Walter Schiller

Biography

Born 18 March 1920 in Hamburg. From 1938: worked in a design studio. To December 1939: studied at the Akademie der bildenden Künste, Vienna. From 1940: military service, ending (1945?) in a prisoner-of-war camp. 1947-51: studied typography under Oskar Zech at the newly re-opened Leipzig Kunsthochschule (later: Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst [HGB]). From 1953: research assistant at the HGB; began to design books at the school. Designed typographic ornaments for the typefoundry Ludwig Wagner KG, Leipzig. From 1955: assistant to Albert Kapr, head of the newly-founded Institut für Buchgestaltung (book design) at the HGB. From 1958: lecturer, and director of Typography department at the HGB (1964: professor). 1968-73: director of the book design department, HGB. 1977: Chairman, Internationale Buchkunst-Ausstellung, Leipzig. 1981-5: director of the Institut für Buchgestaltung, HGB. He was one of the most influential designers in East Germany. Schiller won international prizes for his book design work including first prize in the Moscow book exhibition celebrating the centenary of Lenin’s birth, and a gold medal at the Leipzig International Book Exhibition in 1971.

Writings by

    ‘Oskar Zech zum 75.Geburtstag’, Papier und Druck, Allg. Teil 15 (1966) 9, p. 72 ‘Wirkungsmöglichkeiten der Typografie’, Papier und Druck, Druckformenherstellung 20 (1971) 6, p. 81 ‘Eng verbunden mit den Forderungen der Zeit’ (student work of the HGB), Bildende Kunst, 1971, 2, pp. 93-9
  • Gestalt und Funktion der Typografie (with Albert Kapr), Leipzig: VEB Fachbuchverlag, 1977, 1981
    • ‘Bücher, gestaltet von Studenten der Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig’, Marginalien, 1984/1, pp. 1-15.

Writings about

  • Anneliese Hübscher, ‘Gedanken zur Buchkunst in der DDR’, Bildende Kunst, 1969, pp. 378-81
    • Walter Bergner, ‘Buchkunst und Typografie bei Walter Schiller’, Marginalien, v. 45, 1972, pp. 5-15 Franz Hermann Wills, ‘East German graphic design’, Graphis 183, 1976, pp. 70-79
  • Walter Schiller (exh. cat.), Lindenau: Staatliches Lindenau-Museum, 1985 (inc. bibliography)
    • A. Hübscher, ‘Walter Schiller und die Geschichte der Leipziger Akademie für Grafik und Buchkunst’, Aus dem Antiquariat, 1991, 3, pp. A101-6 Michael Reiter, ‘Lebendige Lettern in der Fächerstadt: Ausstellung zu Walter Schillers Typographie’, Aus dem Antiquariat, 1991, 3, pp. A106-8 Gert Wunderlich, ‘Gruss an Walter Schiller’, Marginalien, 1995/3, pp. 8-11.

Exhibitions

  • Internationale Ausstellungspavillon, Berlin, 1969 (group)
  • Staatliches Lindenau-Museum, Lindenau, 1985
  • Neubau der Badischen Landesbibliothek, Karlsruhe, 1991.