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Design Made in Germany

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History of Design and Design Law

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Abstract

The ‘Made in Germany’ brand is synonymous with high quality and innovative design. However, this was not always the case. This chapter traces the history of design in Germany, from its beginnings in the late nineteenth century through to the excellent international reputation it enjoys today. This history includes a number of famous design schools, organizations and movements that revolutionized design across the world. Germany has also produced a remarkable number of design superstars and iconic designs—from furniture, automobiles and household appliances, through to corporate, typeface and environmental design. However, the importance of the individual designer and national design appears to be fading. Germany—like other countries around the world—is again witnessing a fundamental shift in what constitutes ‘design’ and how designers work to deliver important social, cultural and economic change.

Professor Michael Erlhoff passed away on 1 May 2021. This abstract was prepared by the Editors.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Payn (1888), p. 62.

  2. 2.

    Ewing (2014).

  3. 3.

    Muthesius (1979 [1904]).

  4. 4.

    Campbell (1978); Hass (2015).

  5. 5.

    Chrusciel (2014).

  6. 6.

    Buddensieg et al. (1993).

  7. 7.

    Bauhaus Archiv and Droste (2019); Ravenscroft (2019); Hollaender and Wiedemeyer (2019).

  8. 8.

    Nerdinger (2019).

  9. 9.

    Sarkowicz (2004).

  10. 10.

    Nerdinger (2019).

  11. 11.

    Reich (1990).

  12. 12.

    Moraglio (2017).

  13. 13.

    Tymkiw (2018).

  14. 14.

    Nerdinger (1999).

  15. 15.

    Sachsse (2006), pp. 147–201; Koop (2002).

  16. 16.

    First published in German in Neufert (1936), updated by Professor Johannes Kister on behalf of the Neufert Foundation and translated by David Sturge: Neufert and Neufert (2012).

  17. 17.

    Welch (1993).

  18. 18.

    Rat für Formgebung [German Design Council] (2020).

  19. 19.

    Seeger et al. (1961).

  20. 20.

    Lindinger (1991).

  21. 21.

    Müller (2014).

  22. 22.

    Spitz (2002).

  23. 23.

    Brandes (1990).

  24. 24.

    Werner (2014).

  25. 25.

    Lovell (2011).

  26. 26.

    Brandes (1999).

  27. 27.

    Olivares (2016).

  28. 28.

    Brandes (1998).

  29. 29.

    Esslinger (2013).

  30. 30.

    Vegesack and Eisenbrand (2003).

  31. 31.

    Dessecker and Koschembar (2008).

  32. 32.

    Dessecker and Koschembar (2008).

  33. 33.

    Brandes (1996); Weidemann (2000).

  34. 34.

    Erler (2014).

  35. 35.

    Spiekermann (2013).

  36. 36.

    Spiekermann and Middendorp (2006).

  37. 37.

    Miller et al. (2009); Walker (2006).

  38. 38.

    Boehnert (2018).

  39. 39.

    Mitchell et al. (2010).

  40. 40.

    Molineri (2015).

  41. 41.

    Buck (1999).

  42. 42.

    Albus and Borngräber (1989).

  43. 43.

    Albus et al. (1986).

  44. 44.

    Hauffe (1994).

  45. 45.

    Brandolini (1990).

  46. 46.

    Hesse (2020).

  47. 47.

    Schneckenburger (1987).

  48. 48.

    Nollert and Sammlung (2015).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Braunschweig University of Art/HBK, Braunschweig, Germany

    Michael Erlhoff

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  1. Michael Erlhoff
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  1. Faculty of Design, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan

    Tsukasa Aso

  2. School of Law, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

    Christoph Rademacher

  3. Research Center for the Legal System of Intellectual Property, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan

    Jonathan Dobinson

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Erlhoff, M. (2022). Design Made in Germany. In: Aso, T., Rademacher, C., Dobinson, J. (eds) History of Design and Design Law. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8782-2_11

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-16-8782-2_11

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