Oldest publishers in the world

10 Oldest Publishers in the World

by

Table of Contents

Introduction

Publishing as a profession predates copyright, printing presses, and even universities. Before Amazon upended the game, before Penguin paperbacks reshaped access to books, and well before anyone started worrying about open access or AI-generated textbooks, publishing was already a centuries-old trade. Some publishers today are older than the countries in which they operate. A few were founded in the age of the quill and parchment and are still releasing books in the digital era. That’s not just longevity. That’s institutional memory baked into every editorial decision.

This article celebrates ten of the oldest publishers in the world. These companies have witnessed empires rise and fall, monarchies crumble, and technologies leapfrog from woodblocks to neural networks. And somehow, through it all, they kept printing.

Let’s take a closer look at who made the list, and what helped them survive for centuries in a notoriously difficult industry.

1. Cambridge University Press (UK) – Established 1534

Cambridge University Press is the granddaddy of them all. Officially founded when King Henry VIII granted it a royal charter in 1534, it is the oldest publishing house in continuous operation. But its printing activities actually started earlier, with its first book published in 1584.

What began as an arm of the University of Cambridge to produce academic materials evolved into one of the world’s most respected scholarly presses. It publishes a wide range of materials, from English language learning resources to groundbreaking academic monographs. In 2021, Cambridge University Press merged with Cambridge Assessment, creating Cambridge University Press & Assessment.

Being tied to a prestigious university certainly helps longevity, but Cambridge’s real secret lies in its ability to evolve with the times without losing academic integrity.

2. Oxford University Press (UK) – Established 1586

Oxford University Press (OUP) was printing books as early as 1478, but it received its official status as a university press in 1586. Since then, it has become synonymous with quality and authority in academic publishing.

Today, OUP operates in over 50 countries and publishes thousands of titles annually, including the world-renowned Oxford English Dictionary. It is the largest university press in the world, and arguably the most influential.

What keeps Oxford relevant isn’t just its scale. It’s the press’s ability to adapt—whether by embracing digital learning platforms or pioneering open-access policies—that has allowed it to stay on top for nearly half a millennium.

3. House of Elzevir (Netherlands) – Established 1580s

No, not Elsevier the modern giant, but its ancestor: the House of Elzevir. This Dutch family-run press was established in Leiden in the 1580s and gained a reputation for its scholarly texts, particularly in the fields of science and medicine.

Although the original Elzevir publishing house ceased operations in the early 18th century, its influence endured. In fact, the modern scientific publisher Elsevier (founded in 1880) borrowed the name in homage. Although the House of Elzevir itself no longer operates, its legacy arguably lives on in one of the world’s largest publishers.

It was the combination of tight editing, high-quality printing, and appealing formats that helped the Elzevirs stand out in the early modern publishing world.

4. Giesecke+Devrient (Germany) – Established 1852

Not all publishers traffic in books alone. Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) was founded in 1852 in Leipzig as a printer and publisher specializing in security products, including banknotes and passports. Today, it’s a high-tech global security company still rooted in publishing, but with a very niche audience: central banks.

The firm has been responsible for printing currencies in dozens of countries and helped develop cutting-edge digital identity solutions. While it may not be in the same literary league as Oxford or Cambridge, G+D has lasted this long by carving out a profitable and highly specialized niche in publishing.

In a world where margins in trade publishing are razor-thin, G+D proves that there’s real longevity in printing money, literally.

5. Longman (UK) – Established 1724

Longman started as a small London bookshop run by Thomas Longman in 1724. Over the centuries, it evolved into one of Britain’s major publishing houses, eventually specializing in educational materials.

Now part of Pearson Education, Longman’s name survives through its English language teaching imprint. In many corners of the globe, “Longman” is still synonymous with English grammar guides and school textbooks.

Its longevity lies in education, a safe and stable sector. Unlike trade books, educational materials get renewed, revised, and repurchased with clockwork regularity. That’s a business model that, while not flashy, pays the bills year after year.

6. Baedeker (Germany) – Established 1827

The name Baedeker once referred to a travel guide. Founded in 1827 by Karl Baedeker in Koblenz, the company revolutionized travel publishing with its comprehensive and meticulously detailed guidebooks. Long before Google Maps or Lonely Planet, there was Baedeker.

The guides became so iconic that “Baedeker” itself entered the English language as a synonym for guidebook. Although its prominence has faded, Baedeker remains a publishing brand, preserving its legacy in the travel niche.

Baedeker books were known for their quality, accuracy, and even aesthetic appeal. In the 19th century, they were the trusted companion of the educated traveler, a position of prestige few publishers can match.

7. J. B. Metzler (Germany) – Established 1682

J. B. Metzler is a German publishing house founded in Stuttgart in 1682, which has been associated with scholarly and literary works ever since. The company has built a reputation for publishing encyclopedias, reference books, and critical editions of German literary texts.

Now part of Springer Nature, Metzler continues to operate as an imprint. While its role is more specialized today, its continued presence is a testament to how a niche in humanities publishing can still endure in the age of algorithm-driven content.

J. B. Metzler thrives not by being big, but by being essential to specific academic communities.

8. Hachette (France) – Established 1826

Louis Hachette founded the company in 1826 with a vision to make educational books more accessible. What began in a Paris bookshop became one of Europe’s publishing titans.

Today, Hachette Livre is one of the “Big Five” English-language publishers, owning a constellation of imprints like Little, Brown, and Grand Central Publishing. It has navigated centuries of wars, revolutions, and digital disruption with uncanny agility.

From textbooks to novels to children’s books, Hachette’s broad portfolio and global reach have made it a fixture in global publishing for nearly 200 years.

9. Wiley (USA) – Established 1807

John Wiley & Sons, better known today as Wiley, was founded in 1807 in New York. Originally a printer and bookseller, it became a major force in academic, scientific, and professional publishing.

Wiley has navigated the transition from print to digital more smoothly than most, embracing online platforms and offering open-access options. It is now one of the largest publishers of academic journals globally, alongside Elsevier and Springer Nature.

The company’s century-spanning success lies in understanding where the intellectual capital is heading, and then getting there first. That’s not just good business. That’s survival instinct.

10. Routledge (UK) – Established 1836

Routledge began in 1836 as George Routledge and Co., publishing affordable editions of classic texts. Over time, it became a dominant name in the humanities and social sciences, especially in academic circles.

Now part of Taylor & Francis (itself part of Informa), Routledge continues to release high-impact scholarly works. In fact, if you’ve ever cited a critical theory text, chances are you’ve referenced something published by Routledge.

Its secret weapon? A laser focus on the humanities and social sciences. While STEM publishers get the headlines (and the profits), Routledge built its reputation as the backbone of academic publishing in disciplines that many others have overlooked.

Conclusion

To survive in publishing for a century is impressive. To endure for several is nearly miraculous. What links all these publishers is not just age, but adaptability. They’ve changed languages, technologies, and ownership structures while still keeping trust intact: trust from readers, authors, and institutions that what they publish matters.

These aren’t just old companies. They are living archives of intellectual history, and many of them continue to shape the future of knowledge even in our hyper-digital present. In a world where platforms rise and fall in five-year cycles, such endurance is worth celebrating.

And who knows? Maybe 500 years from now, someone will be writing a listicle titled “10 Oldest Publishers Still Using AI.” We’re not betting against Cambridge making that list, too.

Leave a comment