History of German Graphic Design

The term "graphic design" describes the applied arts as they relate to visual communication and presentation. The term, which came into use in the early twentieth century, refers to both the design process and the created designs themselves.

History

With a long history in the fields of bookmaking and printing, Germany emerged as a graphic design industry leader. In the late nineteenth century, industrialization, commercial print and mass communication catapulted traditional German design from small workshop crafts into a worldwide industry.

Significant Periods

Significant periods in German graphic design coincided with important political stages in German history: German unification (1871 to 1914), the Weimar period (1914 to 1933) and the Nazi era beginning in 1933, in which all forms of expressions came under strict control.

Significant Styles

The history of German graphic design includes three significant styles: Jugenstil, or the "style of youth," followed by Modernism and finally a return to traditionalism under the Nazi regime.

Important Figures

Influential graphic designers include Peter Behrens (1869 to 1940), Lucian Bernhard (1883 to 1972) and Fritz Hellmut Ehmcke (1873 to 1963).

Important Schools