wiedler.ch

book (design) story #267

willem sandberg, friedrich vordemberge-gildewart:
fd van zijn vrienden

no place, no date (amsterdam), around 1945
printer: (n.v. drukkerij en uitgeverij j.f. duwaer & zonen)
size: 33 x 25 cm
designer: friedrich vordemberge-gildewart

frans duwaer (1911-1944) was a dutch publisher and printer. during the nazi occupation in ww2 duwaer printed counterfeit identity cards which saved the life of numerous people who had gone into hiding. in 1944 duwaer was arrested by the nazis and shot. this book was published "van zijn vrienden" (by his friends) to commemorate this resistance hero.

the book was designed by friedrich vordemberge-gildewart (1899-1962) who had lived in amsterdam after his emigration from germany. for the jacket he reused printing-blocks from a 1940 calender for the duwaer publishing company – the facade of the company building and an open hand (info source: catalogue raisonné of v-g's typo, isbn 3892580103).

the title page with frans duwaer's birth and death dates is followed by an asymmetrically composed table of contents.

most texts are printed lowercase. the page below lists the authors' initials. a former owner added their full names in pencil – among them friedrich vordemberge-gildewart and willem sandberg.

the nice photomontage shows a portrait of frans duwaer surrounded by the letters of the alphabet and typical bauhaus symbols: blue circle, yellow triangle, red square – referring to bauhaus colour theory.

below the poem "1942" by willem sandberg (in dutch). a translation of some lines:

monday 13 july
i ring frans up – he comes immediately
"can we make counterfeit identity cards?"
"yes"
we talk for ten minutes
these ten minutes decide on his life

most texts are dutch, but the typewriter-style page below is in german: the nazi's charges against duwaer.

below another nice typographic composition by vordemberge. the last page states: "gezet en gedrukt op zijn werkplaats " (set and printed at his workplace) – i.e. duwaer's company.