Johann Georg Cotta

German publisher [1631–1692]

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June 24, 2026

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Johann Georg Cotta (1631–1692) was the founder of the Cotta publishing house in Germany. He established the J.G. Cotta'sche Buchhandlung in Tübingen in 1659 after acquiring a bookseller's business. The firm was passed down through his son and grandson before his great-grandson, Johann Friedrich Cotta, revitalized the business in the late 18th century. Johann Friedrich is renowned for publishing prominent German writers like Goethe and Schiller, and for his role in the history of German literature through periodicals such as Die Horen. He also played a significant role in advocating for freedom of the press.1

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Cotta Family
Johann Georg Cotta (1631–92), the founder of the publishing house, settled in Württemberg and in 1659 acquired by marriage the bookseller’s business of Philipp Brunn at Tübingen, thereby establishing the J.G. Cotta’sche Buchhandlung. On his death the firm passed to his son Johann Georg (2)…
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Johann Georg Cotta (1631–92), the founder of the publishing house, settled in Württemberg and in 1659 acquired by marriage the bookseller’s business of Philipp Brunn at Tübingen, thereby establishing the J.G. Cotta’sche Buchhandlung. On his death the firm passed to his son Johann Georg (2)…
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