2026: The Most Beautiful German Books

A book that invites exploration: In *Anti-Environments*, designer Luis Adrian Borchardt explores whether and to what extent the repurposing of...

A book that invites exploration: In *Anti-Environments*, designer Luis Adrian Borchardt explores whether and to what extent the repurposing of digital tools and alternative design processes hold new creative potential. A series of images documents the results of his investigations whilst also revealing the processes involved in working with unconventional tools. Designed entirely in Google Sheets – and thus by repurposing spreadsheet software – the book does not rely on a physical format to support its exploration, but instead pursues an open and democratic publication concept. This means the book can be printed directly from the web and distributed with minimal barriers to access. 

“A highly dynamic interplay of different coloured papers perfectly complements the character of the works on display,” noted the jury,...

“A highly dynamic interplay of different coloured papers perfectly complements the character of the works on display,” noted the jury, praising the exhibition catalogue’s formal coherence as well as its excellent typography, balanced layout and well-judged text-to-image ratio. In this way, the publication captivatingly captures Ashley Hans Scheirl’s vibrantly coloured works and vividly brings the artist’s wide-ranging body of work – from installations and videos to sculptures, drawings, writings and performances – to life for the viewer.

What remains when history has not been fully recorded? When documents are missing and memories are patchy? Against the backdrop...

What remains when history has not been fully recorded? When documents are missing and memories are patchy? Against the backdrop of the rise of far-right movements worldwide, this issue of HGB Magazine examines the role of the institution itself during the era of German National Socialism. The articles place current right-wing tendencies in historical contexts and trace the ideological patterns. These have been embedded within the research findings on the history of the HGB between 1933 and 1945.The design takes account of the fragmentary nature of historical evidence: the layout’s constant shifts in direction formally compel the reader to adopt new perspectives, whilst countless, sometimes overlapping, illustrations convey the complexity of the investigation. Each page surprises with its individuality and density, with variable black bars at the margins and within the text serving as a visual constant.

Germaine Krull was a photographer, war correspondent, hotel manager and, above all, a citizen of the world. Her artistic estate,...

Germaine Krull was a photographer, war correspondent, hotel manager and, above all, a citizen of the world. Her artistic estate, which is managed by the Museum Folkwang in Essen, comprises not only photographic works but also autobiographical and autofictional texts, feature articles, political reports and literary narratives dating from the late 1920s onwards. In an exhibition, the Museum Folkwang explored this literary output spanning all the eventful phases of Krull’s life. The accompanying publications, ‘Chien Fou’ – as Germaine Krull had been known since her student days in Munich – present selected texts by this extraordinary artist in three language editions.The colour scheme of the flap-bound booklets is just as eye-catching as the excellent embossing on the cover: “A highly successful series concept in which simply everything is just right: the choice of paper and binding, the printing and the choice of typeface – pure perfectionism,” enthused the jury. Thanks to the fine screen ruling, the monochrome and often small-format images in particular stand out superbly on the uncoated paper. The delicate interplay between text and image derives its tension from full-page and partial areas of colour.

Published to coincide with a major exhibition, the 784-page monograph *cyan – work 1990–2025* presents the work of the Berlin-based...

Published to coincide with a major exhibition, the 784-page monograph *cyan – work 1990–2025* presents the work of the Berlin-based graphic design studio of the same name in a rich visual presentation. The breadth of the multi-award-winning corporate identities, posters, books, magazines and websites testifies to an unmistakable design ethos, which the two founders, Daniela Haufe and Detlef Fiedler, are continually developing.Even the monograph’s vibrant flap cover captures the colourful diversity of the portfolio on textured uncoated paper. Combined with a striking coloured edge, this creates an impressive, sculptural presence. Inside, works from various genres follow one another at a brisk pace, with changes in paper stock providing tactile contrasts. Subtle details such as the carefully placed page references lend the generous layout additional interest, with the jury particularly impressed by the inclusion of the percentage reproduction scale.

With this book – which is substantial in the truest sense of the word – you can carry out many...

With this book – which is substantial in the truest sense of the word – you can carry out many small building and repair jobs yourself, and make good use of ‘whatever you have to hand’. Through charming illustrations and with a keen sense of linguistic nuance, Konrad Staisch introduces various materials and explains, for example, how to make handmade paper, cast candles or build a table. Last but not least, he highlights social solutions for a more sustainable future without being preachy. The result is a down-to-earth DIY book which, thanks to its design and witty language, is a real pleasure to read – even for those with no handyman skills.

On a glossy hardback cover, rendered in bold neon colours, a wandering cricket catches the eye. With this brilliant opening,...

On a glossy hardback cover, rendered in bold neon colours, a wandering cricket catches the eye. With this brilliant opening, comic artist and illustrator Anna Haifisch whisks us away into a world full of unusual perspectives, varied narrative styles and shifts in rhythm. At times, it is comic sequences that give the story its pace; at others, it is almost illustrative ‘hidden object’ scenes that offer a panoramic view of the setting. So it’s a real pleasure to follow a cricket that makes its home in an old violin and delights all the insects and mice in the neighbourhood with its playing at night. With plenty of visual humour – such as a glimpse into a ‘pumpkin bar’ where moths spend their evenings – an imaginative story unfolds, one that tells of solidarity in difficult times and, of course, has a happy ending in store. ‘The story is one to fall in love with,’ noted the jury. ‘The colour scheme is brilliant and the illustrations are absolutely compelling.’ There was also high praise for the harmonious choice of typeface – Axo Book by Abyme.

“A book to browse through,” enthused the judges as they took a closer look at *Ein recht großes Stück Himmel*....

“A book to browse through,” enthused the judges as they took a closer look at *Ein recht großes Stück Himmel*. Even the folded sheet used as a dust jacket is a charming detail that fits seamlessly into the holistic concept of this unpretentious artist’s book. As accessible and harmonious as the interplay between format, choice of typeface and typesetting is, the content is all the more challenging: after all, it is “an experiment in teaching the impossibility of understanding space”, as we learn in the afterword. Before that, one is only too happy to go with the flow, lingering over the observations and essays and immersing oneself in the accompanying photo spreads.

As part of a research project, this four-part series of small-format books explores the theme ‘Plunder and Glory: Looted Heritage...

As part of a research project, this four-part series of small-format books explores the theme ‘Plunder and Glory: Looted Heritage in Museums’. Each volume examines an exemplary object that, in the course of history, became part of what is known as the ‘Burgundian booty’ – works of art that, during the Burgundian Wars (1474–1477), were regarded by the Swiss Confederates and their allies as trophies of glorious victories. The authors shed light on four objects and their ambivalent, ever-changing significance throughout history.The artworks featured in each of the four volumes have been strikingly depicted as deeply embossed shadows on the covers. The elegant colour palette of the covers not only creates a clear distinction between them but also lends the series a high-quality character.

Just as radical and confrontational as VALIE EXPORT’s artistic work has always been, so too is this powerful retrospective. With...

Just as radical and confrontational as VALIE EXPORT’s artistic work has always been, so too is this powerful retrospective. With its full-page, all-caps typography, the black-and-white cover confronts the viewer with vehemence, inviting them to immerse themselves in the artist’s cinematic universe. VALIE EXPORT, who once cast off her father’s and husband’s names as an act of liberation, also explored questions of identity within this genre and from a feminist perspective. ‘The naked body is the message, transformation the goal, the affront the offer,’ reads the blurb, also set in oversized type. At the invitation of the editors, numerous female authors review individual works, contextualise them and reflect on their political potential.

In his tragicomic fairy tale *King Stag*, the playwright Carlo Gozzi recounted in 1762 the intrigues at the court of...

In his tragicomic fairy tale *King Stag*, the playwright Carlo Gozzi recounted in 1762 the intrigues at the court of King Deramo, as a result of which the king was temporarily transformed into a stag. Adapted numerous times in various art forms, a marionette play by René Morax and director Werner Wolff was created in 1918, amongst other things, for the Werkbund exhibition in Zurich. Sophie Taeuber-Arp created both the set design and the strikingly geometric figures for this Commedia dell’arte production, which are regarded as a milestone in object art.For the first time, the original German text of this ‘King-Stag’ adaptation can now be studied in a deeply evocative manner. Newly taken photographs of the seventeen iconic marionettes are presented here on fold-out pages in a style that is as opulent as it is vivid, whilst the text, set in a special silver ink, takes a graceful back seat. Multiple changes in paper stock structure the different levels of content and guide the reader intuitively through the picture sequence, the original text and the accompanying essays. The modern, equally varied typography, together with a delicately balanced layout, creates an excitingly choreographed rhythm – as if one were on stage oneself, as the jury noted.

Pixel is one robot among many, and whilst all the others are assembling, manufacturing or forecasting the weather, his job...

Pixel is one robot among many, and whilst all the others are assembling, manufacturing or forecasting the weather, his job is to paint. Suddenly, Pixel begins to enjoy his work – he swings his brush and loses himself in shapes and colours. When the control modules recapture him and assign him additional support, Pixel becomes the conductor of other painting robots. At the end of the day, not only can he marvel at many pictures, but he also encounters a strange creature who gives him a special mission.

Six years ago, Kashef Chowdhury began work on *Meditations in Entropy*, as he reveals on one of the book’s final...

Six years ago, Kashef Chowdhury began work on *Meditations in Entropy*, as he reveals on one of the book’s final pages. Shortly afterwards, the COVID-19 pandemic forced him to fundamentally rethink his project, as he told his publisher: “The last thing the world needs is yet another exhibition in print form dedicated to an architect.” The result is nonetheless a monograph which, as intended, “brings together the scent of earth with innovative Swiss design”.Since 1995, architect Kashef Chowdhury and his practice URBANA in Bangladesh have been tackling what are arguably the greatest challenges in his profession – he has realised cyclone-resistant structures, a hospital in an area threatened by rising sea levels, and bold designs in densely populated urban areas. No vanity here, but a focus on necessities, coupled with an empathetic understanding of society.

In fiction, the content is usually reflected visually on the cover, presenting the essence of the work or a key...

In fiction, the content is usually reflected visually on the cover, presenting the essence of the work or a key motif. In the case of *Oskar Fiala and the Principle of Least Action*, it is abstraction that atmospherically captures the power of Oswald Egger’s prose, confronting the reader with a diffuse feeling rather than a concrete clue. The moiré effect of the foil cover creates a dense pattern that appears to be constantly in motion, depending on the angle from which it is viewed. The interlocking squares can be interpreted as a symbol of Oskar Fiala’s restless life and dissociative identity disorder, whose story the author traces using an unusual approach.

The book as an object: With 720 pages and an exceptional tactile quality, this catalogue of PoD publications makes an...

The book as an object: With 720 pages and an exceptional tactile quality, this catalogue of PoD publications makes an impression simply through its physical presence. The finely ribbed softcover echoes the rigorous grid of the interior, thereby dividing both the dynamic colour gradient and the tone-on-tone printed title into two parts. A striking introduction to the exploration of the analogue-digital hybrids of a new subculture, in which book production is democratised, yet book design remains subject to platform-dependent constraints. Annette Gilbert and Andreas Bülhoff, together with guest authors, examined this form of publishing and meticulously mapped PoD books worldwide.

Kazuo Shinohara (1925–2006) is regarded as one of the most influential Japanese architects of the 20th century, who consistently combined...

Kazuo Shinohara (1925–2006) is regarded as one of the most influential Japanese architects of the 20th century, who consistently combined rigorous logic with traditional sensibility in his buildings. Now, one of his most important treatises has been published for the first time in English, presented with great subtlety: with an ‘outstanding text-and-image concept, a harmonious choice of colours and a calm, elegant layout’, *Residential Architecture* impressed the jury, who also praised the careful composition of the cover. On the cover, the author’s name and title appear, thanks to a subtle foil finish, as if they were strips of text from a labelling machine, and even to the touch they evoke the understated precision that characterises Kazuo Shinohara’s architecture.

A bibliophile’s treasure measuring 14.5 × 12.5 centimetres, which, with its poetic design, quickly wins the hearts of children and...

A bibliophile’s treasure measuring 14.5 × 12.5 centimetres, which, with its poetic design, quickly wins the hearts of children and adults alike: “Look, an elephant!” tells the story of a blue pachyderm who loves playing football. Unfortunately for him, his cage prevents him from playing a game with his fellow elephants. The author of the book now lends a helping hand and simply erases the bars to continue telling his story …Jakub Plachy’s childlike, abstract drawing of an elephant is already enchanting on the brown linen cover, where it appears as a rich embossed design in a special blue ink. This aesthetic colour contrast runs consistently through every page of the book and contributes to a calm narrative atmosphere. Embedded within this cohesive design, the heart-warming story is able to unfold to its fullest potential.

Cheeky games, squabbling with one another and making up time and again – a wonderfully quirky story in an unusual...

Cheeky games, squabbling with one another and making up time and again – a wonderfully quirky story in an unusual format: in *Schluss. Aus. Basta!”, captivating not only children with her distinctive style and vibrant colours. The jury, too, was thoroughly impressed by the “multi-layered illustrations, the contrast between negative space and richness, and the quirky overall concept”.In fast-paced scenes, the animal protagonists move through tall trees and, by extension, through the book’s narrow format, which perfectly complements the narrative. Concise lines of text in clear typography are precisely positioned beneath the illustrations, providing visual anchorage for the action. The illustrator masterfully maintains a clear and minimalist style, telling a great deal with just a few strokes. Fantastic details can also be discovered if you look closely: it’s hilariously funny how the three dogs quite literally give the squirrel lying on the ground, with its tail curled up, a proper run for its money. At the end of the story, the storyboard grid also features individual scenes that lovingly capture various shared moments between the animal friends as outline illustrations.

In a series of small-format, thread-bound booklets, the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation’s ‘Schools of Departure’ traces the history of experimental art...

In a series of small-format, thread-bound booklets, the Bauhaus Dessau Foundation’s ‘Schools of Departure’ traces the history of experimental art and design education in the 20th century and highlights its international networks and developments.Despite their narrow outer margin, the four publications in the series released to date are surprisingly easy to read, thanks in part to the clear typography with its well-balanced line spacing, as well as the careful ragged-edge typesetting. The jury also commended the appropriate choice of materials – a matt paper for the text block and a glossy variety for the cover.

How does one do justice to more than four decades of iconic lighting design in book form? The answer lies...

How does one do justice to more than four decades of iconic lighting design in book form? The answer lies in this 568-page catalogue raisonné, weighing over two kilograms, which combines depth of content with exceptional craftsmanship. Its sturdy, solid black cover, featuring lacquered vertical stripes that taper from left to right, not only plays thematically with the reflection of light but also conveys the sculptural quality that is characteristic of luminaires by the Rodgau-based manufacturer serien.lighting.