Wilhelm Deffke Papers, 1927-1949

This small archive of Wilhelm Deffke materials consists of manuscripts on Deffke’s life and work, correspondence, and printed ephemera. Manuscript materials include the notes and manuscript for Deffke’s project, “Grammatik der Formensprache,” (1945) with two binders of original schematic drawings. Deffke wrote two detailed versions of his life and career: “Lebenslauf des Graphikers und Architekten Professor Wilhelm Deffke” (1945). The archive contains some correspondence between Deffke and his associates or among his associates, including Carl Ernst Hinkefuss, Willi Eidenbenz, Erich Weinert, Wilhelm Winterschlade, Erwin Senftleben and Kurt Wissel (1927-1984). There are also examples of printed ephemera and newspaper clippings (1914-1932) related to Wilhelmwerk, the printing firm established by Wilhelm Deffke and Carl Ernst Hinkefuss, and the journal Qualität and Mein Vogel-Paradies by Hinkefuss. The archive also includes plates from various illustrated works perhaps used by Deffke for identifications, see the container list below.