Neue Darmstädter Verlagsanstalt (NDV) is a German publishing house founded in Darmstadt in 1949 by Adolf Holzapfel, specializing in parliamentary and political reference works. The company began operations on May 16, 1949, and its best-known publication, the red-and-white striped “Kürschners Volkshandbuch Deutscher Bundestag,” was part of the program from the start. The publisher relocated to Rheinbreitbach near Bonn in the early 1970s and is now operated under the name Kürschners Politikkontakte by the third and fourth generations of the Holzapfel family. [1] [2]
Design and History
The visual identity of the Neue Darmstädter Verlagsanstalt is closely tied to its flagship product rather than a standalone corporate mark. The publisher’s official communications emphasize the “markant rot-weiß gestreifte Marke Kürschners” (the striking red-and-white striped Kürschner brand), which has stood for current and reliable information about politicians for over 130 years. [3] The red-white striped paperback design of the Volkshandbuch is described as the leading title of the publisher’s book program. [4]
While some logo databases attribute a 1949 mark for the Neue Darmstädter Verlagsanstalt to German graphic designer Helmut Lortz, this attribution could not be verified through primary or authoritative secondary sources. [5] Lortz, a Darmstadt-based graphic artist and member of the Neue Darmstädter Sezession, designed numerous book covers, posters, and signets during his career, including the well-known symbol for the Internationale Funkausstellung Berlin. [6] However, no reliable source confirms that he created a logo specifically for the NDV publishing house in 1949.
The publisher’s anniversary publication, “Schriftenverzeichnis 1949-2024,” released for the company’s 75th anniversary, documents the full production history and corporate development of the NDV from 1949 to the present. [7]
Meaning and Symbolism
The red-and-white striped design of the Kürschner Volkshandbuch functions as the publisher’s most recognizable visual element. The publisher describes this striped pattern as a defining characteristic of its brand, with the red-white edition covering the German Bundestag and additional color schemes used for other titles, such as blue-white for publications on the federal government. [2] The publisher states that the Kürschner brand has stood for over 130 years of reliable political information, positioning the striped design as a marker of continuity and authority in parliamentary reference publishing. [3]
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