquired 2020, classics in special editions), August Verlag Berlin (acquired 2021, theory at the intersection of philosophy, politics, and art), and Rohstoff (a non-profit project for experimental German-language prose, essay, and poetry).
The company's products are physical hardcover books priced from €10 for short-format essay editions (Klappenbroschur) to €38 for standard hardcovers with dust jacket, plus eBooks priced at €23.99. Distribution combines a direct-to-consumer e-commerce store at matthes-seitz-berlin.de (offering free shipping within Germany), fulfillment and shipping via Germinal Medienhandlung GmbH, and physical retail placement across German-speaking and other European markets (Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, UK, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark, Czech Republic). The revenue model is one-time per-unit book sales with no subscription or licensing layer.
The go-to-market is fundamentally horizontal and direct-to-consumer, complemented by bookstore partnerships, author readings and book presentations at cultural venues, the NATURerKUNDEN podcast on YouTube, and email newsletters delivered through rapidmail under a double-opt-in flow. There is no proprietary technology platform; operational integrations are limited to standard e-commerce (PayPal for cross-border payments), email marketing (rapidmail), and logistics (Germinal). The publisher hosts the Deutscher Preis für Nature Writing 2026, signaling a positioning shift toward industry tastemaker within the nature-writing sub-vertical.
Matthes & Seitz Berlin firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Matthes & Seitz Berlin
- Legal name
- MSB Matthes & Seitz Berlin Verlagsgesellschaft mbH
- Website
- https://matthes-seitz-berlin.de
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Matthes & Seitz Berlin is a privately held German-language humanities book publisher serving intellectual readers through translations of contemporary and classic works in philosophy, nature writing, cultural studies, anthropology, and political theory, operating four imprints: Matthes & Seitz Berlin, Friedenauer Presse, August Verlag Berlin, and Rohstoff.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Matthes & Seitz Berlin industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Book Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (51313), Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business, Economics & Management Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAI), Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC)
Keywords
Where Matthes & Seitz Berlin is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Berlin
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Matthes & Seitz Berlin business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Revenue generated from selling physical books and ebooks directly through the company's website and through distribution to bookstores and retailers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard hardcover editions with dust jacket |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Short format editions (Klappenbroschur) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Ebook editions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Matthes & Seitz Berlin product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Matthes & Seitz Berlin is an independent German book publishing house that publishes humanities non-fiction (Geisteswissenschaftliches Sachbuch), including philosophy, nature writing, political theory, anthropology, and cultural studies. The publisher releases hardcover books, short-format essay editions (Klappenbroschur), and ebooks, with a focus on new German translations of international literary and intellectual classics as well as contemporary authors from Germany, France, Russia, and China.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Der große Kanal German-language hardcover edition of 'Der große Kanal' (The Great Canal) by Xu Zechen, a 510-page literary work published for German-reading audiences.
- Die Gesänge der Tagtigall German-language hardcover edition of 'Die Gesänge der Tagtigall' (The Songs of the Day-Nightingale) by Marie Luise Knott, a 316-page collection of poetry columns originally published on Perlentaucher.
- Wut – Symbol – Wert German-language hardcover edition of 'Wut – Symbol – Wert' (Rage – Symbol – Value) by Ernesto de Martino, a 252-page philosophical/anthropological work translated into German.
- Die magische Welt German-language hardcover edition of 'Die magische Welt' (The Magical World) by Ernesto de Martino, a 388-page translation of the Italian classic 'Il mondo magico'.
- Über den Buddhismus (Ebook) Ebook (PDF) edition of 'Über den Buddhismus' (About Buddhism) by Keiji Nishitani, a 296-page philosophical work on Buddhism.
- Gott German-language hardcover edition of 'Gott' (God) by Stefano Levi Della Torre, a 199-page volume in the Theologische Brocken series (Vol. 004).
- Neue Karte der Weltwunder German-language hardcover edition of 'Neue Karte der Weltwunder' (New Map of Wonders) by Caspar Henderson, a 479-page nature writing work.
- Cactaceae German-language hardcover edition of 'Cactaceae' by Judith Zander, a 143-page illustrated nature writing volume in the Naturkunden series (Vol. 014).
Companies that use Matthes & Seitz Berlin
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Matthes & Seitz Berlin technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
Matthes & Seitz Berlin partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Friedenauer PressecoreFriedenauer Presse is an imprint of Matthes & Seitz Berlin since 2020. Originally founded in 1963 in Berlin, the press focuses on classics of Russian and French literature in special editions, as well as Italian and German authors.
- August Verlag BerlincoreAugust Verlag Berlin is an imprint of Matthes & Seitz Berlin since 2021. Founded in August 2008, it serves as a forum for theory at the intersection of philosophy, politics, and art.
- Rohstoff Literatur BerlincoreRohstoff is a non-profit publishing project of Matthes & Seitz Berlin. It publishes new German-language texts including prose, essays, and poetry that are morally experimental and aesthetically bold.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Matthes & Seitz Berlin competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- S. Fischer Verlag: Major German literary publisher (Holtzbrinck group) with broad fiction and non-fiction catalogs. Overlaps with MSB on literary translations and intellectual non-fiction but at meaningfully larger scale.
- Carl Hanser Verlag: Long-established German literary and intellectual publisher with significant humanities non-fiction and translation programs. Larger and broader portfolio than MSB but overlapping editorial ambitions.
Direct peers
- Wallstein Verlag: German literary and humanities publisher with strong programs in literature, cultural studies, and intellectual non-fiction. Highly comparable niche positioning and editorial ambition.
- Diogenes Verlag: Swiss-German independent literary publisher with a comparable boutique catalog of literary fiction, philosophy, and translated international authors. Closely aligned in editorial sensibility and scale.
- Suhrkamp Verlag: Germany's leading literary and intellectual publishing house, with a comparable emphasis on philosophy, theory, and translated classics. The closest direct analog to MSB's positioning in the 'no-man's land between science and art.'
- Wagenbach Verlag: Independent Berlin-based publisher known for international literature and translations (especially Italian and German authors). Similar boutique scale and translation-driven catalog to MSB.
- Aufbau Verlag: Berlin-based literary publisher with strong programs in translated literature (especially Eastern European) and humanities non-fiction. Directly comparable in catalog mix and Berlin identity.
- Insel Verlag: German literary classics imprint (now part of Suhrkamp) focused on canonical works and literary editions. Directly comparable to MSB's Friedenauer Presse imprint on translated classics.
- Kiepenheuer & Witsch: German literary and non-fiction publisher with strong humanities catalog and political/current affairs titles. Comparable mix of translated international authors and intellectual non-fiction.
- Reclam: Iconic German publisher of literary classics and scholarly editions in affordable formats. Comparable in focus on humanities canon and translated works, though at much larger scale.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks1 record
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Matthes & Seitz Berlin social profiles
Digital presenceMatthes & Seitz Berlin financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Matthes & Seitz Berlin leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Matthes & Seitz Berlin subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries3 records
Matthes & Seitz Berlin funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Matthes & Seitz Berlin 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 Matthes & Seitz Berlin
What does Matthes & Seitz Berlin do?
Matthes & Seitz Berlin is an independent German book publishing house that publishes humanities non-fiction (Geisteswissenschaftliches Sachbuch), including philosophy, nature writing, political theory, anthropology, and cultural studies. The publisher releases hardcover books, short-format essay editions (Klappenbroschur), and ebooks, with a focus on new German translations of international literary and intellectual classics as well as contemporary authors from Germany, France, Russia, and China.
Is Matthes & Seitz Berlin a public or private company?
Matthes & Seitz Berlin is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Matthes & Seitz Berlin founded?
Matthes & Seitz Berlin was founded in 2004. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Matthes & Seitz Berlin based?
Matthes & Seitz Berlin is headquartered in Berlin, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does Matthes & Seitz Berlin make money?
One revenue line is on record: book Sales.
Who are Matthes & Seitz Berlin's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are S. Fischer Verlag and Carl Hanser Verlag. Direct peers are Wallstein Verlag, Diogenes Verlag, Suhrkamp Verlag, Wagenbach Verlag, Aufbau Verlag, Insel Verlag, Kiepenheuer & Witsch and Reclam.
Does Matthes & Seitz Berlin have an API?
No public API is recorded for Matthes & Seitz Berlin.
What industry is Matthes & Seitz Berlin in?
Matthes & Seitz Berlin's product category is Book Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGAFAF, Business, Economics & Management Scholarly Publishing, with a secondary code of EDAGAFAI, Interdisciplinary & Multidisciplinary Scholarly Publishing. Its NAICS code is 51313 and its SIC code is 2731.