The Industrie und Handelskammer (IHK) system is the umbrella network of German chambers of industry and commerce, represented at the national level by the Deutsche Industrie- und Handelskammer (DIHK). The DIHK acts as the umbrella organization for the 79 regional IHKs and the worldwide network of German Chambers of Commerce Abroad, representing the interests of more than three million companies in Germany.[1]
Design and History
The mark associated with the IHK system was designed by Rolf Müller in 1979.[2] Müller was a German graphic designer who studied at the Hochschule für Gestaltung in Ulm and apprenticed with Josef Müller-Brockmann. From 1967 to 1972 he worked with Otl Aicher on the visual identity of the Munich Olympic Games, and in parallel established his own design firm, Büro Rolf Müller, in Munich.[3] The IHK logo was one of a selection of logos and wordmarks created by Müller and his staff between the early 1970s and late 1990s, most of which were developed as part of a self-contained corporate design.[4]
The logo is a logotype built around the initials “IH,” incorporating geometric elements such as parts of a square and arrows.[2]
Meaning and Symbolism
In April 2024, the DIHK temporarily altered its logo as a statement against right-wing extremism. The logo was reduced by 27 percent and supplemented with the phrase “27 Prozent von uns” (“27 percent of us”), reflecting the share of people with a migration background among all employed persons in Germany.[5] The campaign ran from Easter 2024 until October 8, 2024, when the organization reverted its visual appearance to normal.[6]
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