[1][2] Carl Stephan Franz Geibel was born in Pest (today the central part of Budapest) where his parents were living in connection with his father's business.
His father, Friedrich Wilhelm Carl Geibel [de] (1806-1884), was also a successful book dealer and publisher.
In 1866, with his father, he took over the Berlin publishing firm of Duncker & Humblot [de; es; it; la; no; sv] which they immediately relocated to Leipzig.
[2] In 1872 Carl Geibel was a founder member of the Verein für Socialpolitik ("Social Policy Society").
[6] The Law faculty at Leipzig University awarded Geibel an honorary doctorate in 1902 in appreciation of Duncker & Humblot's contribution as academic and legal publishers.