Westermann Closes Zwickau Printing Plant – 170 Jobs Lost

Westermann-Verlag is closing its printing plant in Zwickau, which employs 170 people. Production is expected to cease on August 31, a company spokesperson said in response to an inquiry. The reason cited was “persistently difficult market conditions” in Germany, which had led to a sharp decline in orders. The “Freie Presse” had previously reported on the closure.

“High labor and energy costs in Germany have meant that production was no longer competitive compared to, for example, Eastern European providers, despite significant investments in new machinery,” explained Timo Blümer, commercial managing director of the Westermann Group. The printing plants as a whole suffered from overcapacity amid declining demand.

Started as a “people’s printing plant” in the 1950s

The history of the printing plant in Zwickau dates back to the 1950s. At that time, it was founded as a so-called “people’s printing plant.” Later, high-quality illustrated books were produced here for export, for example to the former Soviet Union. According to reports, the plant worked for all major publishers in the GDR. In 1990, the business was then taken over by Westermann. The publishing group is known, for example, for the LÜK learning system.

The Zwickau printing plant has reportedly specialized in the production of high-quality books using four-color printing, primarily textbooks, travel guides, reference books, how-to guides, medical books, and children’s and young adult books. Employees are being offered a transition to a job placement agency, where they will be able to gain qualifications for other jobs and receive support in finding new employment.