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Since 1945: Richard Sellmer Verlag. Advent calendars from Stuttgart to the world.

"It is such a beautiful product, the enthusiasm for it has been passed down through generations," explains Annette Sellmer, why all family members have remained loyal to the Advent calendar during the company's 80-year existence. The nostalgic city views, cozy Christmas scenes, romantic snowy landscapes with Santa Claus, and the religious motifs of the Advent calendars, which are especially popular in England, have one thing in common: they are designed and produced with care and great attention to detail. "According to our company philosophy, what is depicted behind the doors must thematically match the motif on the front of the calendar," says Annette Sellmer. Even the first Sellmer calendar with the motif "The Little Town" – which has been reissued as a reprint – shows this careful love for detail and the sophisticated, handcrafted design. Richard Sellmer made it by hand alone in the living room of his house on Schmellbachstraße, opposite the current Sellmer company building. He was the first German provider from whom customers could order Advent calendars.

750 +

Commercial

480 +

Motives since the foundation

25 +

Export Countries

80 years

Business activity

Frank a4ffaba2 2a5e 4cb7 a466 95067047e3dc

Frank Sellmer.

(Publisher)

Oliver 47a3a1b3 2385 4813 aa41 37973038e2c1

Oliver Sellmer.

(Managing Director)

Annette b5be6854 3b5e 47bd a006 f36e2f6e7cb4

Annette Sellmer.

(Presse & Maketing)

Noah 5b6a7ee2 206b 44d8 a245 41de78cfbae2

Noah Sellmer

(In-house)

How it all started

The first Advent calendar

The American occupying authorities granted the printing permission in 1945. Although a good part of the Advent season of the first post-war year was already over, Sellmer's calendar became a huge success, so he gradually expanded the program in the following years.

Through international trade fairs, Richard Sellmer quickly managed to establish contacts with American customers. The Advent calendar, which had been completely unknown in the USA until then, also found enthusiastic buyers there. From now on, American customers could also purchase Sellmer's Advent calendars. Sellmer's publishing house was soon referred to as "The Home of Advent Calendar." To avoid the impression that only Americans used Christmas calendars from Stuttgart to do good: Richard Sellmer himself financed the restoration of the bombed church windows of the Stuttgart Stiftskirche with the proceeds from the motif "Old Stuttgart." The opulent photo albums documenting the company’s history contain, in addition to black-and-white photos from early production, some letters from children around the world, addressed to the "Secretary General of Father Christmas" or directly to "Santa Claus."

US Presidents with Sellmer Advent Calendar

The fact that US Presidents Eisenhower and Nixon were photographed with their families as part of a charity event with a calendar from Stuttgart-Rohr further boosted the popularity of Sellmer products. The visit of a "Miss Christmas-Town" – the Advent calendar queen who was crowned annually during that charity event in the USA – was also seen as a nice recognition. Among the most treasured keepsakes is a Christmas card from Bill Clinton: The President personally thanked for the copy of a special Advent calendar made in the 1950s featuring the "White House" as the motif, which Sellmer had sent him.

The Advent Calendar Production

Much was handmade.

The Modern Age - Advent Calendar in Today's Time

At Sellmer, around 40 percent of sales now come from the international market.
When it comes to demand, the British are in a league of their own. That is why a sales office was established in Birmingham in 2001. But even in countries without a significant Christian tradition, such as Japan, demand is steadily growing. A very important area now is the production of custom-made items. These are usually promotional gifts that companies send to their customers and employees. The fashion chain H&M, for example, commissioned a stylish chocolate Advent calendar from the Richard Sellmer Verlag in a magazine look, printed with a Christmas-themed cover girl.

Sellmer referred to as "Home" or as "Source" of the Advent calendar in the American press.

"For private customers, online sales are increasing more and more. While buyers and users think about Advent calendars at the earliest a few weeks before the start of the Advent season, the production of the paper ornaments takes the manufacturer the whole year."

"At the end of January, two major trade fairs will be attended – the Nuremberg Toy Fair and Christmasworld/Ambiente in Frankfurt am Main. In March, the first shipments will be sent overseas by ship, followed by delivery to the wholesale market in Europe and finally to retail and private customers. The calendars for the following year are designed starting in September, and they are printed right after Christmas. Here you can see how we produce Advent calendars."

In the early days of the publishing house, almost everything was still laboriously handcrafted, but today production and packaging are automated except for a few steps; there is even a machine for applying mica. After the death of Richard Sellmer in 1969, his son Tim was responsible for the rationalization of production. His measures made the large quantities that are needed today possible. Tim Sellmer passed away in 2008, and his sons Frank and Oliver Sellmer continue to run the publishing house in his spirit.
The Sellmer publishing program currently includes around 130 designs, with about 15 newly designed ones added each year. Some designs have been continuously available since the 1950s; reprints are particularly popular - more like Advent calendars for adults. Whether in the standard DIN A4 format, as postcards, or three-dimensional with backdrops to set up – no matter how varied the preferences of the customers may be: silver glitter dust and nostalgic romance are simply a must for Advent calendars – certainly not just for Americans.

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Eisenhower family with a Sellmer Advent calendar

Interestingly, the Advent calendar is a relatively young phenomenon – the first example was produced in 1904. It only became widely popular in the 1950s. At that time, it became an affordable mass product – and the Stuttgart-based Richard Sellmer Verlag, which is the only publisher in Germany that focuses exclusively on the production of Advent calendars, has played a significant role in this.

The family business delivers millions of copies of the attractive pre-Christmas planners to distribution partners in over 25 countries every year. Richard Sellmer founded the publishing house in 1945, and today his grandsons Frank and Oliver Sellmer run the business. Meanwhile, the fourth generation is also actively helping out. The publishing house employs nine staff members. About four freelance graphic designers are responsible for the artistic design, and printing orders are outsourced.