Reinhard Mohn assumed control of the C. Bertelsmann publishing company in April 1947, taking over a firm severely damaged by World War II bombing raids. From these post-war beginnings in Gütersloh, he transformed a regional printing house into a global media conglomerate, ultimately establishing the Bertelsmann Stiftung to ensure the long-term continuity of his enterprise.
Military Service and Post-War Transition
Born in 1921, Mohn was the fifth generation of the Bertelsmann family. After completing his labor service in the Third Reich, he volunteered for the Luftwaffe, serving as a lieutenant on the Western Front and in Tunisia. In May 1943, he became a prisoner of war and was transferred to Camp Concordia in Kansas. He returned to Germany in January 1946, where he apprenticed as a bookseller before his father, Heinrich Mohn, transferred the company publishing license to him in 1947.
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Mohn introduced the Bertelsmann Lesering book club in 1950, which catalyzed significant company growth. He implemented employee profit-sharing and loan participation programs in the 1950s and 1960s to foster a culture of partnership. In 1971, he converted the family business into a joint stock corporation. His international strategy included the acquisition of Bantam Books and Doubleday in the United States, cementing the firm’s position as a major media group. Mohn served as chairman of the executive board until 1981, when he transitioned to the supervisory board.
The Bertelsmann Stiftung
In 1977, Mohn founded the Bertelsmann Stiftung, a non-profit organization, with an initial endowment of 100,000 Deutsche Mark. By 1993, he transferred the majority of Bertelsmann shareholdings to this foundation, ensuring its role as the group's largest shareholder. He established the Fundación Bertelsmann in Spain and the Bertelsmann Foundation North America in Washington, D.C. Mohn served as the sole Executive Board member in the early years, gradually expanding the foundation's governance before withdrawing from active management after 1998.
Personal Life and Recognition
Mohn married Magdalene Raßfeld in 1948, and they had three children before divorcing in 1982. Later that year, he married Elisabeth Scholz, adopting her three children. Throughout his career, Mohn received various honors, including the Princess of Asturias Award for Communications and Humanities, the Hanns Martin Schleyer Prize, the State Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia, and the Jakob Fugger Medal. He died in 2009 in Steinhagen.
Fast facts
- Born: 1921, Gütersloh
- Died: 2009, Steinhagen
- Education: University of Münster
- Military Rank: Lieutenant
- Company founded: Bertelsmann Stiftung (1977)
- Marriage 1: Magdalene Raßfeld (1948)
- Marriage 2: Elisabeth Scholz (1982)
- Major Awards: Princess of Asturias Award for Communications and Humanities (1998)
Questions readers ask
How did Mohn change the structure of Bertelsmann?
He transformed the family firm into a joint stock corporation in 1971 and eventually transferred a majority of the shares to the Bertelsmann Stiftung to ensure long-term stability.
What was the significance of the Bertelsmann Stiftung?
Founded in 1977, it became the primary shareholder of the Bertelsmann group in 1993 and serves as a non-profit entity managing social, educational, and transatlantic projects.
Achievements
- Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Hanns Martin Schleyer Prize — 1998
- State Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia — 1998
- Jakob Fugger Medal — 2000
- Grand Cross of the Order of Civil Merit — 1998
- Affiliated with Bertelsmann
- Educated at University of Münster
