ullstein picture

What ullstein picture does

ullstein bild is a Berlin-based historical picture archive and photo licensing company with origins in the Ullstein publishing house dating to 1894. The company maintains one of Germany's largest collections of historical photographs, covering German and international events from the beginnings of photography through the present day, organized by decade (1900s-2020s), topic, and curated thematic collections such as the Zentralbild DDR motifs (16,000+ items) and 1936 Olympic Games dossiers. Its catalog is augmented through partnerships with The Granger Collection, akg-images, Zentralbild, TopFoto, Sjöberg Bildbyrå, and EFE.

The company operates a digital archive platform at ullsteinbild.de with keyword-searchable metadata, a Then & Now Photo Slider for comparing historical and contemporary views of locations, and digitally colorized outputs from collections such as the Haeckel archive. Five wholly-owned sub-brands (ullstein bild maritim, ullstein bild automotive, Golden 20th, Haeckel Collection, WELT Photo) segment the catalog by vertical. Distribution extends globally through the direct e-commerce site, the BILD Fotoservice (now distributed by Axel Springer Ullstein Syndication GmbH since January 2024), and partner resellers.

ullstein bild generates revenue through four primary streams: transaction-based image licensing to media and publishing buyers, subscription-based news and sports photography via BILD Fotoservice, retail sales of prints and calendars, and licensing fees for exhibitions and documentaries. Customers are primarily German and international media and publishing organizations, followed by museums, cultural institutions, and commercial users in film, advertising, and book publishing. The company is privately held as a subsidiary within the Axel Springer corporate structure and is not independently funded.

Name

ullstein picture

Legal name

ullstein bild

Website

https://ullsteinbild.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1894

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ullstein bild is a Berlin-based historical picture archive licensing authenticated photographs from 1894 to present to German and international media, publishing, museum, and commercial customers via its digital archive platform and partner distribution networks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Historical Photo Archive and Image Licensing

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro primary industry

Archive & Library Footage Licensing (News, Sports, Entertainment) (MPABANAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Highlights, Clip Licensing & Archive Rights (MPABAJAJ), Sports Art, Prints & Photography Retail (CRAMAOAG)

Keywords

• Historical photo archive
• Press photography licensing
• Stock image syndication
• Editorial image library
• Archival photography sales

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Image Licensing: ullstein bild licenses historical and contemporary photographs to media companies, publishers, and individuals. Customers pay for the right to use images from the archive in their publications, films, exhibitions, or other commercial applications.
2. Subscription Services: The BILD Fotoservice provides ongoing access to news and sports photography, likely through subscription arrangements with media outlets.
3. Print and Calendar Sales: Sale of printed reproductions, calendars featuring historical photographs, and merchandise derived from the archive.
4. Exhibition and Licensing Fees: Historical photographs licensed for exhibitions, documentaries, and publications.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ullstein bild licenses and sells access to one of Germany's most extensive historical photograph archives, spanning from the beginnings of photography through the present day. The company offers image licensing for editorial and commercial use, subscription-based news and sports photography via BILD Fotoservice, printed reproductions and calendars, and curated themed collections covering German and international history.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ullstein bild maritim: Maritime photography collection featuring naval and sea-related historical images
• ullstein bild automotive
• BILD Fotoservice
• Haeckel Collection
• WELT Photo

Products and services

• Historical Image Licensing

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 16,000 DDR motifs digitized and available for licensing
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and strategic.

• ZentralbildcoreTechnology or Integration · 25 April 2017ullstein bild markets 16,000 freshly digitized and meticulously edited DDR (East German) motifs from Zentralbild. The motifs are available worldwide through ullstein bild's platform.
• EFE (Agencia EFE)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 October 2015Spanish news agency EFE is a new distribution partner for ullstein bild. EFE supplies ullstein bild daily with current images from Royals, Politics, Sports, Business, and other categories.
• The Granger CollectioncoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with The Granger Collection in New York, one of the largest historical image collections worldwide. The partnership provides access to millions of images spanning 25,000 years of human history, significantly expanding ullstein bild's international offerings.
• akg-imagescoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership with akg-images provides a significant complement to ullstein bild's image holdings. akg-images offers over ten million images, and ullstein bild provides digitized colorized versions of classic photographs from their Haeckel Collection.
• Axel Springer Ullstein Syndication GmbHcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSince January 2024, Axel Springer Ullstein Syndication GmbH handles the distribution of the BILD Fotoservice. The service has been successfully integrated and continues to operate effectively.
• German Historical Museum (Deutsches Historisches Museum)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint exhibition Die Erfindung der Pressefotografie (The Invention of Press Photography) from June 23, 2017 to January 1, 2018 at the German Historical Museum, featuring the Ullstein Collection 1894-1945.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Getty Images: Global leader in stock and editorial imagery licensing, including historical photography. Getty operates a vast archive with similar B2B licensing model serving publishers, broadcasters, and commercial clients—directly competitive with ullstein bild in editorial and historical licensing.
• Bridgeman Images: Leading specialist in art, cultural, and historical image licensing, serving museums, publishers, and documentary producers. Directly comparable in focus on premium heritage imagery with rights-cleared licensing to cultural and editorial customers.
• Imago Images: German photo agency network aggregating editorial, sports, and historical imagery. Direct competitor in the German-speaking market for press and editorial photo licensing.
• Shutterstock: Major stock photography platform with significant editorial and historical content collections, serving similar media, publishing, and commercial customers. Competes directly on per-image licensing economics and search/discovery UX.
• akg-images: German historical image archive with 10+ million images, also a partner of ullstein bild. Closely comparable business model focused on historical, cultural, and editorial image licensing, with overlapping customer base in European publishing and documentary production.
• picture alliance: German photo agency serving editorial, historical, and cultural image licensing with similar customer base in publishing, broadcasting, and museums. Closely comparable service offering and market positioning.
• Alamy: Stock photography platform with strong editorial and historical content, serving media, publishing, and commercial users globally. Direct competitor on licensing platform model and editorial imagery market.
• The Granger Collection: Major historical image collection spanning 25,000 years, already a core partner of ullstein bild. Operates a similar archive licensing model with deep specialization in historical imagery for editorial and documentary use.
• TopFoto: UK-based historical image library with editorial and documentary licensing focus, already a partner of ullstein bild. Comparable in archive depth, customer segments, and licensing model for cultural and historical imagery.

Others

• Deutsches Bundesarchiv (German Federal Archives): Germany's federal archival institution holding extensive historical photographic records of German state history. Not a commercial competitor but adjacent ecosystem player whose publicly-held holdings sometimes substitute for licensed archival content.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ullsteinbild
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGBeoHQ9bt57I7vYqMV-aiw
• Facebookfacebook.com/ullsteinbild
• Instagraminstagram.com/ullsteinbild
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ullstein-bild

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries6 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 ullstein picture