Company history

from 1867 to date

Over 150 years of success

Founded in 1867 as an address book publisher in Vienna, Compass-Verlag has evolved into the leading provider of digital business information. More than 157 years later, Compass still stands for innovation and continuous growth. 

Join us on a journey through the beginnings of Compass-Verlag and discover how we became what we are today.  

Compass milestones at a glance
 

2024

Generation change

After 47 years, the ownership structure of Compass-Gruppe has changed again for the first time. Hermann Futter is now the largest shareholder, after Heide-Lene Futter had been the main owner for decades.

2020

The Compass Group moved to its new location:
Schönbrunner Strasse 231
1120 Vienna

2018

Wirtschafts-Compass

Wirtschafts-Compass became the most comprehensive information product for business information.

2017

Compass-Verlag celebrated its 150th anniversary with more than 400 guests. To mark the occasion the anniversary publication "Der Compass - 150 Jahre österreichische Wirtschaftsgeschichte. Vom Kalender zu digitalen Informationssystemen." [Compass - 150 years of Austrian business history. From the Calendar to Digital Information Systems] was published.

2014

firmeninfo.at replaced compnet.at as Austria's strongest B2B platform.

The ZEDHIA online archive went online with more than 1.1 million pages on the history of Austrian economics.

2011

A new pillar

The Compass Group became the owner of the .wien top-level domain

2010

Launch of firmenbuchgrundbuch.at

HF Data became the market leader among the clearing offices in Austria.

2009

Tradition meets innovation

The Group started financing selected start-ups.

2005

Databases provided exclusively online.

2003

The end of an era

After a three-year interruption the very last Compass volume appeared in book form.

2002

HF Data became a clearing office of the Republic of Austria.

1995

The start of digitisation

CompNet – Austria's first commercial internet database went online.

Phased sale of investments in Eastern Europe in order to shift the focus back to the Austrian market.

1993

The new publishing house

After 66 years in the 1st district of Vienna the publishing group moved to a new publishing house in the 14th district.

1989-1992

Expansion into Eastern Europe

Foundation of more than ten subsidiaries within three years, including HF Data and Better Business Information. Start of the expansion into Eastern Europe with the "CompAlmanach Group".

1983

The company engaged in establishing the Commercial Register database.

Foundation of CMD, the first subsidiary of Compass-Verlag.

1977

Takeover by the Futter family

In the course of a management buyout Werner and Heide-Lene Futter took over Compass-Verlag.

1938-1945

Second World War

Secret! During World War II the books were considered a state secret and had to be kept securely under lock and key. From 1945 the Compass editions served as authentic documents before the courts in restitution proceedings.

1919-1937

First Republic

From 1913 to 1936 Compass-Verlag was part of Vernay AG, one of the biggest media groups in Austria during the interwar period.

The Industry Compass of 1920/21 already comprised 75,000 business entities and 6,000 new establishments.

1904

Owned by the Hanel family

Compass-Verlag was transferred to the Hanel family and remained in their ownership through both World Wars until 1977.

1902

Das Zentralblatt

The "Zentralblatt für die Eintragungen in das Handelsregister" [Central Journal for Entries in the Commercial Register], a periodical analogous to today's Official Journal of Wiener Zeitung, and the "Lieferungsanzeiger" [Procurement Journal] were published by Compass for more than one hundred years from 1902.

1872-1875

Der Tresor

The weekly magazine "Der Tresor" [The Vault] supplemented the book editions.

1868

First printed works

The first edition of the "Compass-Kalender und Jahrbuch für Handel, Gewerbe und Industrie" [Compass Calendar and Yearbook for Trade, Commerce and Industry] was published in 1868 and is considered to be the only complete financial handbook of the monarchy.

1867

Foundation of the company

Compass-Verlag was founded by Gustav Leonhardt in Vienna.

Gustav Leonhardt later became the secretary general of the Austro-Hungarian National Bank.

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