Gay Publisher The Bruno Gmünder Group Files for Insolvency

BERLIN — Gay publishing house The Bruno Gmünder Group — publisher of “Men” and other publications — announced today that it has filed for insolvency in an effort to restructure the company.

A recent bid for new capital that could have averted the move was denied.

The company said it will be business as usual under the restructuring and it will continue to meet its debts.

Adjustments necessary for the switch to digital transformation and modernization that ate up considerably more resources than originally anticipated were cited as reasons for the restructure. The company said its new business models have not been able to compensate for the decreasing sales of formerly best-selling products.

“Recently, due to rapid changes in the consumer marketplace and diminishing purchases of physical media, the publishing company has been experiencing a decrease in the sales of products that were once bestsellers,” the company said.

Founded in 1981, Bruno Gmünder was acquired in 2011 and installed a new management team consisting of Tino Henn, Nik Reis and Michael Taubenheim that attempted to restructure and optimize its product range that includes a number of print products as well as an increasing number of digital products such as e books, apps and websites.

Travel guides, magazines, photo books, comic books and works of fiction and non-fiction are also part of the company's range of product offerings.

The restructuring will allow the company to preserve and reorganize the enterprise. The company said that the proceedings according to German and EU law are different from the insolvency laws of the U.S. although there are similarities between the German Insolvency Statute and the provisions of U.S. Chapter 11. “However, this is not a bankruptcy, but a way to keep cash flow solvent to meet regular debt obligations and allow the company to avoid a bankruptcy, and to get ‘back in the black,’” the company noted.

This process will let Bruno Gmünder modernize the company and maintain business in the future without the burden of prior debt. The "Bruno's" stores, Brunos.demail order services, the fiction, non-fiction and photo book departments, the "Spartacus" guide, the "Spartacus-Traveler" and "Männer" magazines, as well as other in-house products will continue uninterrupted.

The executive board said it is well aware of its responsibility and obligations to lead the company through the general publishing crisis into the future while preserving its rich tradition of products and services for the international gay community.

Read the Q&A With Chairman Tino Henn

Related:  

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

Hankey's Toys Releases 'Kitsune's Knot' Dildo

Mr. Hankey's Toys has introduced its new Kitsune’s Knot dildo.

France Reinstates Age Verification Rule for EU Sites

France’s highest court, the Council of State, on Tuesday reinstated age verification rules for EU-based sites under the country’s Security and Regulation of the Digital Space (SREN) law, ruling in favor of the French government and against Hammy Media.

Velvet Thruster Signs Distro Deal With ECN

Velvet Thruster has inked a distribution deal with East Coast News (ECN).

Whisper Fans Joins Pineapple Support as Supporter-Level Sponsor

Whisper Fans has joined the ranks of over 70 adult businesses and organizations committing funds and resources to Pineapple Support.

Kiiroo Introduces New Agatha Vega Stroker

Kiiroo has debuted the new Agatha Vega stroker sleeve from its FeelStar line.

Utherverse Launches 'Red Light Center' Virtual World

Virtual reality and metaverse technology company Utherverse has launched its new virtual world, RedLightCenter.io.

European Commission Approves AV Guidelines, Unveils Prototype App

The European Commission on Monday released its final, approved guidelines for protecting minors online under the EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) and made public a “white label” age verification app intended to help sites and platforms comply with age verification rules under the DSA.

New Membership Site 'Sluts Corner' Launches

R18 Entertainment has launched a new membership site, SlutsCorner.com.

'Groove Thing' Sets Kickstarter Funding Record for Insertable Pleasure Product

Groove Thing, an insertable pleasure product that plays audio, has set a funding record on Kickstarter.

Show More