How to identify a first printing
- Augsburg Publishing House (1891-1988): no number line in early years; identify a first printing by the copyright year together with the absence of any added reprint or later-printing notice. Some early Minneapolis Lutheran material is in Norwegian. Later printings carry an added printing line.
- Muhlenberg Press era (to ~1962): identify firsts by copyright year and the absence of a reprint notice; printing statements are inconsistent. The imprint name brackets the window (Muhlenberg before about 1962, Fortress after).
- Fortress Press (founded 1962): scholarly Protestant theology house; earliest single copyright year with a clean printing line and no added impression history indicates the first printing.
- Augsburg Fortress (1988 merger) to present: standard number line on the copyright page; the lowest digit present indicates the printing, so a line including 1 indicates a first printing. Academic Fortress titles often show a year line plus an impression line.
- Read the impression/number line rather than any single copyright year on heavily reprinted titles.
Notable points & cautions
- Augsburg Fortress was formed in 1988 by the merger of Augsburg Publishing House (Minneapolis, founded 1891) and Fortress Press (Philadelphia), following the creation of the ELCA from the LCA and ALC.
- Fortress Press is the major scholarly Protestant theology imprint (the English-edition Bonhoeffer Works, Tillich, biblical-studies monographs); academic firsts are identified by the first copyright year plus a clean impression line.
- Muhlenberg Press, traceable to the United Lutheran Church in America, was the principal forerunner of Fortress Press, which superseded it around 1962.
- The corporate parent rebranded as 1517 Media in 2016 (echoing the 1517 date of Luther's theses) but reverted to the Augsburg Fortress name in October 2024; 1517 Media is therefore a former, not current, brand.
Imprints
First editions also appear under: Fortress Press (academic), Augsburg Books (trade), Sparkhouse, formerly Muhlenberg Press, 1517 Media (corporate brand 2016-2024). Each generally follows the house convention above.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my Augsburg Fortress (and predecessors Augsburg Publishing House & Fortress Press) book is a first edition?
Check the copyright page. Augsburg Publishing House (1891-1988): no number line in early years; identify a first printing by the copyright year together with the absence of any added reprint or later-printing notice. Some early Minneapolis Lutheran material is in Norwegian. Later printings carry an added printing line. Muhlenberg Press era (to ~1962): identify firsts by copyright year and the absence of a reprint notice; printing statements are inconsistent. The imprint name brackets the window (Muhlenberg before about 1962, Fortress after).
Does Augsburg Fortress (and predecessors Augsburg Publishing House & Fortress Press) use a number line?
Muhlenberg Press era (to ~1962): identify firsts by copyright year and the absence of a reprint notice; printing statements are inconsistent. The imprint name brackets the window (Muhlenberg before about 1962, Fortress after).
Is a book-club edition a Augsburg Fortress (and predecessors Augsburg Publishing House & Fortress Press) first edition?
No. Book-club editions reprint the text but are not the true first edition. Augsburg Fortress was formed in 1988 by the merger of Augsburg Publishing House (Minneapolis, founded 1891) and Fortress Press (Philadelphia), following the creation of the ELCA from the LCA and ALC.
What era does this cover?
This covers Augsburg Fortress (and predecessors Augsburg Publishing House & Fortress Press) (1855/1891-present). Conventions changed over time, so confirm the era of your copy.