Gebr. E. & M. Cohen

Gebr. E. & M. Cohen (Gebroeders E. & M. Cohen) was a Dutch publishing house and bookshop founded on 15 May 1878 by the brothers Ezechiël Godert Cohen II and Martin Godert Cohen, with premises in Arnhem and Nijmegen. The firm grew out of a commercial lending library opened by their father, Godert Ezechiël Cohen II, in Nijmegen in 1827. After the family fortunes declined, Ezechiël took charge of the library as a teenager around 1860, and from about 1865 his younger brother Martin joined him. In 1871 Ezechiël established himself as an independent bookseller and antiquarian in Arnhem, while Martin continued the Nijmegen business. The two brothers issued books jointly from 1876 and formally founded the firm Gebroeders E. & M. Cohen in 1878. The company's business model was to buy large unsold stocks of books by well-known authors and resell them below the regular retail price, a strategy described as a revolution in the Dutch book trade at the time. It advertised regularly in newspapers under the slogan "De Zolders Kraken" ("The Attics Are Creaking"). Sometimes books were bought unbound and given a binding by the firm, so a volume might carry the name "Gebr. E. & M. Cohen" on the cover while the title page named another publisher. By 1896 the firm had issued 2,717 titles. In 1886 the Arnhem activities were concentrated at the Nieuwe Kraan 1 premises, purchased in 1885; that building was completely destroyed in 1944, long after the firm had left. In Nijmegen the firm remained at Groote Straat 26. Around 1900 the brothers decided to move to Amsterdam, the centre of the Dutch book trade. In 1905 they began transferring the huge stocks stored in Arnhem and Nijmegen to Amsterdam. In 1906 they established their publishing house at Keizersgracht 333 and a year later at Herengracht 326, where they remained until 1941. Martin's health suffered from the move and he died shortly afterwards; his brother Ezechiël Godert II died in 1909. The business was continued by the next generation, the sons Jacques Ezechiël and Martin Ezechiël. Other male family members started their own publishing houses: Alexander Ezechiël and Godert Ezechiël III had begun Uitgeverij Cohen Zonen in 1898; Alexander later started Cohen's Boekhandel; Maurits Ezechiël founded Vennootschap Letteren en Kunst in 1904; and a son of Martin, Godert Martin, founded Erven Martin G. Cohen in 1908. In 1940, as a Jewish firm, it was no longer possible to continue the business. Many rights to works were sold. One of the last works published, perhaps the very last, was Edward Bellamy's "Gelijkheid voor allen" (Equality for All) in the war year 1940. On 22 January 1941 Jacques Ezechiël Cohen filed a declaration of liquidation with the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce. The publishing house thus came to an end, though its history is documented by a website maintained by descendants and by a Dutch Wikipedia article.

The history of Gebr. E. & M. Cohen begins with the Cohen family in Nijmegen. Godert Ezechiël Cohen I (c. 1700–1780), son of tobacco merchant Ezechiël Salomon Cohen (c. 1670–1744), moved to Nijmegen around 1720 to start a tobacco trade. The business prospered, but his son Ezechiël Godert I (1753–1813) lost nearly all his property during the French occupation, leaving his widow and children impoverished in 1813. To make a living, his son Godert Ezechiël II (1803–1876) worked at a bookshop from 1820 to 1824 to learn the bookseller's trade. This was the beginning of what later became a flourishing publishing house. Armed with his professional knowledge, Godert built up a lending library and on 6 March 1827 opened a commercial lending library at Ganzenheuvel 419 in Nijmegen. An advertisement in the Nijmeegsche Courant offered his "esteemed fellow citizens" a wide choice of more than 800 works, including histories, poems and works by Sir Walter Scott and other esteemed writers. All books were listed in a catalogue that cost 10 cents. When his wife Judic died in childbirth in 1853, Godert collapsed and his library fell into decay. But in 1860 his eldest son Ezechiël Godert II (1847–1909) took charge, barely thirteen years old. Ezechiël tried to restore order and began buying shop remainders with little money. From about 1865 business cautiously improved, and his younger brother Martin Godert (1851–1906) began to assist him. The business was continued jointly by the brothers in Nijmegen under the name E.G. Cohen. In 1868 the brothers received an inheritance from a childless cousin of their father. With this money Ezechiël established himself in 1871 as an independent bookseller and antiquarian in Arnhem, while Martin continued the business in Nijmegen. Shop and publisher remainders were bought on an ever larger scale. In 1876 a number of books were published jointly by Ezechiël Godert in Arnhem and his father Godert in Nijmegen. After their father's death in 1876, Martin continued his father's business for two more years under the name Martin Cohen, Nijmegen. In 1877 the two brothers jointly published a reprint of the then-famous French writer Gustave Droz: "Monsieur, Madame en Bébé. Schetsen uit mijn leven als vrijgezel, echtgenoot en vader." On 15 May 1878 the two brothers founded the firm Gebroeders E. & M. Cohen, based in Arnhem and Nijmegen. The firm's purpose was to maintain a warehouse of cheap books, to carry on the book trade, and to buy and sell stock items, remainder editions, etc. There was a great demand among the Dutch public for good and cheap books. The firm bought large unsold stocks of books by well-known writers and brought them into the trade below the regular selling price. This strategy was a true revolution at the time. The firm regularly made itself heard in newspaper advertisements with the then-familiar headline "De Zolders Kraken" ("The Attics Are Creaking"). Sometimes books were bought unbound (plano) and provided with a binding by the firm, so a cover might read "Gebr. E. & M. Cohen" while the title page named another publisher. In 1896 the number of titles issued by the firm amounted to 2,717. A few catalogues survive, giving an impression of the diversity of the list. In 1886 the Arnhem activities were concentrated at the premises at Nieuwe Kraan 1, purchased in 1885. That building was completely destroyed in 1944, but by then the firm had already left it forty years earlier. In Nijmegen the firm remained at Groote Straat 26. Amsterdam was and is the centre of the Dutch book trade. For that reason Ezechiël Godert II and Martin Godert decided in early 1900 to move their business to Amsterdam. In 1905 they began transferring the enormous stocks of books stored in the warehouses in Arnhem and Nijmegen to Amsterdam. In 1906 the brothers established their publishing house at Keizersgracht 333 and a year later at Herengracht 326, where they remained until 1941. The move to Amsterdam did no good to Martin's weak health. Shortly after the move he died. Only three years later, in 1909, his brother Ezechiël Godert II also died. The business of both brothers was continued by the next generation, the sons Jacques Ezechiël and Martin Ezechiël of Ezechiël Godert II. Almost all the other male descendants started their own publishing houses. Alexander Ezechiël and Godert Ezechiël III had already begun Uitgeverij Cohen Zonen in 1898. Alexander later started Cohen's Boekhandel for himself. Maurits Ezechiël founded the publishing house Vennootschap Letteren en Kunst in 1904, which published strikingly beautifully produced, special books such as the Katjes van Steinlen. A son of Martin, Godert Martin, founded the publishing house Erven Martin G. Cohen in 1908. In 1940 it was no longer possible for the Jewish firm to continue the business. Many rights to works were sold. One of the last works published (or perhaps the last work) was "Gelijkheid voor allen" by Edward Bellamy, published in the war year 1940. The symbolism of this can hardly escape anyone. On 22 January 1941 Jacques Ezechiël Cohen filed a declaration of liquidation of the publishing house with the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce. Because this was not yet compulsory at the time, the brothers could still direct the liquidation to some extent. In March 1941 Jewish... [text truncated]

• 1941

  On 22 January Jacques Ezechiël Cohen files for liquidation with the Amsterdam Chamber of Commerce.

• 1940

  The Jewish firm can no longer continue; Edward Bellamy's 'Gelijkheid voor allen' is published.

• 1909

  Ezechiël Godert Cohen II dies; the next generation takes over.

• 1908

  Godert Martin founds Erven Martin G. Cohen.

• 1907

  The firm moves to Herengracht 326, where it remains until 1941.

• 1906

  Publishing house established at Keizersgracht 333; Martin Godert Cohen dies.

• 1905

  Transfer of stocks from Arnhem and Nijmegen to Amsterdam begins.

• 1904

  Maurits Ezechiël founds Vennootschap Letteren en Kunst.

• 1900

  The brothers decide to move the business to Amsterdam.

• 1898

  Alexander Ezechiël and Godert Ezechiël III begin Uitgeverij Cohen Zonen.

• 1896

  The firm has issued 2,717 titles.

• 1886

  Arnhem activities are concentrated at Nieuwe Kraan 1.

• 1885

  The firm purchases the premises at Nieuwe Kraan 1 in Arnhem.

• 1878

  On 15 May the firm Gebroeders E. & M. Cohen is founded in Arnhem and Nijmegen.

• 1877

  The brothers jointly publish a reprint of Gustave Droz's work.

• 1876

  Books published jointly by Ezechiël in Arnhem and his father Godert in Nijmegen; father dies.

• 1871

  Ezechiël establishes himself as an independent bookseller and antiquarian in Arnhem.

• 1865

  Martin Godert Cohen begins assisting his brother Ezechiël.

• 1860

  Ezechiël Godert Cohen II, aged thirteen, takes charge of the family library.

• 1827

  Godert Ezechiël Cohen II opens a commercial lending library at Ganzenheuvel 419 in Nijmegen on 6 March.

• 1720

  Godert Ezechiël Cohen I moves to Nijmegen to start a tobacco trade.

A publisher and bookseller offering good and cheap books to the Dutch public, known for buying unsold stocks and selling below regular prices.

• Victor Hugo's Bug Jargal (1835) with label from the lending library of Godert Ezechiël Cohen II

• Litterarische Juweeltjes by J.P. de Keijser, published in 1875 by Ezechiël and his father Godert

• J.W. Regt – Neêrlands beroemde personen, published in 1876 by Ezechiël and his father Godert

• Gustave Droz – Uit mijn leven als vrijgezel, echtgenoot en vader, published 1877 by Ezechiël and his brother Martin

• Johan Gram – Avontuurlijke tochten voor jonge lieden, 1878, published in the founding year of Gebr. E. & M. Cohen

• Gerard Keller tweemaal gered, 1878

• Louise Muhlbach – Maria Theresia, c. 1880

• Tijl Uilenspiegel, c. 1880, extremely rare early edition

• Jufvrouw Krisje en hare lievelingen, c. 1880

• Gouverneur kinderdeuntjes, wiegeliedjes, c. 1880

• J.M. and N.S. Calisch – dictionary set English, German and French in decorated tin, from c. 1880

• Edward Bellamy – Gelijkheid voor allen, published 1940

• De Zolders Kraken

1. 1Welkomgebr-e-en-m-cohen.nl
2. 2Gebr. E. & M. Cohenwikidata.org
3. 3Gebroeders E. & M. Cohennl.wikipedia.org