About us

Established in 1970, Dähne Verlag is a successful publishing house and family-owned company now managed by the second generation. The specialist publisher initially made a name for itself covering the building supplies and do-it-yourself market before expanding its portfolio in the B2B field. It now also publishes titles relating to pet supplies, garden centres and the timber trade as well as for aquarium and pond enthusiasts.

The range of literature published comprises a dozen or so trade and consumer magazines, Internet portals and publications including trade and contact directories, statistics, buyers’ guides and books on aquariums, terrariums, ponds and the garden.

2022

Print and online: the English-language magazine DIY International now appears only as an online magazine at diyinternational.com.

The 500th issue of diy appears in August as a major special edition.

petworldwide.net is the last website to be relaunched.

2021

The magazine Gartenteich is sold to an allied publishing house, which continues to publish it.

petonline.de, the website of pet, undergoes an extensive relaunch.

2020

The publisher celebrates its 50th anniversary, albeit without official celebrations due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Corporate Publishing is established as a new division of the publishing house. This offers comprehensive services related to the production of commissioned publications such as biographies, anniversary publications and customer or staff magazines.

In August the website of diy, substantially relaunched and with new content and offers, appears at www.diyonline.de.

Holzforum, the magazine for the timber trade, celebrates its 25th anniversary.

2019

The publisher brings out a special edition to mark the 40th anniversary of the pet trade magazine.

DIY International, the international magazine for the DIY sector, is 30 years old.

2018

The Nippers magazine is sold.

2017

Dähne marks the 40th anniversary of the diy trade magazine with a special issue.

2016

The terraristik magazine is discontinued.

2014

The Standortführer makes its first appearance. The directory of available industrial and commercial sites in Germany is a joint project of Dähne Verlag and Westfehling Development GmbH.

2013

The publisher expands its consumer offering further with its new terraristik magazine.

The acquisition of Nippers, a successful regional magazine for dog lovers, creates another foothold in the successful pet market.

diyonline.de, the highly successful website of the trade magazine diy, is given a complete makeover and relaunch, offering more information and an extended service. All the other websites (petonline.de, DIYInternational.com, PETworldwide.net, holzforum-online.de) gradually follow suit.

2010

Dähne Verlag celebrates its 40th anniversary.

The acquisition of the rival magazine Aquarium Live and its integration with aquaristik significantly strengthens the latter’s position in the fiercely contested market for aquatics magazines.

2009

Divestment of holdings in DeDeNet GmbH and W&D GmbH and concentration on the core business.

Gernot Dähne steps down as managing director of the company.

2008

The book range continues to expand and now comprises around 50 titles. The new, low-priced primers prove extremely popular.

The Garten & Lifestyle magazine is discontinued.

2007

W&D Vertriebsmanagement GmbH is established jointly with a partner. The company offers international services in the fields of telephone marketing, market research, customer care and training.

2006

The first issues of the trade magazine Garten & Lifestyle and special interest title caridina appear.

Taking place for the first time in November, the International PET Conference immediately proves extremely popular with the international pet supplies sector.

2005

Sale of the company’s holding in the Dutch publishing house MIXpress to one of the shareholders.

2004

Dähne Verlag gains an additional financial foothold in the events sector with the 1st Pet Conference, thereby continuing its diversification in its established sectors.

2002

The English-language trade magazine PET in Europe (now PET worldwide) opens up the international market in the pet supplies sector.

2000

The debut of the Gartenteich magazine launches a first title in the growth segment of water gardens.

On the 30th anniversary of the establishment of the publishing house, company founders Karl-Heinz and Antonia Dähne step down from the day-to-day running of the business and hand overall responsibility for the company over to their two sons Marc and Gernot Dähne.

1999

Acquisition of a majority holding in the Dutch company MIXpress Verlag with its publications MIX, Groene Markt and Keetens in Kaart. The group of companies now employs over 50 staff

1996

Subsidiary company DeDeNet Internet- und Multimedia-Entwicklungen GmbH is established together with a software company.

Gernot Dähne, second son of the company founders, joins the management of Dähne Verlag.

1995

The company’s staff, now numbering 37 employees, move into the new publishing house premises in Ettlingen (Am Erlengraben), which have been built to satisfy the significantly increased demand for space.

1994

The first issue of the Holzforum trade magazine for the German timber trade appears, filling a previous gap in the magazine market.

1993

Dähne Verlag employs 25 people.

Marc Dähne, the eldest son of the company founders, joins the management team.

1992

The acquisition of an existing range of aquatics books gives Dähne Verlag its first entry into the consumer sphere.
Six months later, it adds to this the purchase of special interest title Aquaristik aktuell (now aquaristik).

1989

1983

Dähne Verlag acquires the trade magazine pet Zoo-Report (now pet trade magazine) and develops this into the leading sector magazine in the pet supplies sector.

1977

Entry into the growing do-it-yourself market follows with the Dähne Informationsdienst, Building supplies and DIY stores edition. Six months later, the Diy Branchen-Report (now diy trade magazine) appears for the first time.

1970

Karl-Heinz and Antonia Dähne establish Dähne Verlag. As a 2-person company they launch the Dähne Informationsdienst for the food/non-food sector.