wiedler.ch

book (design) story #387

bruno dressler, jan tschichold, paul renner, wilhelm lesemann:
typographische mitteilungen

bildungsverband der deutschen buchdrucker, berlin, around 1930
printer: buchdruckwerkstätte berlin g.m.b.h.
size: 32 x 23 cm
designer: karl franke, rudolf dörwald, georg trump, jan tschichold

the magazine "typographische mitteilungen" was an important platform for the new typography movement. it was published by the bildungsverband der deutschen buchdrucker, an organisation of the german typographers' union. they also ran the book club büchergilde gutenberg, and büchergilde director bruno dressler (1879-1952) was managing editor of the magazine.

here we have a couple of issues from the years 1930-1933. the covers were designed by different artists, credited in some of the issues. many of them also designed büchergilde books e.g. rudolf dörwald who is credited for number 3/1930.

this number includes the famous article "another new script" by jan tschichold (1902-1974) who also designed the pages.

tschichold presents the efforts by herbert bayer etc., and suggests a phonetic hybrid typeface.

cover 1/1932 – "probably designed by tschichold" according to chris burke (isbn 3764376031) – features tschichold's "zeus" typeface.

cover 1/1933 was designed by karl franke (1894-1952).

there are many ads of type foundries. often a new typeface featured in the magazine is also used for the cover, e.g. "signal" in georg trumps's design for 3/1933.

big changes came with issue 6/1933: blackletter on the cover, ...

... and the readers are addressed as "deutsche volksgenossen" (german national comrades), a nazi term. with this issue, the gleichschaltung of the bildungsverband was evident: bruno dressler's name was dropped from the impressum – in may 1933 nazis raided the organisation's headquarters, dressler was arrested and soon left germany to head the new, independent büchergilde in switzerland.