From Ravensburger:
The company founder, Otto Robert Maier wanted to offer “Just the best”. His grandchildren and entrepreneurial descendants respectfully hold up this principle. Even today, the company’s program structure of entertaining and educational products has kept the original characteristics.
The bookseller Otto Robert Maier began his publishing activities in 1883 in Ravensburg, Germany, with the completion of his first author contract. He established his publishing independence with instructions folders for craftsmen and architects, a field of publication which brought a sound financial basis. Not much later, in 1884, the first game appeared, “Journey around the World” as well as a story book from Father Christoph von Schmid.
By the turn of the century, the original product range had been expanded to include picture books, books, children’s activity books, art Instruction manuals, non-fiction books, and reference books as well as children’s games, Happy Families and activity kits.
In the years before the First World War, the Otto Maier Publishing Company displayed a considerable range of products with around 800 different books and games. All possibilities for marketing and distribution were utilized.
In the year 1900, the publisher registered his trademark with the imperial Patent Office under the name “Ravensburger Games”. As of 1912, many board and activity games had an export version that was distributed to Western Europe, the countries of the Danube Monarchy as well as Russia.
In February 1996, Ravensburger (Otto Maier Verlag) and F.X.Schmid (vereinigte Menchener Spielkartenfabriken GmbH & Co. KG’) decided that Ravensburger would produce all of F.X.Schmid’s games. Eventually, Ravensburger took over Schmid. Click the link for information about F.X. Schmid.
Ravensburger is one of the major mass-market game companies in Europe.
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