Süddeutsche Verlag
Süddeutscher Verlag was founded in 1947 with the publication of the first edition of the Süddeutsche Zeitung in Munich. The publishing house was owned by the five founding families (Friedmann, Goldschagg, Seidlein, Schwingenstein and Dürrmeier) until 2007, when four of the families finally agreed to sell the company to Südwestdeutsche Medien Holding (SWMH). Today - of the original founders - only the Friedmann family is still involved.
In addition to the flagship Süddeutsche Zeitung, the publishing house includes several subsidiaries in the fields of local newspapers (Bayerische Staatszeitung, Frankenpost, Nordbayerischer Kurier, Südthüringer Zeitung, Neue Presse Coburg, Freies Wort, Meininger Tageblatt) and specialised publications.
Mother Company
Südwestdeutsche Medien Holding GmbH (SWMH)
Business Form
private
Legal Form
Limited liability company (GmbH)
Business Sectors
Charity; Printing technology and services; Marketing agency; Advertising; Logistics
Individual Owner
Minor Shareholders
Around 40 % of the participations are distributed across numerous co-owners of the main owner Südwestdeutsche Medienholding.
The Ebner Family
The Ebner family of publishers has been active in the media landscape in southern Germany for several generations. Eberhard Ebner, who was co-publisher and shareholder of Südwest Presse, died at the beginning of 2024. Ebner was also chairman of the supervisory board of SWMH and a member of the editorial board of Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Ruth Alberle
Descendant of the founder of the Neue Württembergische Zeitung
Albert Esslinger-Kiefer
Other Print Outlets
Frankenpost (0.27%);
Nordbayerischer Kurier (0.2%);
Südthüringer Zeitung (0.35%);
Neue Presse Coburg (0.1%);
Freies Wort;
Meininger Tageblatt;
Bayerische Staatszeitung;
SZ Magazin;
SZ Langstrecke
Other Online Outlets
Süddeutsche.de (100%);
Frankenpost.de (65%);
Nordbayerischer-Kurier.de (42%);
InSuedthueringen.de (70%);
NP-Coburg.de (65%);
Bayerische-Staatszeitung.de (50%)
Media Business
Advertising
Republic (50%)
Communication & Marketing
SZ Scala (100%)
Archive and Research Services
Dokumentations- und Informationszentrum (DIZ) (100%)
Business
Printing plant
Süddeutscher Verlag newspaper printing (100%)
Logistics
Zamdo (100%)
Charity
SZ Readers' Foundation
SZ Good Works
General Information
Founding Year
1945
Affiliated Interests Founder
(USA, Great Britain, France and the Soviet Union) were looking for suitable people to be granted a licence to publish a daily newspaper in Bavaria. It was crucial that the people were not migrants, i.e. that they had witnessed the Nazis' deeds in the country, and they were orientated towards the pre-war party profile. The following three men were ultimately selected:
was a state parliament correspondent for the liberal Bavarian Farmers' Association and was physically attacked by an NSDAP member of parliament in 1931. The Nazis banned him from his profession in 1933.
was the editor of a Catholic magazine that was banned by the NSDAP and wrote non-political novels during the Nazi era.
was a social democrat and political editor from Freiburg im Breisgau. He too was no longer allowed to pursue his profession under National Socialism. Goldschagg became the first editor-in-chief of the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
Employees
2,500 (2024)
Contact
Süddeutscher Verlag
Hultschiner Straße 8
81677 München
Phone: +49 89 2183 0
E-Mail: verlagsleitung@sz.de
Tax/ ID Number
DE 811158310
Financial Information
Revenue (Financial Data/ Optional)
€ 310 Million (2021) / USD 365 Million (revenues of Süddeutschen Zeitung)
Operating Profit (in Mill. $)
Missing Data
Advertising (in % of total funding)
Missing Data
Management
Executive Board
born 1974 in Bad Homburg, studied business administration and was a member of the Executive Board of ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE until 2017. He has been Managing Director of Südwestdeutsche Medienholding GmbH since 2018 and has also been Managing Director of Süddeutsche Zeitung since 2021.
born in Munich in 1961, studied philosophy and business administration and previously worked at the management consultancy Roland Berger. He worked there as a consultant for Süddeutsche Zeitung from 2002 before moving to Süddeutscher Verlag as Managing Director in 2010.
Other Influential People
grandson of Werner Friedmann, who became the fourth licensee of the Süddeutsche Zeitung in 1946. Today, Oliver Friedmann is on the SZ's editorial board and the Friedmann family of publishers owns 18.8% of the Süddeutsche Zeitung.
is also on the editorial board and also comes from a family of publishers. Schaub is the head of Medien Union GmbH Ludwigshafen, which in turn holds a 44% stake in Südwestdeutsche Medienholding GmbH.
is also one of the publishers of the SZ. He is also a shareholder and publisher of the Schwarzwälder Bote. Schwarzwälder Bote GmbH u. Co KG is a member of the Württembergischer Verleger group and holds a stake in Südwestdeutsche Medien Holding GmbH (SWMH).
Further Information
Headlines
Meta Data
Süddeutscher Verlag is a limited liability company and does not publish any financial figures. The only information available on its turnover is for 2021 – and even then only from indirect sources.
The average dollar exchange rate for 2021 was used for the conversion (1.18 USD for 1 euro).
