Hans Rudi Erdt (31 March 1883 – 24 May 1918) was a

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 **Ge ...

lithographer Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

and commercial artist known for his contributions to the

Sachplakat Plakatstil (German for "poster style"), also known as ''Sachplakat'', was an early style of poster art that originated in Germany in the 1900s. It was started by Lucian Bernhard of Berlin in 1906. The common characteristics of this style are bold e ...

movement created by

Lucian Bernhard Lucian Bernhard (March 15, 1883 – May 29, 1972) was a German graphic designer, type designer, professor, interior designer, and artist during the first half of the twentieth century. Career He was influential in helping create the design ...

. His work at the prestigious '' Hollerbaum und Schmidt'' art printing company along with Edmund Edel, Hans Lindenstadt, Julius Klinger, Julius Gipkens, Paul Scheurich and Karl Schulpig make him one of the most important representatives of German poster art between 1906 and 1918.Eskilson, p. 112 Erdt has also been recognized for his innovative use of

typography Typography is the art and technique of arranging type to make written language legible, readable and appealing when displayed. The arrangement of type involves selecting typefaces, point sizes, line lengths, line-spacing ( leading), ...

in posters.

Life and work

Born in

Benediktbeuern Benediktbeuern (Central Bavarian: ''Benediktbeiern'') is a municipality in the district of Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen in Bavaria, Germany, 2 kilometers, or 1.25 miles from Bichl. The village has 3,602 residents as of 31 December 2019. The medieval ...

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...

, he trained as a lithographer and became a student of Maximilian Dasio at the Munich School of Applied Arts. He joined ''Hollerbaum und Schmidt'' around 1908, becoming part of the "Berlin School", where he created what is considered one of the most enduring examples of ''Sachplakat'', an advertisement for the nascent racing division of the Opel car manufacturer. During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

he created propaganda posters for the German State Film Committee, as well as promotional posters for propaganda films, some of which, like ''U Boote Heraus!'' became quite famous at the time. His advertising work varied, from

Nivea Nivea (, stylized as NIVEA) is a German personal care brand that specializes in skin and body care. It is owned by the Hamburg-based company Beiersdorf Global AG. The company was founded on 28 March 1882, by Paul Carl Beiersdorf. In 1890, it w ...

to illustrated weekly newspapers such as ''

Die Woche ''Die Woche'' (, "The Week") was an illustrated weekly newspaper published in Berlin from 1899 to 1944. It reported on popular entertainment, including "sensationalist crime stories", and covered celebrities in sports and show business. Its publish ...

'', tourism and travel events and tobacco companies such as Batschari, Manoli and .Aynsley, p. 81 Erdt died in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, i ...

at the age of 35.

Gallery

Image:Reichs-Bücherwoche - Kauft Scherl-Bücher - Hans Rudi Erdt.jpg, ''Reichs-Bücherwoche'', ca. 1915. Image:Hans Rudi Erdt - Engelhardt, 1915.jpg, ''Engelhardt Cigarettes'', 1915 Image:Erdt Illu1914 Batschari.jpg, ''Batschari Mercedes Cigarettes'', 1914 Image:Erdt - Batschari1 Jugend 1914.jpg, ''Batschari Jugend'', 1914 Image:Hans Rudi Erdt 1913 Druck Hollerbaum & Schmidt Berlin Berliner Börsenkurier.jpg, ''Den Berliner Börsen-Courier'', 1913 Image:Hans Rudi Erdt - Munchener Kindl Keller - 1913.jpg, ''Münchner Kindl Keller'', 1913 Image:Hans Rudi Erdt -Problem Cigarettes, 1912.jpg, ', 1912 Image:Hans Rudi Erdt - Never Fail.jpg, ''Never fail'', 1911 Image:Hans Rudi Erdt - Manoli - 1911.jpg, '' Manoli'', 1911 File:Manoli Plakat 1910.jpg, Manoli, 1910 Image:Erdt Hans Rudi Moslem.jpg, ''Moslem Cigarettes'', 1908 Image:Hans Rudi Erdt - Maxim Bar - 1907.jpg, ''Maxim Bar'', 1907 Image:Hans Rudi Erdt 1907 - Herkomer Race Poster, 1907.jpg, ''Herkomer Race'', 1907

World War I film propaganda posters

Image:Hell fight at the aisne river.jpg, ''Hell fight on the Aisne River'' Image:Paul von Hindenbrug WWI poster 2.jpg, ''The Great Battle in France'' Image:Hans Rudi Erdt - U-Boote Heraus!.jpg, ''U Boote Heraus!'' Image:Hans Rudi Erdt - Der Frieden mit der Ukraine.jpg, ''Der Frieden mit der Ukraine'', 1918 Image:Hans Rudi Erdt - Bei Unseren Blaujacken 1917.jpg, ''Bei Unseren Blaujacken'', 1917

Notes

Bibliography

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External links

Ausstellungskatalog DHM: Kunst! Kommerz! Visionen!
- Exhibition website (in German)
World Catalog publications

Erdt, Hans Rudi
Digitized poster collection at the

Library of Congress The Library of Congress (LOC) is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the ''de facto'' national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country. The library ...