Bertelsmann Buchclub, originally launched in 1950 as the “Lesering – Das Bertelsmann Buch” book club, was the foundation of what became the Bertelsmann media group. The club’s visual identity evolved from the publisher’s existing letterhead and signet tradition rather than from a single standalone logo design.
Design and History
The Bertelsmann Lesering was founded on May 31, 1950, when the C. Bertelsmann Verlag Gütersloh announced the creation of the book club in a circular. The announcement appeared under the publisher’s existing letterhead, indicating that the club initially used the parent publisher’s visual identity rather than a distinct mark of its own.[1]
On November 20, 1953, the club registered a word-and-image trademark with the German Patent and Trademark Office under the designation “BL BERTELSMANN LESERING.” The trademark application confirms that by the early 1950s the club had developed its own identifiable mark, combining the initials “BL” with the full club name.[2]
During the 1950s and 1960s, the Lesering’s growth was documented extensively in the Bertelsmann Corporate Archive, which holds posters, catalogs and promotional materials from the period. The archive notes that the development of the Lesering in these decades is “vividly documented” in its collections.[3]
In 1981, the programs of the three Bertelsmann clubs, Lesering, Schallplattenring and Europaring, were combined into a single catalog and continued under the joint Bertelsmann Club brand.[4]
Meaning and Symbolism
The name “Lesering” itself carries the club’s core concept: “Lesen” means reading in German, and “Ring” suggests a circle or community of members. The club’s founding letter described a two-stage sales model in which sales representatives signed up members who could then choose titles from a catalog and order them through participating booksellers.[5]
The club’s promotional vehicles, known as “Rollende Bibliotheken” (rolling libraries), became a symbol of the Lesering’s rise. These advertising buses brought the publisher’s offerings directly to customers in cities, and although they were used only briefly, they came to represent the club’s ascent.[5]
Logo Index is an independent educational archive covering logos, visual identities and graphic design history. All trademarks and brand assets remain the property of their respective owners.
