Who was Joseph Caspar Witsch? A quest for traces. This is the story of one of the most innovative publishers of the early Federal Republic, focusing on authors, cultural and political influence, as well as economic success. But the life path of J.C. Witsch is much more than that – it is a dizzying journey through the historical abysses of the 20th century. Born and raised in Cologne, the young librarian J.C. Witsch soon found himself in conflict with the rising Nazi regime, yet he rose to become the chief "people's librarian" of Thuringia as early as 1936. After returning from his military service in Italy, he immediately continued his duties under the Soviet occupation in Jena, then fled to West Germany after intense disputes over a new library law and his role during the Nazi era, where the first books under the publishing name were released in Cologne in 1951.