to sell a 67 percent its stake to the Fukutake Publishing Company, with merger to be completed by the end of the year. In 1993-01-28, Berlitz International Inc. announced a court order disengaging the language services company from the bankrupt Maxwell Communication Corporation had cleared the way for Berlitz's pending merger, while shareholders approved the merger at a stockholder meeting in New York held on the same day, with merger to be closed in 1993-02-08. Benesse Corporation ownership era In 2001, Berlitz became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Benesse Corporation. In 2002, Berlitz publishing was sold to Langenscheidt. (Today, Berlitz Publishing is owned by APA Publications.) In 2010-11-01, Berlitz International, Inc. announced its renaming from Berlitz International, Inc. to Berlitz Corporation, effective in the same day. In February 2022, all shares of Berlitz Corporation held by Benesse Holdings were transferred to “Berlitz Holdings”, a company established through a 100% investment by ILSC Holdings LP (which owns ILSC Education Group, a company engaged in language education businesses such as study abroad). At the same time, the Board of Directors of Benesse Holdings transferred all shares of Berlitz Japan (15.75% of all shares held by Benesse) to Berlitz. Subsidiaries Berlitz Japan, Inc.(ベルリッツ・ジャパン株式会社): Berlitz's first branch in Japan, established in Akasaka in 1966. Berlitz Publishing (Apa Publications UK Ltd): Berlitz's publishing division. ELS Educational Services, Inc.: In 1988, Berlitz International, Inc. acquired Language Institute for English (L.I.F.E.), which later became ELS Language Centers. Second Language Testing, Inc.: Specializes in the development of second language proficiency tests and the translation and adaptation of standardized achievement tests to students' native languages and cultures. In 2011-03-07, Berlitz Corporation announced the acquisition of Second Language Testing, Inc. (SLTI). Telelangue SA: In 2011-08-11, Berlitz Corporation announced the acquisition of Telelangue SA. Former subsidiaries Phoenix Associates Co., Ltd. (フェニックス アソシエイツ株式会社): In 2009, Berlitz acquired Phoenix Associates Co., Ltd. On 2012-10-31, Berlitz Corporation announced merging Phoenix Associates Co., Ltd. into Berlitz Japan, Inc., effective 2013-01-01. Maximilian D. Berlitz Maximilian Berlitz was born in Germany in 1852, the son of a family of teachers and mathematicians. He emigrated to the United States in 1870, settling in Westerly, Rhode Island. In 1877 Berlitz moved to Providence, Rhode Island where he was an instructor of languages at the Bryant and Stratton National Business College, later to become Warner's Polytechnic Business College after an ownership change. The Berlitz Method "The Berlitz Method" uses