Our story

At the heart of our story stands Auke Jongbloed, a remarkable and dynamic man whose perseverance and entrepreneurial spirit have shaped Jongbloed into the renowned Bible printer it is today.

What exactly went through the printing press in those early years has been lost in the sands of time. We do know that ‘newsheets’ were printed there and some ad-hoc printing work. However, in 1873, a significant milestone was achieved when Jongbloed collaborated with a certain widow, Mrs. De Lange, to print the first psalm book, marking an important chapter in the history of Bible printing. In 1880, the small company produced its own edition on the presses. This was the start of what Jongbloed has now become, namely a leading manufacturer of high-quality Bibles.

In 1862 Jongbloed opened an office and writing supplies shop in the Dutch city of Leeuwarden. In that year, he placed a newspaper advertisement offering to supply high-quality products (made by Belgian and French manufacturers). At this point, there was no sign yet of a printing press, although as a former printing apprentice it is something that Jongbloed had in mind. However, that changed in 1868. Jongbloed acquired a printing press and registered himself as a book printer.