Font Designer – Order of Merit for Hermann Zapf

For his achievements as a world renowned calligrapher and typographer, Prof. Hermann Zapf has been awarded with the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. During the presentation of the medal at State Minister President’s villa, Hessian Secretary of State for the Ministry for Science and Art in Wiesbaden Gerd Krämer stated, “You have made exceptional contributions to the development of typefaces, and your trend-setting publications have been translated into 18 languages, in whole or in part.” He also recalled a specific commission that Prof. Zapf undertook as a calligrapher in 1960, when he wrote out the Preamble of the Charter of the United Nations in four languages for the Pierpont Morgan Library in New York.

Hessian Minister President’s villa in Wiesbaden. The presentation took place here

Linotype GmbH’s former Managing Director Bruno Steinert with Gudrun Zapf von Hesse

Hermann Zapf’s son Christoph Zapf together with Frank Wildenberg, current Managing Director of Linotype GmbH

The Cross of Merit, with certificate

The Hessian Secretary of State for the Ministry of Science and Art, Gerd Krämer, gives the laudation

Mr. and Mrs. Zapf during the laudation

The presentation of the certificate

The certificate for the Cross or Merit, First Class

Pining on the Cross of Merit

Hermann Zapf thanks everyone in a short speech

Klaus Kroner, chairman of the Graphic Workshop for Technology and Art Offenbach, presents Hermann Zapf with a hand-cast “Psalter Type” letter from the assets of D. Stempel AG

Mr. and Mrs. Zapf with their son and grandchildren