357:
376:, and also designed typefaces for typewriter machines. During the 1980s he designed "Videtur", a font specially designed for television screens. He also designed the "Rabenau" font. A number of sources pay tribute to Bertram's habit of worrying away at improving his designs: "Rabenau" represented the culmination of approximately thirty years spent intermittently working away at perfecting his typeface designs. The appearance of mainstream desktop publishing during the 1990s afforded opportunities for further elaboration and enhancement.
462:"Alu-Chip" was East German slang for the light-weight coins used in East Germany (and elsewhere in central Europe) during the 1950s and 1960s, having been designed in the late 1940s, when there was still a world-wide glut of aluminium, following a collapse in demand for fighter planes. An "Alu-Chip" was
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Alongside his artistic work, Bertram wrote various essays and articles on the history and theory of commercial art. Other topics on which he wrote included the role of design in daily life. There were also numerous biographical summaries concerning individual designers. In 2004, reflecting his
235:
as a freelancer. He also teamed up with three fellow students to form the "Ateliergemeinschaft Gruppe 4", of which he was always by far the best known member. The co-operatively structured graphic design workshop quickly rose to fame - or in the eyes of certain artistic conservatives notoriety -
500:
Book review / Rezension .... Er war der wohl einflussreichste
Gebrauchsgrafiker der DDR. Axel Bertram wollte nicht fürs Museum, sondern für den Alltag arbeiten. Mit dem opulenten Band „Grafisches Gestalten in fünf Jahrzehnten“ erfährt das singuläre Schaffen des heute 76-Jährigen die längst fällige
320:
In 1969 East German citizens found a new design for the 20 Pfennig coin in their change, designed by
Bertram to replace the widely disparaged 20 Pfennig light-weight "Alu-Chip" (coin). Minted only in very small quantities, and issued at around the same time, was the "general circulation 5
168:. Confident in his judgements, he also contributed articles to newspapers and magazines, though this was motivated more by a personal drive to share his enthusiasm for his ideas on design than because he aspired to any sort of career as a journalist or commentator.
421:
With his wide-ranging commercial artistry and his articulate advocacy of good day-to-day design solutions, Axel
Bertram was among the most influential designers of the post-war period. Much of his personal and professional legacy is preserved in Leipzig at the
285:. He was an active participant in the running of the organisation, joining the VBK National Executive in 1970, and serving as vice-president of it during 1988/89. In addition he served, between 1982 and 1990 as head of the Artistic Advisory Board at the
442:(as she subsequently became known, following her second marriage) between approximately 1957 and 1962. His second marriage, in 1963, was to the photographer identified in sources simply by her married name as Ruth Bertram. The historian
301:, East Germany's widely circulated magazine for "fashion and the arts", which Bertram tended to reference in interviews, possibly because the exercise was effectively a long-running joint project with the magazine's fashion editor,
263:, commentators (including his own son) believe that Bertram and his professional colleagues dared to dream that the obvious "ailments" of socialism as it operated in East Germany might yet prove "curable". During and after
575:
Der in
Dresden geborene Grafiker Axel Betram ist am Samstag in Berlin gestorben. Er war für das Layout der Zeitschriften "Sibylle" und der Wochenpost. Außerdem prägte er das Aussehen der DDR-Mark mit
893:
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Ausstellung zur
Zeitschrift „Sibylle“ .... In Rüsselsheim hat die Schau „Sibylle – die Fotografen“ eröffnet. Die Zeitschrift war viel mehr als eine alltags-praktische Frauenzeitschrift
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Er designte das 20-Pfennig-Stück der DDR .... Hinter seinem
Produkt verschwinden – das war das Credo des vielseitigen DDR-Gebrauchsgrafikers Axel Bertram. Jetzt ist er gestorben
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317:" that his radical (famously "computer aided") redesign incorporated, as early as 1970, a layout featuring a small margin column down on side of pages displaying articles.
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citizen was familiar with
Bertram's work and, after the East German coinage redesign that started in 1969, carried examples of it in a purse or a pocket when leaving home.
337:. He also designed numerous commemorative medallions for the government during this period, celebrating anniversaries in respect of historical celebrities including
199:, a small industrial town a short distance to the south of the city. His father was a graphic artist and businessman. After successfully completing his
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368:. Prompted in part by the very restricted range of typefaces commonly applied by publishing houses in East Germany, he designed bespoke typefaces for
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305:, to whom he was married between 1957 and 1962. Other magazines he designed or redesigned included the mass-circulation weekly news magazine,
259:. He now emerged rapidly as a leading member of the East German cultural establishment, and while he was never a committed proseletyser for
1200:
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255:, also serving, between 1977 and 1982, as Head of Department in Commercial Art. 1977 was also the year in which Bertram was awarded the
256:
171:
To paraphrase several of the tributes paid to his memory after he died (which seem to have originated with a press release issued by the
1207:. Faber + Faber Verlag GmbH, Leipzig (the book) & Schriftkontor Ralf Herrmann (Typografie.info), Weimar (a brief review-synopsis).
1202:
713:
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Axel
Bertram (the book); Martin Z. Schröder in der Süddeutschen Zeitung, 7. 12. 2004 (a brief review-synopsis) (September 2004).
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According to at least one source, there was no field of design that exercised a greater fascination for Axel
Bertram than
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Between 1961 and 1990 Bertram was, like all successful freelance workers in the sector, a member of the Berlin-based
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decades-long preoccupation with the history of writing, he published a more substantial work under a title that
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1067:"Vertrauen und Bereicherung – Drei neue Vorlässe im Deutschen Buch- und Schriftmuseum .... Axel Bertram"
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and 2 Mark coins which were issued respectively in 1973 and 1974, and both remained in circulation till
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313:", the country's most successful and, many believe, most influential weekly publication. It was for "
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Bertram designed numerous books, newspapers and magazines. One of the better remembered examples was
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member in 1977. That same year he was promoted to a full professorship in fonts and graphic design at
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278:, between 1989 and 1992 again serving as Ordinary (i.e. full) Professor in fonts and graphic design.
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In eastern
Germany one could literally encounter Bertram's work at every turn over several decades
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This source, published by Axel Bertram's son, features a "thoughtful" photo-portrait of the father
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during 1954/55. That was followed by a move to the capital and a five-year study period at the
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231:. He received his degree in Graphic Arts in 1960, and for the next twelve years worked in
164:. During his later decades he became, in addition, a knowledgeable and dedicated expert on
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548:. Ch. Links Verlag, Berlin & Bundesstiftung zur Aufarbeitung der SED-Diktatur, Berlin
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325:" coin designed by Bertram. He also teamed up with the pioneering industrial designer
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Bertram's "Videtur" font, launched in 1986, was designed for use on television screens.
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as a "chief assistant" and in 1973 accepted a position as a lecturer. He became a
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German artist, graphic designer, illustrator and opinion journalist (1936–2019)
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818:. Deutsches Buch- und Schriftmuseum der Deutschen Nationalbibliothek, Leipzig
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Axel Bertram ist nach langer Krankheit am 16. März 2019 in Berlin gestorben
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418:), a cultural history of printing and typefaces during the Gutenberg era.
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894:"Walls of Resentment Between East, West Run Through German Newsrooms"
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542:"Bertram, Axel: 26.3.1936 - 16.3.2019: Gebrauchsgrafiker, Typograf"
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Academy for Fine and Applied Arts (as it was known at that time)
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Charles de Souza (11 September 2020). "Art for Everyday Life".
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Rabenau, die gut lesbare Schriftfamilie mit warmer Ausstrahlung
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61:
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Gestalter von Zeitschriften und bibliophilen Liebhaberobjekten
571:"Der einflussreichste Gebrauchsgrafiker der DDR ist gestorben"
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791:. Dr. Mathias Bertram, Berlin - Publizist und Buchgestalter
179:), only the specialists knew his name, but virtually every
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240:. He remained with the "Ateliergemeinschaft2 till 1972.
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with projects such as the "graphic redesign" for Berlin's
755:"Bertram, Axel (* 26.3.1936 Dresden, † 17.3.2019 Berlin)"
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Between 1979 and 1982 Bertram designed thirty stamps for
309:, the relatively short-lived news magazine "Profil" and "
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844:. Schriftkontor Ralf Herrmann (Typografie.info), Weimar
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Academic staff of the Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin
636:. Verlag Der Tagesspiegel GmbH, Berlin. 17 March 2019
215:. Here his principal tutors were the poster artist
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1104:Dan Reynolds; Christoph Koeberlin (6 April 2013).
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993:. Stiftung Industrie- und Alltagskultur, Berlin
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720:. Stiftung Industrie- und Alltagskultur, Berlin
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438:Axel Bertram was married to the fashion writer
349:(1972) and, much later, the polymath-architect
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932:. Ch. Links Verlag, Berlin. pp. 184–189.
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630:"Axel Bertram, ein Multitalent wie nur wenige"
1106:"Socialist TV Typeface Videtur Finally Freed"
1019:. Axel Springer SE (WELT und N24Doku), Berlin
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283:VBK (East German Visual Artists' Association)
152:(26 March 1936 - 16 March 2019) was a German
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987:"... Über A. B., den Grafiker der Vielfalt"
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274:, Bertram returned to his salaried work at
257:Art Prize of the German Democratic Republic
245:Weißensee Academy for Fine and Applied Arts
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1017:"13.000 Euro für ein paar Gramm Alu-Blech"
929:Computer statt Blei - die Neue Wopchenpost
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603:. Marc Berger i.A. Edition Schwarzdruck,
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1108:. I Love Typography Ltd ("TypeTogether")
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693:. Pirckheimer-Gesellschaft E.V., Berlin
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466:a pioneering prototype computer chip.
446:was the child of his first marriage.
424:"Deutsches Buch- und Schriftmuseum" (
160:, illustrator, magazine designer and
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712:Bauhoff, Hannah (28 October 2010).
13:
985:Sylke Wunderlich (26 March 2019).
761:. Königsdorfer Medienhaus, Frechen
426:".... Museum of Books and Writing"
14:
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1154:"Rabenau: distinct & legible"
1040:"Verschönerung des Alltagslebens"
77:Academy for Fine and Applied Arts
494:Nils Kahlefendt (1 March 2013).
414:"Das wohltemperierte Alphabet" (
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785:"Axel Bertram - Nutzungsrechte"
456:
1046:. Deutschlandfunk Kultur, Köln
926:Klaus Polkehn (October 1998).
840:Ralf Herrmann (6 April 2013).
665:taz Verlags u. Vertriebs GmbH.
329:to redesign the East German 1
1:
1182:. M. Russem Book Design. 2021
892:Marshall, Matt (1995-01-11).
657:"Kultivierte Randständigkeit"
473:
1204:Das wohltemperierte Alphabet
416:"The Well-Tempered Alphabet"
374:"Neue Berliner Illustrierte"
307:"Neue Berliner Illustrierte"
7:
1075:Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
1015:André Stahl (1 July 2014).
759:Designlexikon International
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261:"Soviet imperial socialism"
243:In 1972 he returned to the
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714:"Axel Bertram (interview)"
687:"Axel Bertram (1936-2019)"
601:"In Memoriam Axel Bertram"
389:German Democratic Republic
223:. He was also taught by
191:Axel Bertram was born on
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1065:Gabriele Netsch (2017).
1044:Zum Tod von Axel Bertram
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381:Deutsche Post of the GDR
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1160:. Monotype GmbH, Berlin
1134:. Monotype GmbH, Berlin
1071:Dialog mit Bibliotheken
783:(photographer) (1997).
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399:and, both historic and
351:Karl Friedrich Schinkel
219:and the graphic artist
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496:"Kunst für den Alltag"
409:consciously celebrates
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102:Commentator-journalist
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175:publishing business,
127:(born Dorothea Voigt)
655:Brigitte Werneburg.
538:Ingrid Kirschey-Feix
272:German reunification
1317:Newspaper designers
1297:People from Dresden
871:Addicted to Fashion
873:. 22 December 2017
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339:Johannes Gutenberg
991:Design in der DDR
718:Design in der DDR
205:technical drawing
154:commercial artist
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607:. 19 March 2019
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581:. 17 March 2019
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1218:. Retrieved
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1184:. Retrieved
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1162:. Retrieved
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1136:. Retrieved
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1128:"Rabenauâ"¢"
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1110:. Retrieved
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1087:. Retrieved
1085:. p. 43
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56:(2019-03-16)
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781:Roger Melis
765:24 November
724:24 November
697:24 November
671:24 November
640:24 November
611:24 November
585:24 November
552:24 November
511:24 November
385:post office
327:Rudi Högner
265:the changes
253:the academy
181:East German
166:calligraphy
94:illustrator
83:Occupations
1281:Categories
474:References
391:depicting
315:Wochenpost
311:Wochenpost
1240:ignored (
1230:cite book
1083:Frankfurt
965:ignored (
955:cite book
906:0190-8286
501:Würdigung
370:"Sibylle*
299:"Sibylle*
225:Arno Mohr
201:schooling
99:Medallist
1264:HubPages
751:René Zey
667:, Berlin
434:Personal
353:(2006).
345:(1971),
341:(1968),
162:medalist
138:Children
130:2. Ruth
1079:Leipzig
605:Gransee
393:poultry
387:of the
197:Freital
193:Dresden
173:Leipzig
117:Spouses
66:Germany
44:Germany
36:Dresden
1211:
1081:&
936:
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507:, Köln
233:Berlin
62:Berlin
40:Saxony
450:Notes
397:dolls
372:and
293:Works
249:party
1249:link
1242:help
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1188:2021
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1140:2021
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1091:2021
1052:2021
1025:2021
999:2021
967:help
947:2021
934:ISBN
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902:ISSN
879:2021
850:2021
824:2021
797:2021
767:2021
726:2021
699:2021
673:2021
642:2021
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587:2021
554:2021
513:2021
412:Bach
383:the
335:1990
331:Mark
323:Mark
227:and
187:Life
123:1.
51:Died
29:Born
464:not
270:to
211:in
111:SED
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