While researching in the university archive of Burg Giebichenstein (Halle, Saale, DE) for his master studies, the designer Markus Lange came across the fantastic typographic poster artwork of Karl-Heinz Drescher (* October 7, 1936 in Quirl; † May 19, 2011 in Berlin), a graphic artist, who studied from 1955 to 1960 in the former GDR at the same school (formerly known as Hochschule für industrielle Formgestaltung). In the 100-year history of the university Drescher’s name was rather unknown and nobody knew anything about him. In a 1-year research Markus Lange got in touch with Drescher’s family, and conducted various interviews with companions and friends to get to know more about this talented designer.

Lange found out, that Drescher joined the Berliner Ensemble in 1962, the theater founded by Berthold Brecht for which he worked as a graphic designer for almost 40 years under the direction of Brecht’s wife Helene Weigel. In addition to his work at this house, Drescher also worked for other organizers, museums, galleries, and theaters, amongst others the Akademie der Künste der DDR, the Maxim-Gorki-Theater, and the Deutsche Staatsoper in Berlin. His catalog of works today comprises over 400 posters, about one third printed with letterpress.

The result is the publication “Karl-Heinz Drescher—Berlin Typo Posters, Texts, and Interviews.” For the first time, the book summarizes most of Drescher’s (typographic) posters in one comprehensive volume and contains texts and interviews by various authors such as Dr. Friedrich Diekmann, Dr. Sylke Wunderlich, Helmut Brade, Niklaus Troxler, Gerd Fleischmann, Jamie Murphy, Erik Spiekermann, Ferdinand Ulrich, Götz Gramlich, Peter Kammerer, Vera Tenschert, Cesarina and Alessandro Drescher. “Karl-Heinz Drescher—Berlin Typo Posters, Texts, and Interviews” serves as a review of the life of an extraordinary theater graphic designer but also as an inspiration for the here and now.