Eugen Nerdinger

Biography

Typographer, type designer, illustrator. Born 26 January 1910 in Augsburg. Studied at the Munich Akademie für angewandte Kunst: teachers included Ernst von Dombrowski, Anna Simons and Josef Oberberger. ‘I began as typographer and journalist and put down my pen in 1933 to go into the Resistance [Widerstand]. I became a graphic artist because I was not allowed to write any more….From a type designer I changed into a book designer, later a publisher, even later a writer, then a teacher. Finally I became director and reorganizer of a 250-year-old school.’ (quoted in Lisa Beck, 1981, p. 23) 1943-5: director of the graphic studio, Messerschmitt factory, Augsburg. After the war he founded Stern-Offizin, Verlag und grafische Werkstätte für Buchkunst und Gebrauchsgrafik. 1946-69: reestablished the Augsburg art school and taught typography and commercial art (1960-69: director). He designed for over 20 publishers. 1973: retired.

Writings by

  • Das Buchstabenbuch, Munich: Georg Callwey, 1954 (2 nd ed. 1955)
  • ‘Flache – Element – Proportionen’ (from Das Buchstabenbuch), Der Polygraph, 20 Feb. 1955
  • ‘Formart und Grösse der Buchstabenbuch als Mittel der Komposition’ (from Das Buchstabenbuch), Der Polygraph, 5 July 1955, supplement
  • Schriftenwicklung, Formbedingungen, Schrifttechnik, Munich: Callwey, 1955
  • Signs/Scripts + Ornaments, Munich: Callwey, 1960 (with Lisa Beck)
  • Alphabete für Werbung und Gebrauchsgrafik, Munich: Callwey, 1965 (English ed.: London: Crosby Lockwood, 1965)
  • Schriftschreiben – Schriftzeichen (with L. Beck), Munich: Callwey, 1965, 1977, 1988
  • Gedanke und Inbild, privately printed, 1977
  • Der Urszene Wiederkehr, Augsburg: Brigg, 1980
    • ‘Experience of design’, novum gebrauchsgraphik, 1980, 11, pp. 8-17
  • Dreihundert Jahre Schule für Gestaltung in Augsburg (with L. Beck), Augsburg: Mühlberger, 1987.

Writings about

  • Eberhard Hölscher, comments on EN’s forthcoming Buchstabenbuch, in Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Oct. 1953, p. 61
  • Albert Rahmer, review of EN’s Buchstabenbuch, in Form und Technik, 1955, pp. 237-8
  • L. Beck, ‘The teaching of lettering in the design department of Augsburg Polytechnic’, in ‘20th century German Lettering’, Dot the I, London: Letter Exchange, 1991, pp. 54-7
  • L. Beck, So leben wir and Wunsch und Ziel, [date?].
  • note on EN’s Buchstabenbuch, in Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., Nov. 1955, pp. 62-3
  • note on EN’s Zeichen – Schrift + Ornament, in Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., June 1961, p. 64
  • E. Hölscher, ‘A new German TV-station symbol’ (competition), Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., June 1963, pp. 54-6
  • Lisa Beck, ‘The designer Eugen Nerdinger’, novum, Sept. 1981, pp. 22-9

Exhibitions

  • Schaezler-Palais, Augsburg (then to Ulm), 1947.