Back to the Futura

Back to the Futura

Given all of the idiocy the radical right has been spewing in recent days about how Obama’s trip to Germany is somehow a step closer to him burning the Reichstag, it’s worth noting, as John Holbo does, that the Obama campaign has chosen German “New Typography” for their posters and advertisements. Here’s an interesting excerpt from German Modern:

After the Nazi’s rise to power in 1933, however, when the Dessau Bauhaus was closed (the school had moved from its original home in Weimar in 1925), it was forbidden to use modern design or sans-serif typefaces such as Futura, which Goebbels called a “Jewish invention.” Rigid, central balanced composition returned and traditional (and often illegible) Fraktur type was touted as symbolic of the glories of the nation. (17)

For typophiliacs or those interested in the art of the Third Reich, I recommend reading the entire article over at Crooked Timber.