Ernst Litfaß was born in 1816 in Berlin and when it was time to work in his stepfather’s printing business, he refused and tingled through Germany (Prussia) as an actor named “Flodoardo” for two years. He returned to Berlin to do his military service, got married and realized working in printing was not such a bad idea after all. In 1845, he took over the print shop from his stepfather and soon showed an aptitude for the business, printing fast, for the masses, and producing posters in large formats.

During the March revolution of 1848, he printed flyers for the revolutionaries and the satire magazine “Berliner Krakehler” (krakeelen – to roister, to brawl). To be on the safe side, he also printed writings in favor of censorship. In April, he suggested to police to censor the public postings and notices which led to the banning of the “Berliner Krakehler” but his print shop staying open. He was a businessman first, and a revolutionary second.

In 1851, Litfaß published a newspaper called the “Berliner Tagestelegraphen” in which he informed the public about upcoming theater productions, restaurants, shows, everything that would be interesting to a culturally interested audience. The paper also had a large advertisement section.

Newspaper and political and cultural writings were not the only thing that Litfaß’ company printed. By publishing the 248th volume, he finished the “Oeconomische Encyclopädie”, which had been started by Johann Georg Krünitz.

In 1861, he was made “Commissions-Rath”, in 1865 Royal Court Printer, and in 1867 he received the title “Geheimer Commissions-Rath”. Despite his titles and the wealth he acquired, the court never really accepted him as on of their own.