According to a statement on its website, the Berlin-based company Bruno Gmunder--known internationally for its Spartacus Gay Guide for travelers--has filed for insolvency (aka bankruptcy). The publisher claims that the sale of books has suffered over the last couple of years and it was too costly to adapt to the new digital landscape. As a result, the company was denied loans by their bank.
According to sources, Gmunder will continue routine operations, such as publishing the monthly gay magazine Manner or selling goods via its international online shop.
The company was founded in 1981 by Bruno Gmunder, who sold it three years ago, and specializes in LGBT fiction and non-fiction books in German as well as in English. Especially the Spartacus International Gay Guide and the erotic photo books are known around the world. Five book stores in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and Cologne also belong to the company portfolio.
Out has reached out to Gmunder editors and writers for its various publications but has yet to receive comment.
Read the original German-language report here.
