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book (design) story #613

friedrich wilhelm foerster:
lebensführung

rotapfel-verlag, erlenbach-zürich / leipzig, 1930
size: ?? x ?? cm
designer: (unknown)

the rotapfel-verlag was associated with eugen rentsch, a prominent swiss publisher who was open to modernist ideas and graphic design (he published the famous book "kunstismen" in 1925, see story 327).

this 140th thousand printing of this early 20th century bestseller was wrapped into a "new typography" style jacket by an anonymous designer. the slogansays "no book that would be more essential for us all".

the inside pages are printed in a traditional fraktur.

friedrich wilhelm foerster (1869-1966) was a prominent german philosopher and ethics professor whose books were among the first to be burned by the nazis.

after years in zürich he moved to france in 1926, but the german occupation in ww2 forced him to emigrate to the states.