Henselowsky Boschmann Verlag

Henselowsky Boschmann Verlag – Bücher vonne Ruhr is a German independent publishing house based in Bottrop that specialises in regional literature about the Ruhr region. Founded in Essen in 1982, the company moved to Bottrop at the end of 1999 and has since become one of the most recognisable publishers of Ruhr-area writing, issuing between six and twelve hardcover books a year. Its programme covers language, history, culture, sport and leisure, and it is known for reissuing classics of Ruhr literature as well as publishing new fiction, non-fiction, anthologies, graphic novels and audio books by authors connected to the region. The publisher's identity is closely tied to the Ruhr dialect and to the cultural memory of the industrial region. Its website, vonneruhr.de, presents the house as a "regionaler Literaturversorger Ruhrgebiet" – a regional literature supplier for the Ruhr – and sells its titles directly through an online shop. The catalogue includes titles such as Ruhrtüppen in liebevollen Porträts, True Crime Ruhrgebiet 1919–1933, Werner Bergmann's Ruhrpott-Geschichte and the animal-story anthology Wo Schweine pfeifen, Ziegen moppern und Tauben an das Gute glauben. Beyond publishing, Henselowsky Boschmann Verlag organises readings across the Ruhr region together with owner-managed bookshops, city libraries, adult education centres and other partners. It has also launched series such as Ruhrgebiet de luxe, a novel series by Ruhr authors, and an audio-book series with live readings in Ruhr bookshops. The house remains a privately held, owner-run publisher and is not listed on any stock exchange.

Henselowsky Boschmann Verlag was founded in Essen in 1982 and initially built its profile as a publisher of regional literature with a focus on the Ruhr region. At the end of 1999 the company moved its operations to Bottrop, where it remains based. Since then it has published between six and twelve hardcover books per year and has organised readings throughout the Ruhr region in cooperation with owner-managed bookshops, city libraries, adult education centres and other partners. The publisher has made a name for itself by reissuing classics of Ruhr literature. In 2007 it brought out Bleibense Mensch! by Jürgen von Manger, and in 2008 it reissued Peter Stripp's novel based on the television series Rote Erde. In 2013 it published Der Abschied und andere Stückskes aus dem Nachlass, previously unpublished stories by Jürgen von Manger recovered by the Bochum Germanist Joachim Wittkowski from the holdings of the Deutsches Kabarettarchiv in Mainz. In 2016 it reissued Graf Alexander Stenbock-Fermor's Meine Erlebnisse als Bergarbeiter im Ruhrgebiet, an account of a Baltic nobleman's experiences at a colliery in Hamborn in 1923, and published Werner Bergmann's Unser Aller Heiligen – Als der Himmel über dem Ruhrgebiet noch bevölkert war. A major initiative was the novel series Ruhrgebiet de luxe, described as the first novel series by Ruhr-region authors. The 2016 instalments included works by Sigi Domke (Nachbarn in Bäumen), Herbert Knorr (Schitt häppens), Inge Meyer-Dietrich (Leben und Träume der Mimi H.), Sarah Meyer-Dietrich (Immer muss man mit Stellwerksbränden, Streiks und Tagebrüchen rechnen), Elke Schleich (Wir haben alles hingekriegt) and Zepp Oberpichler (Galgenvögel liegen tiefer). In 2017 further novels followed from Sigi Domke (Pinkelpausen und Tai-Chi), Inge Meyer-Dietrich (Eisengarn), Sarah Meyer-Dietrich (Ruhrpottkind) and Zepp Oberpichler (Chuck Berry over Bissingheim). In 2018 the publisher issued Ruhrgebietchen – Was deine Kinder an dir lieben und was nicht, an anthology with 36 Ruhr authors, as well as the novels 80 Tage auf der Welt by Herr Luca and Da blubbern die Hormone by Michael Zabka. That year also saw the start of an audio-book series with live readings in Ruhr bookshops, launched with Jens Dirksen and Hubertus A. Janssen and their Kohle, Kappes, Koniferen. In 2019 the programme included Grimm's fairy tales retold by Sigi Domke under the title Geißlein, Prinzen und ein kross gegrilltes Schaf, the first graphic novel by Adolf Winkelmann (Ich sehe häufig Dinge, die es nicht gibt), Wann endlich grasen Einhörner an der Emscher – Startups im Ruhrgebiet edited and co-authored by Alexander Hüsing, and the Vorbilderbuch with the subtitle Kleine Galerie der Menschlichkeit, involving 32 Ruhr authors. Werner Bergmann's Die Geschichte machen appeared, and together with Werner Boschmann he edited the diary of Pierre Hippolyte Leopold Paillot, published as Monsieur Paillot im Nirgendwo. Stefan Laurin's Versemmelt. Das Ruhrgebiet ist am Ende was controversially discussed. In 2020 the house published Atlantis rückwärts – Bundesland 17 (ehemals unser Ruhrgebiet) and Wo Schweine pfeifen, Ziegen moppern und Tauben an das Gute glauben – Tiergeschichten aus dem Ruhrgebiet. In 2021 it reissued Jo Pestum's novel Die Schwarzfüße, published Der Prinzipal und ich by Thomas Rech in cooperation with the Theater Mondpalast in Wanne-Eickel, and brought out Sigi Domke's Die Kühlschrank-Verschwörung and René Schiering's third Ruhrpott-Köter novel Einmal wie immer. In 2022 titles included Lothar Gräfingholt's love story Die Colliers der Kanzlerin, Klaus-Dieter Krause's Krauses Zeug, natürlich, the anthology In Sachen Stadtschaft edited by Dirk Hallenberger, Werner Bergmann's 24 Spaziergänge in die alte Zeit des Ruhrgebiets and Ruhrbesetzung 1923. Ein Jahr spricht für sich, edited by Werner Boschmann. In 2023 the publisher released RUHRGEBIET über uns – Eine Liebeserklärung mit Ecken und Kanten, with contributions from Ludger Claßen, Hartmut Kasper, Markus Günther, Margit Kruse, Stefan Meetschen and Christian Stratmann, among others. In 2024 it published Torsten Kyon's Tauben sind auch nur Menschen, alongside Zepp Oberpichler's Sounds of Ruhrgebiet and Hubertus A. Janssen's Ihr Himmelblau liegt neben mir, illustrated by Benjamin Bäder, as well as Kalla Hölzken's Unter Rotzern with illustrations by Honoré Daumier. In 2025 the list included Werner Bergmann's Denkwürdiges aus 40.000 Jahren Ruhrpott-Geschichte, Generation 45 Ruhrgebiet. Kriegskinder erinnern sich and Jules Huret's Das Revier um 1900; the 2025 title Crashkurs Ruhrgebiet was described as "confrontational". In May 2026 the publisher brought out Ruhrtüppen in liebenswerten Porträts and True Crime Ruhrgebiet 1919–30. Januar 1933. Von Amokläufer bis Zeitungsmarder, captured by Henrietta Schabau, which Westart called "a treasure chest with pearls of journalism".

• 2026

  Published Ruhrtüppen in liebenswerten Porträts and True Crime Ruhrgebiet 1919–1933 in May.

• 2025

  Published Denkwürdiges aus 40.000 Jahren Ruhrpott-Geschichte, Generation 45 Ruhrgebiet and Das Revier um 1900.

• 2024

  Published Tauben sind auch nur Menschen and other titles.

• 2023

  Published RUHRGEBIET über uns – Eine Liebeserklärung mit Ecken und Kanten.

• 2022

  Published titles including Die Colliers der Kanzlerin and Ruhrbesetzung 1923.

• 2021

  Reissued Jo Pestum's Die Schwarzfüße and published Der Prinzipal und ich with Theater Mondpalast.

• 2020

  Published Atlantis rückwärts – Bundesland 17 and the animal-story anthology Wo Schweine pfeifen, Ziegen moppern und Tauben an das Gute glauben.

• 2019

  Published Adolf Winkelmann's first graphic novel and other titles including Wann endlich grasen Einhörner an der Emscher.

• 2018

  Published the anthology Ruhrgebietchen and started an audio-book series with live readings in Ruhr bookshops.

• 2017

  Continued the Ruhrgebiet de luxe series with further novels by Ruhr authors.

• 2016

  Launched the Ruhrgebiet de luxe novel series and reissued Stenbock-Fermor's Meine Erlebnisse als Bergarbeiter im Ruhrgebiet.

• 2013

  Published Der Abschied und andere Stückskes aus dem Nachlass, previously unpublished stories by Jürgen von Manger.

• 2008

  Reissued Peter Stripp's novel based on the TV series Rote Erde.

• 2007

  Published Bleibense Mensch! by Jürgen von Manger.

• 1999

  Moved operations to Bottrop at the end of the year.

• 1982

  Founded in Essen as a regional publisher focused on the Ruhr region.

Independent regional publisher focused on literature, history and culture of the Ruhr region, with a strong dialect and local-identity profile.

• 2026

  Ruhrtüppen in liebevollen Porträts

  216-page hardcover portrait book with dust jacket and reading ribbon, ISBN 978-3-948566-29-6, priced at 14.90 euros.

• 2026

  True Crime Ruhrgebiet 1919–30. Januar 1933. Von Amokläufer bis Zeitungsmarder

  192-page hardcover by Henrietta Schabau, ISBN 978-3-948566-28-9, priced at 14.90 euros.

• 2020

  Wo Schweine pfeifen, Ziegen moppern und Tauben an das Gute glauben – Tiergeschichten aus dem Ruhrgebiet

  256-page hardcover animal-story anthology with dust jacket and reading ribbon, ISBN 978-3-948566-02-9, priced at 14.90 euros.

• 2025

  Ruhrpott-Geschichte by Werner Bergmann

  240-page hardcover with dust jacket, ISBN 978-3-948566-25-8, priced at 19.80 euros.

• 2016

  Ruhrgebiet de luxe novel series

  Described as the first novel series by Ruhr-region authors, with instalments in 2016 and 2017.

1. 1Verlag Henselowsky Boschmann · Bücher aus dem Ruhrgebietvonneruhr.de
2. 2Werner Bergmann · Die geschichte macenvonneruhr.de
3. 3Werner Bergmann · Ruhrpott-Geschichtevonneruhr.de
4. 4Henselowsky Boschmann Verlag – Wikidatawikidata.org
5. 5Henselowsky Boschmann Verlag – Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org