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Heiner Jacob
221
Heiner Jacob
225
HJG Ulm: A Personal View
IO
Ulm as a pioneer
In many respects, the Ulm School of Design was
ahead of its time. For instance: the designing of
systems led to programmed design which, in turn,
laid the foundations of computer-aided design. But
this happened long before the Ulm students had
access to computers which, at that time were station
ary, bulky, and impractical to operate, let alone
purchase. No one could then have foreseen the
advent of the PC, nor imagined that many students
would be able to afford them.
Another area which Ulm pioneered was the use
of sandwich materials (i.e. the use of synthetics
in connection with traditional materials). And yet
another area in which designs were made before
industry was ready for them, was that of industrial
ized (i.e. pre-fabricated) building.
In visual communication the concept of corporate
identity was pioneered as a serious subject for study.
Aicher's commission for the corporate identity of
West Germany's national airline, Lufthansa, pro
vided an influential example for others to follow.
Ulm's impact on education
The Ulm School pioneered the idea of functionalism
in post-war Germany, and in this, to some extent,
it succeeded. But what matters most, historically
speaking, is not so much the products those associ
ated with the School helped create and the limited
impact these had in the marketplace but rather the
fact that Ulm designers today hold key positions in
industry and act as role models in education.
The limitations of Ulm's concept of functionalism
The Ulm concept of functionalism originated in the
late 94os, at a time of need, in the austerity of a
Germany which had to be rebuilt both physically
and philosophically. Doing more with less was the
keynote of the entire era. By the time the School got
under way, the economic. situation had already
begun to change. The mid-195os brought an age of
prosperity. Industry boomed, and all of a sudden the
market was over-supplied and competitive. With
the so-called era of the 'Economic Miracle' came
conspicuous consumption. The older generation,
after years of deprivation, wanted to enjoy the fruits
of their work at last; what they wanted was comfort,
pleasure, and a little luxury on the side. Yet, in the
face of this, Ulm's philosophy of functionalism
227
Notes
This is a slightly edited transcript of a talk given at the
symposium 'Product Design in Post-War Germany: The
Nierentisch, the Ulm School and the Avant-garde reaction',
organized by the Art and Politics in Germany Study Group, at
the Goethe Institute, London, in March 1988.
1 See Appendix 1 for a list of Rectors of the school from its
foundation to its closure.
2 For an illustration of Egon Eiermann's SE18 folding chair,
designed in 1952, see Mobel die Geschichte machen:
Moderne Klassiker, Verlag Gruner & Jahr, Hamburg, p. 9.
3 See Fig. 9. For another illustration see de Jong, H. (ed.),
Stoelen/Chairs/Chaises/Stuhlen/Sedi, Delft TH, n.d., p. 02-08.
The 'Bill Stool' was made of three jointed boards, reinforced
by a rod.
4 Besides the 'Bill Stool', objects in use in the School designed
by students and staff included the following : lighting
fixtures (Walter Zeischegg); door handles (Max Bill; Enl.st
Moeck!); dormitory bed (Hans Gugelot); kitchen sinks
(Max Bill and Walter Zeischegg); carousel projectors (Hans
'Nick' Roericht ).
5 See Robin Kinross's review article in this issue for
publication details.
References
K. Frampton, 'Apropos Ulm: Curriculum and Critical Theory',
Oppositions, 3, 1974.
Uppercase, 5 (special issue), 1963; ed. Theo Crosby; authors
include Bonsiepe and Maldonado.
H. Lindinger (ed.), Ulm: die Moral der Gegenstande (catalogue and
first comprehensive documentation of an exhibition shown at
the Bauhaus Archive, Berlin and the Centre Pompidou, Paris)
Wilhelm Ernst & Sohn, Berlin, 1987.
'hfg ulm- ein riickblick' (a retrospective), Archithese, 15, 1975;
authors include Claude Schnaidt, Otl Aicher, Herbert Ohl,
Kenneth Frampton.
B. Riibenach, der rechte winkel von ulm (script of a radio
feature; a report on the Hochschule fiir Gestaltung, with a
postscript by Bernd Meurer), Verlag Georg Buchner, Darmstadt,
1987.
ulm, journal of the Ulm School of Design. 21 volumes, in
English and German, published by the HfG between 1958 and
1968. output, journal of the students of the HfG Ulm. 22
volumes, in German only, 1961-4.
HJG-Synopse published by N. H. Roericht, Ulm, 1988.
APPENDIX
1954-68
1954 Bill
1955 Bill
1956 Bill
1957 Bill
1958 Aicher, Gugelot, Maldonado
1959 Aicher, Kesting, Maldonado
1960 Kalow, Rittel, Vordemberge-Gildewart
Heiner Jacob
Rittel, Vordemberge-Gildewart
1962 Ohl, Maldonado
Rittel, Vordemberge-Gildewart
1963 Aicher
APPENDIX
1964 Maldonado
1965 Maldonado
1966 Ohl
1967 Ohl
1968 Ohl
Ministry of
Culture
Baden-W.
1957/58
1958/59
180,000
180,000
1959/60
180,000
1960/61
1961
1962
City of
Ulm
Own
revenue
Total
budget
312,000
642,000
75,000
90,000
75,000
64,000
405,000
739,000
100,000
170,000
61,000
516,000
1,027,000
180,000
125,000
150,000
62,000
671,000
1,188,000
250,000
130,000
152,000
61,000
1,030,000
500,000
300,000
95,000
437,000
602,000
1963
600,000
269,550
150,000
950,000
1,970,252
1964
600,000
246,000
200,000
636,240
1,682,240
1965
600,000
200,000
200,000
339,654
1,339,654
1966
900,000
200,000
200,000
649,778
1,949,778
1967
900,000
200,000
n.a.
1,497,000
APPENDIX
13
facilities
234
Heiner Jacob