Hans Leistikow

Biography

Born 4 May 1892 in Elbing. First interested in painting. 1907-13: studied at Breslau Akademie under Hans Poelzig. 1921-5: had advertising studio in Breslau. 1928: founding member of the ring ‘neue werbegestalter’ (circle of modern advertising designers). From 1926: head of the graphics department, Hochbauamt, Frankfurt a.M., designing for the municipality. 1945-7: worked in planning department, City of Berlin. 1948-59: head of the applied art department, Werkakademie, Kassel. Designed mosaics for the Westend Synagog, Frankfurt a.M. 1952: designed German exhibition at Lisbon International Exhibition. Died 22 March 1962 in Frankfurt a.M. His sister Grete (1893-?) was a well-known photographer.

Writings about

  • Die Form, 1928, pp. 220-21 (stationery for Frankfurt a.M.)
    • ‘Die neue Umschlag unserer Zeitschrift’, Die Form, 1928, v. 13, pp. 368-72
  • Heinz and Bodo Rasch, Gefesselter Blick, Stuttgart: Zaugg, 1930, pp. 61-3 (repr. Baden, Switzerland: Müller, 1996)
  • Volker Rattemeyer, Dietrich Helms and others, Ring ‘neue werbegestalter’. Amsterdamer Ausstellung von 1931 (additional on title page: ‘“Typographie kann unter Umständen Kunst sein”’) (exh. cat.), Wiesbaden: Museum Wiesbaden, 1990
  • JA, 2000, esp. pp. 156-62
  • Christopher Wilk (ed.), Modernism, London: V&A, 2006 (h/b, p/b).
    • Max Kolpe, ‘Hans Leistikow’, Gebrauchsgraphik (International Advertising Art), Berlin: Phönix Illustrationsdruck und Verlag GmbH (later: ‘Gebrauchsgraphik’ Druck und Verlag GmbH), 1933-71. Published from Munich from 1950., 1929, v. 10, pp. 23-31

Exhibitions

  • Landesmuseum, Kassel, 1948.