Wolfgang Metzner Verlag GmbH

What Wolfgang Metzner Verlag GmbH does

Wolfgang Metzner Verlag GmbH, operating commercially as Verlag für Standesamtswesen GmbH, is a Frankfurt am Main-based German publisher and specialized software vendor serving the German civil registry (Standesamt) sector. The company is a family-owned private limited liability company (GmbH) managed by three members of the Metzner family (Klaudia Metzner, Anna Metzner, and Dr. Günther Metzner) with 6 employees and no external institutional investment. Its customer base consists primarily of all German civil registry offices across the 16 federal states, supplemented by family law practitioners, mediators, and municipal administrative authorities.

The company's product portfolio integrates three complementary lines: (1) specialized workflow software led by AutiSta for civil registration records management, supplemented by ePR-Server, Elektronische Sammelakte, Formularserver, and RegX modules; (2) authoritative online databases including Ortsbuch Online (a comprehensive directory of all German municipalities since 1900 with associated civil registry offices, courts, and authorities), ElBib (bibliographic database), and IEK (international family and child law); and (3) professional publications including the StAZ monthly journal, the StAZ Aktuell online edition, and an extensive book program covering mediation, conflict management, and family law, including two scientific series with academic editors. Software and database products are distributed through municipal data processing centers (Rechenzentren) and direct sales via vfst.de.

The business model is primarily subscription-based, with annual licensing cycles for software (AutiSta, ePR-Server, Formularserver, RegX), database subscriptions (Ortsbuch Online, ElBib, IEK), and journal subscriptions (StAZ), typically billed in May for the following calendar year. One-time book sales range from approximately €14.80 to €79.00 for print editions with e-book variants available. The company operates exclusively in the German domestic market, distributing through direct e-commerce and municipal IT intermediaries, with no third-party resellers or retail distribution channels.

Name

Wolfgang Metzner Verlag GmbH

Legal name

Verlag für Standesamtswesen GmbH

Website

https://wm-verlag.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Wolfgang Metzner Verlag GmbH is a Frankfurt-based, family-owned German publisher and software vendor specializing in civil registry (Standesamt) workflow software, professional legal publications, and reference databases serving German municipalities, courts, and family law practitioners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civil Registry Publishing and Software

NAICS

Book Publishers (51313), Software Publishers (5132), Other Publishers (51319)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Legal & Regulatory Publishing (Case Law, Statutes, Treatises) (MPAJACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Government, Public Policy & Regulatory Reference (Public Administration, Regulatory Guidance) (EDAGAGAK)

Keywords

• Civil registry publishing
• Municipal directory databases
• Registry office software
• Family law publications
• Mediation literature

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt am Main

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: Sale of printed books and e-books covering civil registry law, family law, mediation, conflict management, and communication. Books are sold individually with prices ranging from approximately €14.80 to €79.00 for print editions. E-book versions are also available at lower price points.
2. Software Licenses (AutiSta, ePR-Server, Formularserver): Annual licenses for specialized civil registry software products including AutiSta, ePR-Server, Formularserver, and RegX module. Licenses are sold to civil registry offices and municipal authorities.
3. Online Database Subscriptions (Ortsbuch Online, ElBib, IEK): Annual subscriptions to online databases providing access to municipal directory data, bibliographic resources, and international family law information. Subscription periods run from January 1 to December 31, with annual renewal.
4. Zeitschrift StAZ (Journal Subscription): Annual subscription to the StAZ (Standesamt) journal, a professional publication for civil registry practitioners.
5. AutiSta Ortsbuch Integration: Annual license for the integration of Ortsbuch (municipality directory) data into the AutiSta civil registry software, billed in May of each calendar year.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Wolfgang Metzner Verlag GmbH is a specialized German publishing house and software vendor serving civil registry offices (Standesämter), municipalities, and legal professionals. It sells purpose-built civil registry software (AutiSta, ePR-Server, Formularserver), annual subscriptions to online databases (Ortsbuch Online, ElBib, IEK), the StAZ professional journal, and a book program covering mediation, conflict management, family law, and inheritance law.

Product overview

Wolfgang Metzner Verlag GmbH, operating as Verlag für Standesamtswesen GmbH, offers a comprehensive portfolio of specialized products and services for German registry offices (Standesämter) and legal professionals. The offering consists of a software platform centered around AutiSta as the core application, supplemented by additional modules (ePR-Server, Elektronische Sammelakte, Formularserver, RegX) and online databases (Ortsbuch Online, ElBib). The publication division provides professional literature including the StAZ journal, the IEK international family law series, and general books on mediation and conflict management. This integrated approach combines specialized software tools with authoritative legal publications and databases to serve the complete workflow needs of civil registration offices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AutiSta: Software for registry office management and administrative tasks
• ePR-Server
• Ortsbuch Online
• ElBib
• Formularserver
• StAZ
• IEK

Products and services

• AutiSta Specialized software application for German civil registry offices (Standesämter) to manage civil registration tasks including birth, marriage, and death registrations; sold via annual license.
• ePR-Server Electronic registry server for processing and managing digital person registry documents and records, distributed under annual license to civil registry offices.
• Formularserver Form server providing standardized digital forms for civil registry office workflows and procedures.
• Elektronische Sammelakte Electronic collective file system for organizing and managing related registry documents in civil registry offices.
• Ortsbuch Online Comprehensive online directory of all municipalities in Germany since 1900, including current and former municipalities, responsible civil registry offices, administrative authorities, courts, and consulates; sold as an annual subscription with municipality license pricing based on Einwohnerzahl (population) from €94.58.
• ElBib Online library and bibliographic database providing access to specialized literature and legal resources for civil registry office professionals; offered as multiple subscription modules (ElBib Aufsichtsbehörde, ElBib Spezial Ausländisches Recht, etc.) with user-limited licensing.
• IEK – Internationales Ehe- und Kindschaftsrecht Publication series and online database on international family and child law, including current country reports and legal commentary for cross-border family law matters; available as IEK-Grundlizenz limited to 3 users with additional workstation licensing.
• StAZ – Zeitschrift für Standesamtswesen Professional printed monthly journal covering civil registry practices, family law, and civil registration matters; available via annual subscription.
• StAZ Aktuell – Online Version Digital subscription version of the StAZ journal providing current updates and commentary on registry law.
• Wolfgang Metzner Verlag Book Program Catalog of professional books covering mediation, conflict management, communication, family law, and inheritance law, including two scientific series edited by leading academics and master's theses from Europa-Universität Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder); sold as print editions and e-books at €14.80 to €79.00.
• Ordner und Register Physical organizers and registers for civil registry office documentation and record-keeping.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• De Gruyter: Berlin-based academic publisher with strong programs in law and scholarly monographs, including open-access journals. Comparable as a publisher of legal/academic reference works and journals serving German and international professional audiences.
• Wolters Kluwer Deutschland: German arm of global legal information publisher, offering Anwaltsblatt, juris database, and software products for legal and tax professionals. Comparable in providing subscription-based legal databases and professional publishing, but at much greater scale and breadth.
• Bundesanzeiger Verlag: Publisher of the German Federal Gazette and operator of the company register and public procurement platform. Comparable as an authoritative publisher/operator serving German public administration with regulatory content and digital services.
• C.H. Beck: Germany's largest legal publisher, producing law books, journals (NJW, NJW-Schriftenreihe), and digital legal databases (beck-online). Comparable to Wolfgang Metzner Verlag in producing specialized legal reference content and subscription-based legal information services for professionals, though at vastly larger scale and across the full breadth of German law rather than the Standesamt niche.

Direct peers

• Otto Schmidt Verlag: Cologne-based legal and business publisher producing professional books, journals (e.g., NJW-Spezial), and online services for German lawyers, tax advisors, and notaries. Comparable in targeting German legal professionals with subscription and one-off purchase models.
• Nomos Verlag: German legal and academic publisher with strong programs in family law, inheritance law, and public law — overlapping directly with Wolfgang Metzner Verlag's book program and IEK series. Also distributes academic monographs and journals.
• Kohlhammer Verlag: Stuttgart-based publisher of academic and professional titles across law, social sciences, and economics. Comparable to Wolfgang Metzner Verlag in producing scholarly series with academic editors and selling to professional/legal audiences in German-speaking markets.
• Reguvis Fachmedien: Publisher focused on public administration, civil service, and social law in Germany. Comparable to Wolfgang Metzner Verlag in serving government/public-sector professionals with specialized reference content and digital products.
• Regibase GmbH: Provider of civil registry software (Regibase) and digital solutions for German Standesämter. Directly comparable as a competing specialist vendor of registry office software with similar deployment through municipal data centers.
• Erich Schmidt Verlag: Berlin-based publisher specializing in legal, tax, and business topics with both print and digital products. Comparable as a mid-sized German legal publisher serving professionals with reference works and subscription databases.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

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Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Wolfgang Metzner Verlag GmbH