De Gruyter (formerly De Gruyter & Company) is a prestigious German scientific publisher founded in 1705. It is headquartered in Berlin and has offices in Boston, Munich, Beijing, and Warsaw. The company publishes over 1,300 new titles each year and more than 8,500 journals in the humanities, social sciences, medicine, mathematics, engineering, computer science, and law. In addition to its publishing activities, De Gruyter also provides services for libraries and institutions.
De Gruyter was founded by Johann Gottfried Tampen (1683-1705) and first published theological works. The company expanded its program under the leadership of Georg David Götzinger (1709-1778), who added works on philosophy and history to the list of publications. Under Carl Friedrich Philippi (1761-1840), the company started to publish scholarly editions of Greek and Latin classics as well as dictionaries. In 1825, Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de Wette (1780-1849) became sole proprietor of the firm; he published theologians such as Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834).
In 1848/9 De Wette sold the business to Otto Maximilian Müller (1827–1900), who renamed it “Otto Müller’s Verlag” (“Otto Müller Publishing House”). From 1870 onward Otto Müller’s sons – Adolf Bernhard Philippi (1846–1930), Wilhelm Heinrich Philippi (* 1850), Otto Richard Philippi (* 1856) – took over management of the publishing house; they continued their father’s tradition by acquiring new rights to standard works while also commissioning fresh scholarship themselves with an eye toward widening both the range of topics covered as well as geographical markets served. Business thrived: By 1914 over 700 titles were being published annually; between 1890 und 1914 some 7500 volumes came off press – many enjoying several reprintings apiece due not only to local but also international demand.
During World War I Allied blockades hindered importation of raw materials needed for book production leading to drastic reductions in output; at wars end numerous books stockpiled during war years suddenly became available for sale again exacerbating an already difficult market situation for publishers generally speaking. Despite these challengesPhilipp Reclam jun., grandson of famous Leipzig bookseller Karl Anton Reclam established his own imprint with De Gruyter in 1919 which continues successfully until today specializing among other things in low cost student paperbacks known colloquially as “Reclams Universal Bibliothek”.
In 1925 Wilhelm von Humboldt’s heirs sold his personal library comprising some 200000 volumes along with manuscripts notes etc.to Deutsche Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin on condition that they be made available free of charge to scholars anywhere in world; this priceless collection subsequently became basis for newly created Humboldt Library now part physical part digital open around globe via Internet..