Poster Collection

Posters are a quintessential advertising medium, traditionally pasted onto advertising columns. Owing to their size and design, they are intended to capture the attention of passers-by, convey information at a glance, and promote products or events, with aesthetics playing a crucial role. While posters up to the 1880s were typically designed by printers and lithographers, companies and event organisers increasingly commissioned renowned artists from that point onward. Specialist journals such as Das Plakat (published from 1910 to 1921) explored both the practical and theoretical requirements of successful poster design.

The Deutsches Museum collection is grounded in posters focusing on technical, industrial, and scientific themes. A substantial portion consists of posters designed by the twin brothers Botho (1896–1980) and Hans von Römer (1896–1970), who were active as commercial artists for several decades; in total, more than 820 posters created by them—predominantly relating to aviation and transport—are preserved in the holdings.

Another key focal point is accident prevention posters. In response to high accident rates and the associated financial costs, the statutory accident insurance institutions (Berufsgenossenschaften) launched a dedicated poster campaign in 1924. By 1929, a total of 282 distinct designs promoting workplace health and safety had been distributed, with a combined print run of approximately four million copies. The Archive holds 178 posters from this series. Another intriguing group is a series of 20 posters relating to the National Socialist Flyers Corps (NS-Fliegerkorps).

(Kopie 2)

A distinct part of the collection is made up of posters from the Deutsches Museum, featuring general views of the museum, permanent and special exhibitions, and events held in the former congress hall. However, only some of the latter have survived. Notable individual pieces include the numerous posters by Eugen Cordier (1903–1974) and Ludwig Hohlwein (1874–1949), who also created the oldest museum views.