''Form und Zweck'' (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

: ''Form and Purpose'') was an East German magazine which featured articles on

design A design is a plan or specification for the construction of an object or system or for the implementation of an activity or process or the result of that plan or specification in the form of a prototype, product, or process. The verb ''to design'' ...

. The magazine was official journal of the

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

. It existed between 1956 and 2008.

History and profile

Started in 1956 ''Form und Zweck'' was published by the Institute for Applied Art. Its foundation was an indicator of the change in the East Germany's cultural policy. Because in the early days of the state housing architecture and city planning were emphasized as the preferred sites of socialist

cultural identity Cultural identity is a part of a person's identity, or their self-conception and self-perception, and is related to nationality, ethnicity, religion, social class, generation, locality or any kind of social group that has its own distinct cultur ...

. However, from the mid-1950s its cultural policy became focused on commodities and domestic spaces. The headquarters of the magazine was in

East Berlin East Berlin was the ''de facto'' capital city of East Germany from 1949 to 1990. Formally, it was the Allied occupation zones in Germany, Soviet sector of Berlin, established in 1945. The American, British, and French sectors were known as ...

. Its target audience was professional designers and those who were interested in design. ''Form und Zweck'' covered articles on design-related topics. It reflected official preference of the state over the development of

form Form is the shape, visual appearance, or configuration of an object. In a wider sense, the form is the way something happens. Form also refers to: *Form (document), a document (printed or electronic) with spaces in which to write or enter data ...

and design in the country. For instance, the magazine reinforced the use of

plastic goods Plastics are a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic materials that use polymers as a main ingredient. Their plasticity makes it possible for plastics to be moulded, extruded or pressed into solid objects of various shapes. This adaptabil ...

in line with the policies of the state. One of the editors-in-chief was Hein Köster, who was fired from the post in 1983 following his article about a fictitious museum in Prenzlauerberg. Due to the fact that the content of the magazine was less checked by the authorities Köster managed to publish critical articles and to cover writings by architectural critics such as Lothar Kühne or Karl-Heinz Hüter. Günter Höhne was the last editor-in-chief of the magazine. Hans Aust was among its contributors. ''Form und Zweck'' ceased publication in 2008.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Form und Zweck 1956 establishments in East Germany 2008 disestablishments in Germany Defunct magazines published in Germany Design magazines Former state media German-language magazines Lifestyle magazines Magazines established in 1956 Magazines disestablished in 2008 Magazines published in Berlin Mass media in East Germany Socialist magazines

History and profile

See also

References

External links