Felix Meiner Verlag GmbH

What Felix Meiner Verlag GmbH does

Felix Meiner Verlag GmbH is a Hamburg-headquartered, privately held German academic publishing house founded in 1868, currently managed by Jakob Meiner and Johann Meiner as Geschäftsführer. The company is structured as a GmbH with no external institutional investors, no funding rounds, and no public revenue disclosure. Its program is anchored by the Philosophische Bibliothek (PhB), founded in 1868 and described as the oldest and most comprehensive collection of philosophical texts in German-speaking academia, encompassing over 500 critically edited titles from approximately 160 authors spanning 2,400 years. Beyond the PhB, the company operates the Blaue Reihe for contemporary essays, the Sino-philosophica bilingual Chinese philosophy series, more than 15 thematic scholarly series, ten academic journals and yearbooks, and a portfolio of major critical complete editions including G.W.F. Hegel's Gesammelte Werke, Ernst Cassirer's Gesammelte Werke, Schelling's philosophische Entwürfe and Tagebücher, Nikolaus von Kues' Opera Omnia, Giordano Bruno's Werke, and Carnap's Tagebücher.

The company sells through a hybrid print/digital model. Print books and watermarked PDF eBooks are sold directly via the meiner.de web shop and distributed through the German book trade (Buchhandel). Institutional and individual digital access is provided through the Meiner eLibrary platform (meiner-elibrary.de), which also hosts content from five partner publishers and offers Open Access options (notably the Zeitschrift für Medien- und Kulturforschung under CC BY-SA 4.0). Major academic aggregators — ProQuest EBook-Central, EBSCO, JSTOR (with a 3-year Moving Wall for four major journals), and Intelex — provide further institutional reach, supplemented by specialized library suppliers such as Harrassowitz, Lehmanns Media, Schweitzer Fachinformationen, and MissingLink. Pricing ranges from €6.99 for individual PhB volumes to €249 for bilingual premium editions; journal subscriptions are priced via an annual price list.

Revenue derives from four streams: one-time book and eBook sales, recurring annual/multi-year journal subscriptions, institutional eLibrary licensing, and translation/rights licensing (handled directly by Johann Meiner). Marketing is executed through a dense portfolio of topic-specific newsletters, free print catalogs, academic conferences, author events (e.g., 'Soirée am Dom' at the Katholische Akademie Frankfurt), and a press/review service. Customer segments are horizontally distributed across university scholars and researchers, university libraries and academic institutions, undergraduate and graduate students, and educated general readers interested in philosophy.

Name

Felix Meiner Verlag GmbH

Legal name

Felix Meiner Verlag GmbH

Website

https://meiner.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1868

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Felix Meiner Verlag GmbH is a Hamburg-based, family-owned academic philosophy publisher founded in 1868 that publishes the Philosophische Bibliothek, scholarly journals, and critical editions of major philosophers for university scholars, libraries, and students via print and its Meiner eLibrary platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Book and Journal Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Periodical Publishers (51312), All Other Publishers (513199)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Humanities & Arts Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic & Scholarly Journals Publishing (Peer-Reviewed) (MPAJABAC), Research Monographs & University Press Publishing (MPAJABAJ), Open Access Scholarly Journals & Monographs (EDAGAFAJ)

Keywords

• Academic philosophy publishing
• Scholarly book publisher
• Humanities journals
• Critical editions
• Institutional eLibrary

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book sales (print and eBook): Sale of printed philosophy books and eBooks (PDF and ePub formats) directly through the publisher's web shop and via book trade distribution. eBooks are available both directly on the product detail page and through various commercial platforms.
2. Journal subscriptions (print and electronic): Annual and multi-year subscriptions to academic journals and yearbooks, available in print and as eJournal through the Meiner eLibrary. Subscription orders are accepted by email. Prices and terms are detailed in the publisher's price list.
3. Institutional eLibrary licensing: Licensing of eBooks and eJournals to universities and libraries via the Meiner eLibrary platform and through aggregators such as EBook-Central (ProQuest), EBSCO, JSTOR (withMoving Wall), and Intelex for specific editions.
4. Rights and licensing (translation, reproduction): Revenue from granting translation rights, reprint permissions, and other licensing of copyrighted content from the publisher's books and journals. Managed by Johann Meiner directly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Felix Meiner Verlag publishes critically edited scholarly philosophy books and academic journals for the German-speaking academic market. Its flagship offering is the Philosophische Bibliothek series (founded 1868), the oldest and most comprehensive collection of philosophical texts with over 500 titles from approximately 160 authors spanning 2,400 years. The company also publishes complete works of major philosophers (Hegel, Kant, Cassirer, Schelling), bilingual Chinese-German philosophy (Sino-philosophica), 10 academic journals/yearbooks, and distributes these in print, PDF, and ePub formats through its own webshop, institutional eLibrary, and academic aggregators.

Product overview

Felix Meiner Verlag GmbH is a Hamburg-based academic philosophy publisher founded in 1868, operating as a family-owned publishing house now in its fifth generation under Jakob Meiner and Johann Meiner. The company publishes the Philosophische Bibliothek (PhB, founded 1868), the oldest and most extensive collection of philosophical texts with over 500 titles, as well as the Blaue Reihe for contemporary debates, the Sino-philosophica bilingual Chinese philosophy series, journals (Zeitschriften & Jahrbücher), and complete/works editions of major philosophers (Hegel, Cassirer, Schelling, Kant, etc.). The company distributes both print and digital products through its own webshop (meiner.de), the Meiner eLibrary platform (meiner-elibrary.de) for institutions and individuals, and via commercial aggregators (EBook-Central, EBSCO, JSTOR). Additional services include newsletter subscriptions, catalog mailings, and rights & licensing management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Meiner eLibrary: Digital platform offering eBooks, eJournals, and academic publications for libraries and institutions

Products and services

• Felix Meiner Verlag Publishing Program Academic philosophy publishing program featuring monographs, scholarly series, collected and complete editions of major philosophers, and single titles across classical German philosophy, phenomenology, aesthetics, logic, medieval philosophy, cultural studies, and related disciplines, aimed at university faculty, researchers, students, and general educated readers.
• Philosophische Bibliothek (PhB) Founded in 1868, the oldest and most comprehensive collection of philosophical texts with over 500 titles from approximately 160 authors spanning 2,400 years of philosophy, published as critically edited scholarly editions for university-level students and scholars.
• Blaue Reihe Series of shorter, concise philosophical essays and introductions aimed at both specialists and general educated readers interested in contemporary philosophical debates.
• Sino-philosophica Bilingual series presenting source texts of Chinese philosophy from antiquity to the present in parallel Chinese-German layout with scholarly German translations, aimed at sinologists, philosophers, and libraries.
• Zeitschriften & Jahrbücher (Journals & Yearbooks) Portfolio of academic philosophy and cultural studies journals and yearbooks covering Aufklärung, conceptual history (Archiv für Begriffsgeschichte), Hegel studies, phenomenology, aesthetics, cultural philosophy, cultural studies, and media/cultural research, sold via annual subscriptions and institutional licenses.
• Werk- & Gesamtausgaben (Collected & Complete Editions) Critical complete editions (Gesammelte Werke) and historical-critical editions of major philosophers including Hegel, Cassirer, Schelling, Jacobi, Bruno, Nikolaus von Kues, Leo Strauss, Nelson, Pieper, and Carnap, sold as multi-volume sets to libraries, scholars, and institutions.
• Meiner eLibrary Institutional and individual digital access platform (meiner-elibrary.de) providing universities, libraries, and individual subscribers with access to eBooks, eJournals, eArticles, and Open Access publications from Felix Meiner Verlag and partner publishers.
• eBooks (PDF & ePub) Electronic editions of the publisher's catalog available as PDF (page-identical to print with individual watermarking) and ePub formats, sold through the publisher's web shop and through commercial aggregators.
• Open Access Publications Selected scholarly eBooks and journal articles released as Open Access under CC BY-SA 4.0 license, including the full archive of the Zeitschrift für Medien- und Kulturforschung (ZMK), available free of charge to readers.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EBook-Central (ProQuest)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMajor academic eBook distribution platform providing global access to Felix Meiner Verlag's eBook catalog to institutional customers worldwide.
• EBSCOcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAcademic eBook distribution platform delivering Felix Meiner Verlag's electronic publications to libraries and institutions globally.
• JSTORcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJSTOR provides access to journal archives (Moving Wall of 3 years) for Archiv für Begriffsgeschichte, Aufklärung, Phänomenologische Forschungen, and Hegel-Studien.
• IntelexcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorElectronic access to complete editions including 'Hegel: Vorlesungen', 'Cassirer: Gesammelte Werke', 'Jacobi: Werke', and 'Briefe von und an Hegel' through the Intelex platform.
• Kulturwissenschaftliche GesellschaftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Kulturwissenschaftliche Gesellschaft (Cultural Studies Society) co-publishes the Kulturwissenschaftliche Zeitschrift through Felix Meiner Verlag. The journal was founded in 2016 and serves as an open forum for cultural studies debate.
• Internationales Kolleg für Kulturtechnikforschung und Medienphilosophie (IKKM), Bauhaus-Universität WeimarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIKKM at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar co-publishes the Zeitschrift für Medien- und Kulturforschung (ZMK) with Felix Meiner Verlag. Over 20 issues with more than 300 contributions were produced through this long-standing cooperation. Upon discontinuation of the print journal in 2020, IKKM's initiative enabled the full archive to become freely accessible as Open Access.
• Dietmar Dreier (bookseller/distributor)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSpecialized academic bookseller and distributor handling Felix Meiner Verlag's physical and electronic publications in Germany.
• HarrassowitzminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAcademic library supplier and distributor of electronic publications for Felix Meiner Verlag.
• Lehmanns MediaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAcademic bookseller and eBook platform distributor for Felix Meiner Verlag publications.
• MissingLinkminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAcademic bookseller and distributor of electronic publications for Felix Meiner Verlag.
• Schweitzer FachinformationenminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAcademic specialist supplier and distributor of Felix Meiner Verlag's eBook and print catalog.
• Katholische Akademie, Frankfurt am MainminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner venue for the 'Soirée am Dom' discussion events featuring Felix Meiner Verlag authors, such as Prof. Dr. Daniel Martin Feige discussing 'Kann KI Geist oder Kunst?' on May 28, 2026.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Suhrkamp Verlag: Major German literary and philosophical publisher, including the influential 'Suhrkamp Wissenschaft' and editions of major philosophers (Hegel, Adorno, Benjamin). Adjacent rather than fully overlapping — Suhrkamp emphasizes literary-theoretical philosophy, while Felix Meiner focuses on scholarly critical editions.
• Reclam: Mass-market German publisher with deep philosophical and classical text lists, including the affordable 'Reclam Klassiker' series. Comparable in subject matter (philosophy primary texts in German) but serves a more general student/reader audience rather than scholarly critical editions.

Direct peers

• Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht: German academic publisher with a strong philosophy, theology, and humanities catalog, including scholarly series and journals. Direct comparable in scale, niche focus, and target audience (German-speaking university philosophy departments).
• Schwabe Verlag: Swiss academic publisher with deep roots in philosophy, classics, and humanities. Comparable in producing critical editions and scholarly series for academic libraries, and operates in the broader DACH academic ecosystem alongside Felix Meiner Verlag.
• Karl Alber Verlag: German philosophy and theology publisher with comparable monograph series and a similar scholarly readership. Operates within the same nominal publishing group as other relevant academic houses and competes for the same author pool.
• Frommann-Holzboog Verlag: Stuttgart-based publisher specializing in critical editions of classical German philosophy (Hegel, Kant, Fichte, Jacobi, Schelling) — a near-direct overlap with Felix Meiner's core Werk- & Gesamtausgaben program and target scholarly readership.

Broad incumbents

• Cambridge University Press: University press with a large philosophy monograph and journal program, comparable in producing peer-reviewed academic philosophy content and journal subscriptions for institutional libraries worldwide — but primarily English-language and at significantly greater scale.
• Brill: Dutch academic publisher with a long-established humanities and philosophy program, including journals, book series, and critical editions. Overlaps with Felix Meiner Verlag on philosophy journals and monograph series aimed at academic institutions, but at significantly larger overall scale.
• De Gruyter: Major German-based academic publisher with a substantial philosophy and humanities portfolio, including critical editions and journals. Overlaps with Felix Meiner Verlag in serving the same German and European academic philosophy market, but operates across a much broader STM and HSS portfolio.

Others

• JSTOR: Digital academic content platform that distributes Felix Meiner Verlag's journal archives (Hegel-Studien, Phänomenologische Forschungen, etc.) under a 3-year Moving Wall. A channel partner and platform peer that increasingly competes for institutional library budget allocation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/felix-meiner-verlag-gmbh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Felix Meiner Verlag GmbH