The Württembergische Bibelanstalt, a Stuttgart-based Bible publisher founded in 1812, adopted a modern geometric mark in 1955 designed by German graphic designer Anton Stankowski (1906-1998). The publisher’s program was later continued by the German Bible Society (Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft), founded in 1981.[1]
Design and History
Stankowski created the logo for the Württembergische Bibelanstalt in 1955, working through his Grafische Atelier studio.[2] The mark is documented as an abstract composition built from concentric circles and holding shapes.[2]
The Kunstmuseum Gelsenkirchen holds a silkscreen print of the design, catalogued as “Verlag Württembergische Bibelanstalt 1937-1952” and dated 1937-1955, measuring 40.2 x 40.2 cm.[3] A later colour silkscreen edition of the same motif was produced in 1974, in an edition of 150 signed and numbered copies.[4]
Earlier in the publisher’s history, a different emblem was in use. Around the 1912 jubilee of the Bibelanstalt, decorative endpapers featured the letters P W B S in the corners of a cross, surrounded by the motto “Gottes Wort bleibet in Ewigkeit” (God’s word remains in eternity). This cross-and-motto device later became one of the firm’s trademarks alongside others.[5]
Meaning and Symbolism
Documented descriptions of the 1955 Stankowski mark identify it as an abstract logo using concentric circles and holding shapes.[2] No primary source confirms the often-repeated interpretation that the mark simultaneously depicts a cross and an open book. The visual reading of the mark as a cross-and-book combination remains an interpretation rather than a documented design intention.
Typography and Design
Stankowski was known for his constructivist approach to graphic design, and the Bibelanstalt mark reflects his characteristic use of precise geometric forms. The design was reproduced as a silkscreen print, a medium Stankowski frequently employed for presenting his logo designs as standalone artworks.[3][4]
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