Bertelsmann In 1947, Mohn took over the management of the
C. Bertelsmann publishing company, which had been largely destroyed by bombing raids during World War II. In 1950, he established the book club, which formed the basis for the fast growth of the company in the decades that followed. From the beginning, he closely involved employees, e.g. through the loan participation program introduced in 1951. In 1969, he launched an employee profit-sharing model, viewed as exemplary throughout Germany. As a businessman, Mohn was consistent in his efforts to grow the traditional publishing business into a media conglomerate: Thus, he entered music and film production, invested in the magazine business, and promoted international expansion. A merger of Bertelsmann with the
Axel Springer group planned in the years 1969/70 did not come to fruition. In 1971, Mohn transformed the family company into a
joint stock corporation. In this way, he created another structural prerequisite for Bertelsmann's rise to one of the world's leading media groups. the essential component of which involves dialogue between management and employees. During this time, Mohn also began an entry into the U.S. publishing business, of vital importance to Bertelsmann. The acquisition of
Bantam Books (1977/1980) and
Doubleday (1986) created the largest trade-book publishing group in the United States, at the time. In 1981, Mohn moved from the executive board to the supervisory board, which he chaired for another ten years, still remaining involved in business operations. At 70, he finally stepped down from his duties, and remained honorary chairman of the supervisory board. From then on, he dedicated his efforts primarily to the Bertelsmann Stiftung foundation. a move designed to ensure the continuity of his company.
Bertelsmann Stiftung In 1977, Mohn established the non-profit
Bertelsmann Stiftung, initially endowed with capital of 100,000
Deutsche Mark. Mohn supported the management-driven concept of an operating foundation, independently developing and managing projects. He directed the Bertelsmann Stiftung to help fund the improvement of the and established the Carl Bertelsmann Prize (today the
Reinhard Mohn Prize). In the 1980s, the Bertelsmann Stiftung became the key focus of Mohn's corporate citizenship activities. In 1993, the majority of shareholdings in Bertelsmann was transferred to the foundation, making the Bertelsmann Stiftung the largest
shareholder in the group. Capital shares and voting rights were strictly separated in the gift agreement, so that neither the foundation nor the group can exert any significant controlling influence over the other. In addition to projects in Germany, he supported projects in Spain, such as the Fundació Biblioteca d'Alcúdia Can Torró on Mallorca. In 1995, he founded the , now based in
Barcelona and
Madrid, as an independent subsidiary foundation that works to promote dual training to reduce
youth unemployment. Founded in 2008, the
Bertelsmann Foundation North America, headquartered in
Washington, D.C., deals with transatlantic cooperation, among other issues. In the early years, the founder was the sole Executive Board member of the Bertelsmann Stiftung. In 1979, a managing director was hired; from 1983, Mohn was supported by an
Advisory Board, and in 1993, the Executive Board was also expanded. After 1998, Mohn withdrew from executive management: Initially, he stepped down from his position as
Chairman of the Executive Board, and a year later also withdrew as the Chairman of the Advisory Board. As a result of several structural and personnel changes, Mohn held the interim chairmanship of both Bertelsmann Stiftung executive bodies again from the end of 2000 until mid-2001, when he was succeeded by
Gunter Thielen as Chairman of the Executive Board. In 2004, he permanently stepped down from the Executive Board of the Bertelsmann Stiftung, but as the founder, according to the
statutes, he remained a member of the Board of Trustees until he died in 2009. == Honors (selection) ==