josef chladek

on photobooks and books

Georg Schwarz - Kohlenpott , Büchergilde Gutenberg, 1931, Berlin

Hardcover, cloth bound, design an typography by Heinrich Schulze (Kunstgewerbe- und Handwerkerschule Berlin Ost) with Gerhard Kutzebach and Adolf Pohl. Images by A.& E. Frankl, Erich Grisar, Anneliese Kretschmer, Renger-Patzsch, Dt. Luft-Hansa and others.

"kohlenpott – ein buch von der ruhr" is definitely a book about and for the working classes. it is about the coal miner's community in germany’s huge industrial area around dortmund and the river ruhr. we hear about the life and hardships of the workers and their families, written in a witty reportage style with a socialist vein. ...

"kohlenpott" is an impressive example of a design that successfully breaks with the traditional idea of an "elegant" book. it was among the 1932 winners of germany's prestigious "50 most beautiful books" design award.

after the nazis came to power in 1933, 30 büchergilde editions were blacklisted and confiscated, "kohlenpott" among them. in may of the same year, the büchergilde in berlin came under nazi control. bruno dressler, the book club's founder and director, was sacked and jailed for a month. he was able to leave for switzerland where he became manager of the newly founded nazi-independant swiss büchergilde in zürich. (felix wiedler)

Pages: 207
Place: Berlin
Year: 1931
Publisher: Büchergilde Gutenberg
Size: 17 x 24 cm (approx.)