Editorial Cosmopolita (Freier Deutscher Buchverlag)

Initially reluctant, James Illy Friedmann founded Freier Deutscher Buchverlag, later renamed Editorial Cosmopolita, in Buenos Aires in 1940.

Friedmann's main goal was to publish contemporary, mostly non-political, German-language literature and work by exile authors. The publishing company approached representatives of Stefan Zweig, at the time the most well-known German writer in South America, but Zweig refused to grant publishing rights. Nonetheless, Editorial Cosmopolita became the most prominent exile publishing company in Argentina and published more than twenty books by exile authors during World War II. Most of these authors were lesser known figures, including local émigré authors and young authors.

Friedmann had arrived in Argentina in 1938 after fleeing Germany, where he had been active in the publishing business.

Eisenbürger, Gert. "Literatur und Publizistik des Exils: Deutschsprachige ExilautorInnen in Argentinien." Jüdisches Lateinamerika. Web. 03 Dec. 2012.
Estermann, Monika, ed. Archiv für Geschichte des Buchwesens. Frankfurt am Main: Druckerei Rachfahl, Bad Vilbel, 2000.
Fischer, Ernst. Verleger, Buchhändler und Antiquare aus Deutschland und Oesterreich in der Emigration nach 1933. Stuttgart: Verband Deutscher Antiquare, 2011.
Kosch, Wilhelm, ed. Deutsches Literaturlexicon. Das 20. Jahrhundert. Zürich/ München: K. G. Saur Verlag, 2006.
Newton, Ronald C. The 'Nazi Menace' in Argentina, 1931-1947. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1992.