The Bonnier family is a Swedish family, originally of German Jewish descent, who since the beginning of the 19th century has been active in the book industry and later also in the mass media industry. They own the media group Bonnier Group, with the largest owners being Åke Bonnier and Jonas Bonnier. The group has 175 companies in 18 countries.
History
The earliest known member of the patriarchal line of the family was a cloth salesman named Jacob Schye (born 1674), who was from the town of Sobědruhy (Soborten) in Bohemia (now in the Czech Republic). His son, the jeweler Löbel Schie (1718–1790), fathered the jeweler and coin dealer Löbel Salomon Hirschel (born 1745). Hirschel's son, Gutkind Hirschel (1778–1862), moved from Germany to Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1801 and changed his name to Gerhard Bonnier. There, Gerhard started a small book store in 1804.
Gerhard's oldest son, Adolf Bonnier (1806–1867), moved to Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1827 to expand the family business. He started a library in the city the following year and another one in Stockholm a few years after. Adolf Bonnier started a publishing company, Albert Bonniers Förlag in 1837 and his two younger brothers, David Felix Bonnier (1822–1881) and Albert Bonnier (1820–1900), soon moved to Stockholm to help with the business.
Notable members Gerhard Bonnier (1778–1862), book seller Albert Bonnier (1820–1900), publisher Eva Bonnier (1855–1907), painter Karl Otto Bonnier (1856–1941), publisher Tor Bonnier (1883–1976), publisher Åke Bonnier (1886–1979), publisher Albert Bonnier Jr. (1907–1989), publisher Joakim Bonnier (1930–1972), Formula One driver Lukas Bonnier (1922–2006), publisher Åke Bonnier (born 1957), bishop in the Diocese of Skara, today the second largest owner of the Bonnier Group. Jonas Bonnier (born 1963), novelist, businessman Tor Bonnier (designer) (born 1966), designer Martina Bonnier (born 1966), journalist, editor-in-chief of Vogue Scandinavia Karl-Adam Bonnier (born 1934), entrepreneur Anna Rantala Bonnier (born 1983), Social worker and politician for Feminist Initiative.
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