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Polish poster art in post-war Germany

Jan Lenica, Wozzeck, 1964

Mediathek Sorted

Media library
  • ill. 1: Wojciech Fangor, Czarna Carmen (Carmen Jones), 1959  - One of the approximately 180 posters that could be seen in Munich in 1962: Wojciech Fangor, Czarna Carmen (Carmen Jones), 1959
  • ill. 2: Józef Mroszczak, Student żebrak(The begging student), 1961  - Also present at the Munich exhibition: Józef Mroszczak, Student żebrak (The begging student), 1961
  • ill. 3: Henryk Tomaszewski, Henry Moore, 1959  - A poster was also shown in Munich in 1962, which became one of the most famous examples of Polish poster art: Henryk Tomaszewski, Henry Moore, 1959
  • ill. 4: Cultural posters in Poland - Cultural posters were ubiquitous in Poland - at least this is how a Western audience was often suggested by two photographs from Józef Mroszczak, Polish poster art, Vienna and Düsseldorf 1962, without a poster.
  • ill. 5: Exhibitions of Polish poster art in the FRG 1964-1966, overview - Exhibitions of Polish poster art in the FRG 1964-1966, overview
  • ill. 6: View of the exhibition "Masterpieces of Polish Poster Art" - View of the exhibition "Masterpieces of Polish Poster Art". Exhibition "Masterpieces of Polish Poster Art", Darmstadt,  Henschel & Ropertz department store, October 1964
  • ill. 7: View of the exhibition "Masterpieces of Polish Poster Art" - Exhibition "Masterpieces of Polish Poster Art", Darmstadt, department store Henschel&Ropertz, October 1964
  • ill. 8: Henryk Tomaszewski, 22 Lipca (22. July), 1960  - Henryk Tomaszewski, 22 Lipca (22. July), 1960
  • ill. 9: Photo. V. Zamecznik, Józef Mroszczak - Photograph. V. Zamecznik, Józef Mroszczak, 1962
  • ill. 10: Józef Mroszczak, Don Carlos, 1963  - Józef Mroszczak, Don Carlos, 1963
  • ill. 11: Photo. W. Zamecznik, Roman Cieślewicz, 1962  - Photograph. W. Zamecznik, Roman Cieślewicz, 1962
  • ill. 12: Roman Cieślewicz, Zawrót głowy (Vertigo), 1963  - Roman Cieślewicz, Zawrót głowy (Vertigo), 1963
  • ill. 13: Jan Lenica, 1962 - Jan Lenica, 1962
  • ill. 14: Jan Lenica, Wozzeck, 1964  - Jan Lenica, Wozzeck, 1964 

  • ill. 15: Jan Lenica, Faust, 1964  - Jan Lenica, Faust, 1964
  • ill. 16: Jan Lenica, Othello, 1968  - Jan Lenica, Othello, 1968
  • ill. 17: Jan Lenica, Olympic Games Munich 1972  - Jan Lenica, Olympic Games Munich 1972
  • ill. 18: Monthly Bulletin Poland, edition FRG, 1961, no. 12 - Monthly Bulletin Poland, edition FRG, 1961, no. 12
  • ill. 19: Franciszek Starowieyski, Gombrowicz: Operetka, 1977  - Franciszek Starowieyski, Gombrowicz: Operetka, 1977
  • ill. 20: Franciszek Starowieyski, Samuel Zborowskii, J. Słowacki, 1980 - Franciszek Starowieyski, Samuel Zborowskii, J. Słowacki, 1980
  • ill. 21: A postage stamp for the United Nations International Year of Peace 1986  - Deutsche Bundespost, a postage stamp for the United Nations International Year of Peace 1986, design Jan Lenica
  • ill. 22: Tomasz Sarnecki, Solidarność - Tomasz Sarnecki, Solidarność. W samo poludnie (Solidarność. Twelve o' clock noon), 1989
  • ill. 23: Magazine "Jenseits der Oder" ("Beyond the Oder")  - The magazine "Jenseits der Oder" was published by the German Society for Cultural and Eco-nomic Exchange with Poland. Given the background of the Bonn border reservation, the maga-zine's title was a political provocation.
  • ill. 24: Jan Lenica, Wizyta starszej pani (The Visit), 1958  - Jan Lenica, Wizyta starszej pani (The Visit), 1958
  • ill. 25: Leszek Hołdanowicz, Pasażerka, 1963 - Leszek Hołdanowicz, Pasażerka, 1963
  • ill. 26: Leszek Hołdanowicz, Bariera, 1966 - Leszek Hołdanowicz, Bariera, 1966
  • ill. 27: First International Poster Biennale Warsaw, 1966  - First International Poster Biennale Warsaw, 1966
Jan Lenica, Wozzeck, 1964
Jan Lenica, Wozzeck, 1964

These hymns of praise for Polish poster art are also remarkable from the point of view of historiography because they clearly invite us to revise a cliché of reception history. Prior to 1990 reviewers in the West were generally considered to have always treated art from Central and Eastern Europe with ignorance, arrogance, at best with paternalistic patronage, and to have viewed their avant-garde styles, if at all, as merely epigonal copies of Western currents. When it came to reviewing Polish poster art, especially in the 1960s, the opposite was decidedly the case. This was the art form that set recognized standards in the West and was warmly praised as a shining example for its own graphic artists. For example, Erich Pfeiffer-Belli wrote, “One could blush with shame," when comparing the "graphic poverty" of some West German posters with their Polish counterparts. And he strongly recommended that "German graphic designers take a close look at these works, not in order to copy them, but to be encouraged to experiment."[4]

The popular educational value of Polish poster art was also repeatedly emphasized not only on the Polish side, but also in West Germany. As art in public spaces, it was regarded as an educator of the people, so to speak. Indeed, a number of West German art critics and art educators were somewhat envious of Poland, where good taste could literally be learnt on the streets, on advertising columns and house walls. It was probably a gross overestimation of this particular medium, but that remains to be seen. (Fig. 4)  

[4] Pfeiffer-Belli, SZ, 27.03.1962, p. 12. To be fair it must be added that thanks to people like, for example, Hans Hillmann, West German poster art was not as badly covered as Pfeiffer-Belli suggests.