In late March 1974, Merkheft was founded by Zweitausendeins founder Lutz Reinecke (after his later marriage Lutz Kroth) and supported by Bertel Schmitt, the legendary advertising copywriter, and quickly developed into a cult catalogue that soon offered CDs and films in addition to incredibly cheap book remainders. Just as it did in 1974, Merkheft still looks to publishers in Germany, America, France and England for cheap remaining editions and also produces numerous titles itself, which are then only available from Merkheft. Since then, the mail-order culture house has undergone many changes, but it still presents a similarly wild and at the same time highly cultivated mix of topics in Merkheft month after month – and is enlightening, ecological, sophisticated, entertaining, funny, cheeky! And always as inexpensive as possible.
