Gads Forlag
Corporate brand
UnclaimedGads Forlag is a Danish publishing house with historic strengths in nonfiction, reference works, education, history, culture, biographies, and literature.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Gads Forlag, formerly known as G. E. C. Gad, is a Danish publishing house based in Copenhagen. It was founded on 31 October 1855 by Gottlieb Ernst Clausen Gad, who had previously spent approximately a decade at Gyldendal as an apprentice and assistant. The business began as a combined bookshop and publishing house on Vimmelskaftet in central Copenhagen. From an early stage, Gad developed a profile in scientific and other nonfiction publishing, supported in part by its founder’s connections with the University of Copenhagen. The company also published Norwegian and Swedish literature and became associated with the academic and cultural book trade in Denmark. Gad’s relationship with the Danish university and scholarly markets was reflected in its recognition as a university bookshop in 1882, an important distinction in the Danish bookselling environment of the period. In 1897, the company acquired a larger building at Vimmelskaftet 32, and Gottlieb Ernst Gad’s sons, Oscar and Frederik, joined the business as partners. Frederik Gad eventually became sole owner after the deaths of his father in 1906 and his brother in 1920. As Frederik Gad had no heirs, he established G.E.C. Gads Fond in 1965 and transferred ownership of the company to the foundation. The foundation’s stated purposes include support for scientific, cultural, and church-related causes. The company expanded beyond publishing through a chain of bookshops. In 1970, it acquired Zachariassens Boghandel in Kongens Lyngby and subsequently acquired or opened additional shops around Denmark. The retail operation was separated from the publishing business in 1994, when the bookshop chain operated 16 stores. The retail chain was sold to Indeks Retail Invest A/S in 2007, and the historic Vimmelskaftet shop closed in 2009 after 154 years of operation. Gads Forlag also developed educational and legal publishing activities. In 2000, it established Gad & Grafisk I/S with Egmont-owned Grafisk Skolebogsforlag; the educational business later became associated with Alinea. Its legal publications, including Ugeskrift for Retsvæsen, were transferred during the company’s financial difficulties in the early 1990s to Gad Jura A/S, in which Karnov became the majority owner. The company has also published educational materials under the Gjellerup and Trojka labels. Its historical and current publishing profile includes novels, biographies, history, culture, reference works, and books produced with museums, companies, and other institutions. The Historika label is used for collaborative history publishing. Notable associated works include Trap Danmark, Nordisk Konversationsleksikon, Kraks Blå Bog, and a 55-volume edition of Søren Kierkegaard’s complete works produced in cooperation with the Søren Kierkegaard Research Center. Since 2008, Gads Forlag has published Kraks Blå Bog, a major Danish biographical reference title. The company remains a foundation-owned Danish publisher rather than a publicly listed international media group.
History
Gads Forlag was founded in Copenhagen on 31 October 1855 by Gottlieb Ernst Clausen Gad under the name G. E. C. Gad. Gad had worked at Gyldendal for roughly ten years before establishing his own combined bookshop and publishing house on Vimmelskaftet. His professional background and connections with the University of Copenhagen helped shape the company’s early concentration on scientific, academic, and other nonfiction works. The firm also published literature from Norway and Sweden, giving it a broader Scandinavian orientation. In 1856, Gad became a partner in Forlagsbureauet i København, an association connected with Gyldendal and other booksellers. The arrangement was later absorbed into Gad’s own business. In 1882, the company became the last Danish bookshop to receive the designation of university bookshop. It moved to a larger property at Vimmelskaftet 32 in 1897, the same year that Gad’s sons Oscar and Frederik became partners. Gottlieb Ernst Gad died in 1906, after which Frederik Gad ultimately became sole owner following Oscar’s death in 1920. Frederik Gad had no heirs. In 1965, he created G.E.C. Gads Fond and transferred ownership of the publishing company to the foundation. This ownership structure linked the commercial publisher to a philanthropic foundation supporting scientific, cultural, and church-related purposes. The company later expanded into retail bookselling. It acquired Zachariassens Boghandel in Kongens Lyngby in 1970 and built a wider Danish chain through further acquisitions and openings. The publishing and retail operations were separated on 1 October 1994. The retail company, G.E.C. Gads Boglader A/S, had 16 shops at the time. Its first chief executive after separation was Frederik Christiansen, followed by Lars Ive in 2003. The retail chain was sold to Indeks Retail Invest A/S in 2007. The original Vimmelskaftet bookshop closed in July 2009 after 154 years, ending a major chapter in the company’s bookselling history. Gads Forlag encountered economic difficulties in the early 1990s. Bjarne Pedersen was dismissed as chief executive in 1994 and Vilhelm Güntelberg served as an interim replacement. Legal publishing, including Ugeskrift for Retsvæsen, was moved into Gad Jura A/S, in which Karnov became the majority owner. In education, Gads Forlag formed Gad & Grafisk I/S with Egmont-owned Grafisk Skolebøgsforlag in 2000; the educational business later became associated with Alinea. The modern publisher’s catalogue covers novels, biographies, history, cultural nonfiction, reference books, and educational materials. Its publishing relationships include major reference and historical works such as Trap Danmark and Nordisk Konversationsleksikon. It has published Kraks Blå Bog since 2008 and collaborated with the Søren Kierkegaard Research Center on a 55-volume edition of Søren Kierkegaard’s complete works. Under the Historika label, it produces historical books in collaboration with museums, companies, and other organizations. Gads Forlag remains headquartered in Copenhagen and is owned by G.E.C. Gads Fond.
- 2009
Vimmelskaftet shop closes
[1]The historic bookshop closes after 154 years of operation.
- 2008
Kraks Blå Bog publishing begins
[1]Gads Forlag becomes the publisher of Kraks Blå Bog.
- 2007
Bookshop chain is sold
[1]G.E.C. Gads Boglader A/S is sold to Indeks Retail Invest A/S.
- 2000
Educational publishing partnership
[1]Gad and Grafisk Skolebogsforlag establish Gad & Grafisk I/S for school publishing; the business later becomes associated with Alinea.
- 1994
Publishing and retail operations are separated
[1]The publishing house and the bookshop chain become separate companies.
- 1988
Avedøre Holme warehouse opens
[1]Gad inaugurates a large warehouse at Avedøre Holme.
- 1970
Expansion into bookselling
[1]The company acquires Zachariassens Boghandel in Kongens Lyngby and begins expanding its retail network.
- 1965
G.E.C. Gads Fond takes ownership
[1]Frederik Gad establishes the foundation and transfers ownership of the company to it.
- 1897
Move to Vimmelskaftet 32
[1]G. E. C. Gad acquires a new building at Vimmelskaftet 32, and Oscar and Frederik Gad become partners.
- 1882
Recognition as a university bookshop
[1]The company becomes the last Danish bookshop to receive the university bookshop designation.
Products and positioning
A Danish, foundation-owned publisher with a long-standing scholarly and cultural orientation, combining trade publishing with reference works, educational materials, biographies, history, and institutional collaborations.
Reference work
Trap Danmark
A major Danish geographical and cultural reference publication associated historically with Gads Forlag. The work documents Danish regions and communities through coverage of geography, history, institutions, culture, and local conditions.
Biographical reference · 2008
Kraks Blå Bog
A prominent Danish biographical reference title containing profiles of notable people. Gads Forlag has published the work since 2008, extending the company’s role in Denmark’s reference-publishing tradition.
Scholarly edition
Søren Kierkegaard’s complete works
A 55-volume edition of Søren Kierkegaard’s complete works produced in collaboration with the Søren Kierkegaard Research Center. The project reflects Gads Forlag’s long-standing involvement in academic, cultural, and scholarly publishing.
History publishing label
Historika
A label used for history books created in collaboration with museums, companies, and other organizations. Its output emphasizes commissioned, institutional, and culturally oriented historical works.
Educational publishing
Gjellerup
An educational publishing brand associated with Gads Forlag’s textbook activities. The imprint has been used for materials intended for educational settings in Denmark.
Educational publishing
Trojka
An educational imprint used for textbook and learning materials. It forms part of the publisher’s broader education portfolio alongside other school-publishing activities.
Legal publication
Ugeskrift for Retsvæsen
A legal periodical historically published within the Gads organization. Its legal publishing activities were later transferred to Gad Jura A/S, with Karnov becoming the majority owner.
Brand decisions
2007
Sale of the bookshop chainM&ABackground
The bookselling operation had already been separated from the publishing business in 1994.
Action taken
G.E.C. Gads Boglader A/S was sold to Indeks Retail Invest A/S.
Aftermath
Gads Forlag’s business became more clearly focused on publishing rather than direct retail operations.
2000
Creation of Gad & Grafisk I/SStrategyBackground
Gads Forlag and Egmont-owned Grafisk Skolebogsforlag pursued cooperation in educational publishing.
Action taken
The companies established Gad & Grafisk I/S for Danish primary-school publishing.
Aftermath
The educational business later became associated with Alinea.
1994
Separation of publishing and retailStrategyBackground
The organization operated both a publishing house and a growing chain of bookshops.
Action taken
The publishing operation and G.E.C. Gads Boglader A/S were divided into separate companies.
Aftermath
The retail chain continued as a distinct business until its sale in 2007, while Gads Forlag continued as the publishing operation.
1965
Transfer of ownership to G.E.C. Gads FondStrategyBackground
Frederik Gad had no heirs and established a foundation intended to support scientific, cultural, and church-related purposes.
Action taken
Ownership of the publishing company was transferred to G.E.C. Gads Fond.
Aftermath
Gads Forlag became a foundation-owned publishing business, a structure it retains.
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