Preliminary insolvency proceedings were opened against Steidl, the German publishing house known for its photobooks, at the request of a creditor. The proceedings, which took place last Friday in the Göttingen district court, concerned unpaid social security contributions, among other things.
Several other lawsuits have also been reportedly filed against the company for failing or delaying to pay salaries. In some cases five or six months’ worth of salary remained outstanding.
Founded by Gerhard Steidl in 1968, the publishing house has published work by artists including Nan Goldin, Martin Parr and Edward Burtynsky.
‘Times are very bad for the book industry,’ Steidl told NDR on Thursday.
