O.H.W. Hadank, Germany

AGI member since 1955

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In 1907, Oskar Hermann Werner started his studies at the Unterrichtsanstalt des Kunstgewerbemuseums in Berlin. He was not only a graphic designer but also a painter. Between 1912–17 he worked for publishers such as Cotta, Phönix-Druck, Scherl and Ullstein. In 1919 he co-founded the Bund der Deutschen Gebrauchsgrafi ker (BDG). He was professor of commercial art at the Hochschule für Freie und Angewandte Kunst in Berlin (1919–49). Hadank was well known, not only in Europe but also in the US, as a pioneering packaging designer, especially for the cigarette company Haus Neuerburg, and also for his own brand of cigarettes marked HDK. In the 1930s, he designed cars for Horch, a brand that is now known as Audi, which was at that time Germany’s most beautiful automobile. Over his life he made around 70 logos, labels for spirits manufacturers and a broad spectrum of commercial artwork. Since the heyday of his career was in an earlier design era, Hadank was granted honorary membership of AGI.

Design work by O.H.W. Hadank


    O.H.W. Hadank, Germany (1955)

    In 1907, O.H.W. (Oskar Hermann Werner) started his studies at the Unterrichtsanstalt des Kunst-gewerbemuseums in Berlin. He was not only a graphic designer but also a painter. Between 1912–17 he...

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    O.H.W. Hadank, Germany (1955)

    In 1907, Oskar Hermann Werner started his studies at the Unterrichtsanstalt des Kunstgewerbemuseums in Berlin. He was not only a graphic designer but also a painter. Between 1912–17 he worked for publishers such as Cotta, Phönix-Druck, Scherl and Ullstein. In 1919 he co-founded the Bund der Deutschen Gebrauchsgrafi ker (BDG). He was professor of commercial art at the Hochschule für Freie und Angewandte Kunst in Berlin (1919–49). Hadank was well known, not only in Europe but also in the US, as a pioneering packaging designer, especially for the cigarette company Haus Neuerburg, and also for his own brand of cigarettes marked HDK. In the 1930s, he designed cars for Horch, a brand that is now known as Audi, which was at that time Germany’s most beautiful automobile. Over his life he made around 70 logos, labels for spirits manufacturers and a broad spectrum of commercial artwork. Since the heyday of his career was in an earlier design era, Hadank was granted honorary membership of AGI.