Editing Bertelsmann (section)

=== 1945–1970 ===
After World War II, the company portrayed itself to the Allied Control Authority as a Christian publisher that was part of the [[German resistance to Nazism|resistance to Nazism]] and allegedly persecuted. Ties to National Socialist organizations were initially denied. After it became known that erroneous, or at least inadequate, statements had been made, Heinrich Mohn stepped down as the head of the publishing house.<ref>{{cite book| title= 175 Years of Bertelsmann: The Legacy for Our Future|publisher=C. Bertelsmann|location=Munich|year=2010|isbn=978-3-570-10175-9|page=22}}</ref> [[Reinhard Mohn]], one of his three sons, took over the C. Bertelsmann Verlag, as Hans Heinrich Mohn had been killed in the war and Sigbert Mohn was still a prisoner of war.<ref>{{cite book| language= de| first= Thomas |last=Lehning|title=Das Medienhaus: Geschichte und Gegenwart des Bertelsmann-Konzerns| publisher=Fink|location=Paderborn, Munich|year=2004|isbn=3-7705-4035-2|page=33}}</ref> In 1947, the Allies finally granted the company a publishing license.<ref>{{cite book| language=de|first=Thomas |last= Lehning|title=Das Medienhaus: Geschichte und Gegenwart des Bertelsmann-Konzerns| publisher= Fink|location=Paderborn, Munich| year=2004|isbn=3-7705-4035-2|page=34}}</ref> After currency reform in 1948, there was a market slump in the book trade that also led to the next existential crisis for the C. Bertelsmann Verlag.<ref>{{cite book|title=175 Years of Bertelsmann: The Legacy for Our Future|publisher=C. Bertelsmann|location=Munich|year=2010|isbn=978-3-570-10175-9| page= 135}}</ref> Under these conditions, in 1950 Bertelsmann launched the Lesering (book club) to stimulate sales.<ref>{{cite news|first=Günther |last= Bähr|title=Das allerletzte Kapitel| language=de|magazine=[[Focus (German magazine)|Focus]]|date=14 August 2015|pages=96–97}}</ref> Customers ordered books via subscription and in return received discounted prices.<ref>{{cite news| title=Letztes Kapitel vor Gericht| first=Erich|last= Reimann|newspaper=[[Wiesbadener Kurier]]|date=25 August 2015|language=de}}</ref> The business increasingly shifted from the publishing house to the sale of books, which was decisive to further growth.<ref>{{cite book|language= de|author1= Volker Ackermann| author2= Torsten Groth| author3= Markus Plate| author4= Arist von Schlippe|title=Große deutsche Familienunternehmen: Generationenfolge, Familienstrategie und Unternehmensentwicklung| publisher=[[Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht]]| location=Göttingen|year=2011|isbn=978-3-525-40338-9|page=82}}</ref>

In 1959, the C. Bertelsmann Verlag underwent a restructuring. From that point forward, theological literature was published by the newly established Gütersloher Verlagshaus, which was consolidated with the Rufer Verlag. Fiction, poetry, and art publications were placed under the Sigbert Mohn Verlag. The C. Bertelsmann Verlag focused on nonfiction books, in particular dictionaries, guidebooks, reference books and journals.<ref>{{cite book|language=de|first=Thomas |last=Lehning|title=Das Medienhaus: Geschichte und Gegenwart des Bertelsmann-Konzerns|publisher=Fink|location=Paderborn, Munich|year=2004|isbn=3-7705-4035-2|page=87}}</ref> In the 1950s and 1960s, Bertelsmann expanded its activities into new business areas. In 1956, the company entered the music market with the Bertelsmann Schallplattenring (record club). Two years later, Ariola, one of the most successful German record labels was launched,<ref>{{cite news|language=de|title=Bertelsmann wird heute 175 Jahre alt (1950–1960)|newspaper=Westfalen-Blatt|date=1 July 2010}}</ref> and virtually at the same time, the [[Sonopress]] record pressing plant was established.<ref>{{cite news|title=Superstar und Freund der Mohns|language=de|newspaper=Neue Westfälische|date=23 December 2014|page=3}}</ref> With the ''Kommissionshaus Buch & Ton'' (book and audio commissioning company), from which the ''Vereinigte Verlagsauslieferung'' (VVA) emerged, Bertelsmann laid the cornerstone for its service business.<ref>{{cite book|first=Jan Philip |last=Holtman|language=de|title=Pfadabhängigkeit strategischer Entscheidungen: Eine Fallstudie am Beispiel des Bertelsmann-Buchclubs Deutschland|publisher=Kölner Wiss.|location=Cologne|year=2008|isbn=978-3-937404-57-8|url=http://www.diss.fu-berlin.de/diss/receive/FUDISS_thesis_000000008114|access-date=1 October 2015|page=126}}</ref> In 1964, Bertelsmann purchased the already broken-up [[Universum Film AG|UFA]] from the [[Deutsche Bank]] and built on its presence in cinema and television.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-46162677.html|magazine=[[Der Spiegel]]|language=de|title=Klappe zu|date=15 January 1964}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|language=de|title=Bertelsmann wird heute 175 Jahre alt (1960–1970)|newspaper=Westfalen-Blatt|date=1 July 2010}}</ref> In 1969, Bertelsmann acquired shares in the magazine publisher [[Gruner + Jahr]]. A merger with [[Axel Springer SE|Axel Springer]], also planned at the time, for which a loan for millions had been taken out temporarily from [[Westdeutsche Landesbank]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-45439917.html|magazine=Der Spiegel|language=de|date=9 March 1970|title=Freundlicher Moloch}}</ref> failed in 1970.<ref>{{cite book|title=175 Years of Bertelsmann: The Legacy for Our Future|publisher=C. Bertelsmann|location=Munich|year=2010|isbn=978-3-570-10175-9|page=36}}</ref>