The German publishing company was founded 1826 in Gotha by Joseph Meyer, moved 1828 to Hildburghausen and 1874 to Leipzig. Its production over the years includes such well-known titles as (encyclopaedias, since 1839, see ), (animal life, 1863–1869, 4th ed. 1911–1918); (dictionaries on every aspect of the language, since 1880); (guide books, 1862–1936); (home and foreign literature); atlases (, ), newspapers (Koloniale Zeitschrift) and others. The buildings of the company were completely destroyed by the bombing raids on Leipzig 1943/1944; the company itself expropriated by the communist regime of East Germany in 1946 and turned into a . The shareholders moved the company to Mannheim in West Germany in 1953 (). Titles like , , and appeared again. In Leipzig remained the , operating in the same field, publishing ", etc. In 1984 amalgamated with its biggest competitor in the market of reference works, of Wiesbaden to Bibliographisches Institut & F. A. Brockhaus AG, having their seat in Mannheim. After the German reunification the company regained its former properties in Leipzig in 1991. See also Verlag Enzyklopädie References External links 1826 establishments in Germany Companies based in Leipzig Companies established in 1826 Mass media in Gotha Mass media in Leipzig Mass media in Mannheim Publishing companies of Germany Book publishing companies of Germany