wiedler.ch

book (design) story #44

paul renner:
aus meinem leben

hausdruckerei der bauerschen giesserei, frankfurt am main, 1939
size: 20 x 13 cm
designer: paul renner

after the nazis seized power in germany, paul renner (1878-1956) was sacked from his post as director of the meisterschule für deutschland's buchdrucker (masters school for germany's printers) in munich – the regime's "reply" to renner's courageous anti-nazi book "kulturbolschewismus?" (see story 1).

according to christopher burke's excellent biography "paul renner – the art of typography" (isbn 9781568981581), renner published two autobiographical texts in "imprimatur, ein jahrbuch für bücherfreunde" in 1939. these articles didn't mention the dramatic 1933 events – however renner wrote quite frankly about his (and jan tschichold's) troubles with the nazis in this small, privately printed brochure. i guess it was distributed to a hand-picked audience only.

the impressum on the last page states that the booklet was produced by the inhouse print shop of the bauersche giesserei (bauer typefoundry) in frankfurt/main. the typeface is futura buchschrift, a cut that became available in 1932.

this is not the only book that georg hartmann, owner of the typefoundry, had privately printed in small numbers – books not quite compatible with the nazi regime. a famous example is "apokalypse, die offenbarung johannis" (1943) with lithographs by "degenerate" artist max beckmann.

there is a handwritten dedication: till iwan från karl-erik 1972. this copy had been given to iwan w. fischerström (1906-1994), a swedish graphic designer, by karl-erik forsberg (1914-1995) who is best known for his type design (e.g. berling).