Elmar Faber — German Publisher and Co‑founder of Faber & Faber

Career and positions

Faber rose to national prominence when he became the head of Aufbau‑Verlag, one of the major publishing firms in the German Democratic Republic, serving in that capacity from 1983 until 1992. In 1990, during the turbulent period around German reunification, he and his son Michael established the private publishing house Faber & Faber. Throughout his career he identified as a book publisher committed to literary quality and to sustaining authors and readers across political divides.

• Head of Aufbau‑Verlag: 1983–1992
• Co‑founder of Faber & Faber: 1990 (with his son Michael)
• Autobiography published: 2014

Born in Deesbach in the region of Thuringia, Faber worked for decades within the institutional structures of East German cultural life. That environment required publishers to balance support for writers with the demands and limits imposed by state authorities. After 1990 he continued to influence German publishing as companies reorganized and as market conditions changed.

Contributions and legacy

Faber is remembered for sustaining publishing activity in difficult circumstances and for helping to bridge the publishing cultures of East and West Germany after reunification. His imprint and later independent house published many works that contributed to postwar German literature and intellectual life. In recognition of his services to culture and publishing he received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 2007.

Faber spent his later years in Leipzig and died there on 3 December 2017 at the age of 83. Local and national press noted his death and reflected on his role in shaping German literary life in the second half of the 20th century. Reports of his passing were circulated from Leipzig and other cultural centers in Germany; obituaries often remarked on his steadiness as an editor and his engagement with authors and readers.

For an overview of his life and work, including first‑hand recollections, see further sources and the publisher’s notices: a biographical sketch and retrospectives remain useful starting points for readers interested in German publishing history and the particular challenges of cultural work under and after the GDR regime. Additional context about the cities associated with his life can be found through regional sources about Leipzig and Thuringian cultural history. For more on the publishing profession and industry practice see general references to the role of the book publisher and professional associations.