Hermann Zapf
| Hermann Zapf | |
|---|---|
Zapf in May 2007
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| Born |
November 8, 1918 Nuremberg, German Empire |
| Died | June 4, 2015 (aged 96) Darmstadt, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation | type designer |
| Known for | Aldus, Palatino, Optima, Zapfino |
| Spouse(s) | Gudrun Zapf von Hesse |
| Children | One son, Christian |
Hermann Zapf (German: [tsapf]; November 8, 1918 – June 4, 2015) was a German typeface designer and calligrapher who lived in Darmstadt, Germany. He was married to the calligrapher and typeface designer Gudrun Zapf von Hesse. Typefaces he designed include Palatino, Optima and Zapfino.
Zapf was born in Nuremberg during turbulent times marked by the German Revolution of 1918–1919 in Munich and Berlin, the end of World War I, the exile of Kaiser Wilhelm, and the establishment of Bavaria as a free state by Kurt Eisner. In addition, the Spanish flu pandemic took hold in Europe in 1918 and 1919. Two of Zapf's siblings died of the disease.Famine later struck Germany, and Zapf's mother was grateful to send him to school in 1925, where he received daily meals in a program organized by Herbert Hoover. In school, Zapf was mainly interested in technical subjects. One of his favorite books was the annual science journal Das neue Universum ("The New Universe"). He and his older brother experimented with electricity, building a crystal radio and an alarm system for his house. Even at this early age, Zapf was already getting involved with type, inventing cipher alphabets to exchange secret messages with his brother.
Zapf left school in 1933 with the ambition of pursuing a career in electrical engineering. However, his father had become unemployed and was in trouble with the newly established Third Reich, having been involved with trade unions, and was sent to the Dachau concentration camp for a short time.
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