J. G. Oncken Nachf.

J. G. Oncken Nachf. GmbH, commonly known as Oncken Verlag, is a German Christian media company based in Kassel. It traces its origins to 1828, when Johann Gerhard Oncken founded a mail-order bookshop in Hamburg. Oncken was a key figure in the European Baptist movement, establishing the first Baptist congregation on the European continent in 1834. The publishing house grew alongside the Baptist community, producing missionary writings, children's newspapers such as Der Morgenstern, and hymnals like Das Singvögelein. After a financial crisis in the 1870s, the publisher was transferred to the Baptist Union in 1878 and relocated to Kassel in 1899. The original publishing building was destroyed in the bombing of Kassel on 22 October 1943. Operations continued provisionally in Kassel-Niederzwehren and Stuttgart, and a new publishing house was acquired in 1953 by the Bund Evangelisch-Freikirchlicher Gemeinden (BEFG). In 1970 book production in Kassel ceased, and the publisher continued in Wuppertal in cooperation with R. Brockhaus Verlag. The acquisition of Rolf Kühne Verlag in 1973 allowed a small book production to resume in Kassel. A new building in the Bettenhausen district was occupied in 1992. In 2006 the BEFG decided to separate from Oncken Verlag, transferring its shares to the Oncken-Stiftung, a foundation established in 2002. The publisher employed around 20 staff and operated a mail-order bookshop alongside magazine and book production. In April 2019, the mail-order bookshop and magazine distribution were transferred to Blessings 4 you GmbH in Stuttgart, a service provider within the Evangelical Methodist Church. On 19 December 2019, the publisher entered preliminary insolvency proceedings. Since March 2020, it has continued as Oncken Verlag under the umbrella of Blessings 4 you GmbH, with seven employees working from Kassel and administration in Stuttgart. Today, Oncken Verlag remains a small but historically significant Christian publisher in Germany.

The history of J. G. Oncken Nachf. begins in 1828 when Johann Gerhard Oncken founded a mail-order bookshop in Hamburg. Oncken had been active in Hamburg since 1823 as an agent of the Continental Society, a organization that sought to promote the revival movement on the continent with inexpensive Bible editions and devotional literature. In 1834 he founded the first Baptist congregation on the European continent. After the sale of missionary writings declined due to a leadership dispute within the Baptist Union, the publishing house faced near-bankruptcy in the 1870s. German-American Baptists then sent Philipp Bickel, the publishing director of their union, as a crisis manager to Hamburg at their own expense. He arranged for the transfer of the publishing house from Oncken's private ownership to the Baptist Union in 1878—initially in his own name due to lack of corporate rights. He succeeded in restructuring the publisher within a decade. The children's newspaper Der Morgenstern, published by the Christian Tract Society associated with the publisher, and the children's songbook Das Singvögelein, published by the house, became defining elements in the history of German Baptists. In 1897, the Baptist Union Conference decided to relocate the publishing house to Kassel. Hamburg had already been excluded because the administration and theological training of the Baptists were already there, and increasing centralism was feared, which seemed incompatible with the union's self-understanding. The publisher was by then able to contribute half of its profits to the union. The publishing property was secured for the union through a partnership agreement with Bickel. The move to Kassel into a newly constructed office building took place in 1899. In its best times, the publisher employed 120 staff there, until the building was destroyed on 22 October 1943 during the bombing of Kassel. After the destruction of the publishing house, the publisher continued provisionally partly in Kassel-Niederzwehren (management) and partly in Stuttgart (production). In 1949, a private house was rented as the new publishing house, which was acquired in 1953 by the union, renamed Bund Evangelisch-Freikirchlicher Gemeinden (BEFG) in 1942. In 1970, book production in Kassel ceased. In cooperation with R. Brockhaus Verlag, the Oncken Verlag continued in Wuppertal. Meanwhile, both publishers are part of the Stiftung Christliche Medien, and the Oncken Verlag's assortment has specialized in gift books for the SCM Collection. However, the acquisition of Rolf Kühne Verlag in 1973 enabled the resumption of a small book production at the Kassel location. Despite renovations and extensions, the publishing development in Kassel was limited. No permit was granted for a structural extension in the residential area. Thus, in the 1980s, the decision was made for a new building in a commercial area in the Bettenhausen district, which was put into operation in 1992. In 2006, the BEFG's federal council decided to separate from Oncken Verlag. The shares were transferred to the Oncken-Stiftung. The foundation had been established in 2002 by congregations and individuals to strengthen the missionary-publishing work of the publisher. From 2006, the chairman of the foundation was Heinz Sager, the former federal director of the BEFG, who also served as managing director of Oncken Verlag from 2003 and was succeeded by Silke Tosch as managing director after his retirement in 2019. Today the publisher employs around 20 staff. In addition to operating a mail-order bookshop, it produces magazines and books. Since April 2019, both the mail-order bookshop and magazine distribution have belonged to Blessings 4 you in Stuttgart after a partial operation transfer, the service provider within the Evangelical Methodist Church (EmK). From 19 December 2019, the publisher was in preliminary insolvency proceedings, as restructuring attempts had not shown the desired success. Since March 2020, it has continued its work as Oncken Verlag under the umbrella of Blessings 4 you GmbH in Stuttgart. The seven employees continue to work from Kassel, while administration is handled from Stuttgart. Blessings 4 you emerged from the book trade work of the Evangelical Methodist Church, which was sold in 2005 to the current managing directors Tobias Blessing and Angela May.

• 2020

  In March, Oncken Verlag continues under Blessings 4 you GmbH.

• 2019

  In April, mail-order bookshop and magazine distribution transfer to Blessings 4 you; in December, preliminary insolvency proceedings begin.

• 2006

  The BEFG decides to separate from Oncken Verlag; shares are transferred to the Oncken-Stiftung.

• 2002

  The Oncken-Stiftung is founded by congregations and individuals.

• 1992

  A new publishing building in the Bettenhausen district is put into operation.

• 1973

  Acquisition of Rolf Kühne Verlag allows small book production to resume in Kassel.

• 1970

  Book production in Kassel ceases; cooperation with R. Brockhaus Verlag in Wuppertal begins.

• 1953

  The BEFG acquires the publishing house property.

• 1949

  A private house is rented as the new publishing house.

• 1943

  The publishing building is destroyed during the bombing of Kassel on 22 October.

• 1899

  The publishing house moves to a newly constructed office building in Kassel.

• 1897

  The Baptist Union Conference decides to relocate the publishing house to Kassel.

• 1878

  The publishing house is transferred from Oncken's private ownership to the Baptist Union.

• 1834

  Oncken founds the first Baptist congregation on the European continent.

• 1828

  Johann Gerhard Oncken founds a mail-order bookshop in Hamburg.

A traditional Christian publisher rooted in the Baptist tradition, now operating under a Methodist-affiliated service provider.

• Der Morgenstern

• Das Singvögelein

• SCM Collection gift books

1. 1J. G. Oncken Nachf. – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
2. 2J. G. Oncken Nachf. – Wikidatawikidata.org
3. 3Einen Moment — Sicherheitsprüfungblessings4you.de