Ruth Knorr

Ruth Knorr (born July 27, 1927 in Glauchau , † November 18, 1978 in Berlin ) was a German book graphic artist .

biography

Ruth Knorr was the daughter of a stationery dealer. She attended business school , worked in a nursery and, after her father's death, in her parents' shop. After the end of the war , she completed a course for new teachers and was a primary school teacher for biology and German in Glauchau from 1948 to 1951 . In addition, she dealt with graphics and painting . From 1951 to 1957 she studied at the University of Fine and Applied Arts Berlin-Weißensee, among others with Arno Mohr and Werner Klemke . After graduating as a graphic designer, she worked as an illustrator and graphic designer in Berlin. She was supported by the art historian Wilhelm Fraenger , who was on friendly terms with her.

Knorr created illustrations for 38 books. In doing so, the way in which it was presented met the technical specifics of the polygraphic process to such an extent that the images in the high print run of a book trade issue have the character of authorized original graphics. Her colleague Volker Pfüller attests to “her great energy in experimenting with printing technology. She has always tried to include the reproductive apparatus in her work. The finished print was her original. This is why her works have the immediacy of original graphics, yes, they are original graphics in the book. ”With that she has become authoritative for a whole generation of book illustrators. The illustrator Hans Ticha described her as one of the most important figures in book graphics after 1945.

Honors

• 1965: Bronze medal at the International Book Art Exhibition in Leipzig
• In 1963, 1968, 1972 and 1974 books illustrated by Knorr were among the “most beautiful books in the GDR”.

Book illustrations

• Charles Dickens : Christmas Tales. Verlag der Nation, Berlin 1959.
• Hans Christian Andersen : My life is a beautiful fairy tale. Union-Verlag, Berlin 1961.
• Eliza Orzeszkowa : The high born. Verlag der Nation, Berlin 1961.
• Charles De Coster : Flemish Tales. Union-Verlag, Berlin 1963. (Most beautiful book of the year)
• Johann Wolfgang von Goethe : Novellas. Verlag der Nation, Berlin 1964.
• Arnold Zweig : The mirror of the great emperor. Verlag der Nation, Berlin 1964
• Sergiu Farcasan : Noah's Ark in Space; Volk und Welt publishing house, Berlin 1964.
• Joachim Kupsch : The Book of Chons. Eulenspiegel Verlag, Berlin 1967. (Most beautiful book of the year)
• Ilse Schneider, Johannes Schneider: Gesta Romanorum. Unionsverlag, Berlin 1968.
• Hoffmann's stories. From the work of the poet ETA Hoffmann . Verlag der Nation, Berlin 1969.
• Hans-Jörg Rother: Poetry album 39th Verlag Neues Leben, Berlin 1970.
• Jurij Brězan : The Mouse Tower. New Life Publishing House, Berlin 1970.
• Konrad Fialkowski: The fifth dimension. Verlag Das Neue Berlin, 1971.
• Karl A. Hall: Crazy Criminal Cases. Elwert publishing house, Marburg.
• Gottfried Keller : The abused love letters. Insel-Verlag, Leipzig 1972.
• Charles Dickens: A Christmas Carol in Prose; Verlag der Nation, Berlin 1972.
• Gottfried Keller: Spiegel, the kitten. Fairy tale. Verlag der Nation, Berlin 1972.
• ETA Hoffmann: Master Flea. Union-Verlag, Berlin 1972.
• Ilse and Johannes Schneider: The wondrous stories of Caesarius von Heidenheim. Union-Verlag, Berlin 1972. (Most beautiful book of the year)
• Johanna Braun, Günter Braun: The error of the great magician. The New Berlin, Berlin 1972.
• Alan Marshall: Whispers of the wind. The children's book publisher Berlin 1973 (most beautiful book of the year)
• Margarete Riemschneider : Glorious Rhodes. Koehler and Amelang, Leipzig 1973.
• Günther Deicke : Poetry album 70. Verlag Neues Berlin 1973
• Günter and Johanna Braun: The error of the great magician. Verlag Das Neue Berlin, 1974.
• You old bastard. Swedish fairy tales. Reclam, Leipzig 1974.
• Peter Addams : Murder in the Castle - criminal grotesque. Verlag der Nation, Berlin 1974.
• Rainer Kirsch : The pearls of the green mermaid. A mathematical fairy tale. Young World Publishing House, Berlin 1975.
• Theodor Kramer: Poetry album 96. Verlag Neues Berlin, 1975.
• Bernd Jentzsch: Goodbye and ratchet! Seven adult stories. With a "follow-up advice". Hinstorff, Rostock 1975,
• Hans Hüttner: Beowulf. The children's book publisher, Berlin 1975,
• Nikolai Chaitow : The Dragon. The children's book publisher, Berlin 1975,
• Hannelore Menke (ed.): The creepy elevator. The children's book publisher, Berlin 1976,
• Norwegian fairy tales, Reclam, Leipzig 1977,
• Eliza Orzeszkowa: Marta. Verlag der Nation, Berlin 1978,
• Giambattista Basile : The Enchanted Doe and Other Fairy Tales. Der Kinderbuchverlag, Berlin 1978, (last book illustrated by Ruth Knorr).
• Ludwig Tieck : Strange life story of Sr. Majesty Abraham Tonelli. Verlag der Nation, Berlin 1983.

literature

• Wilhelm Fraenger: Dickens - newly illustrated by Ruth Knorr. In: Fine arts. Berlin 12/1961
• Hans-Joachim Schauß: Halftones in line etchings. In: Neue Werbung, 12/1964, Verlag Die Wirtschaft Berlin, pp. 36–37
• G. Hess: Try to describe my technique. In: Marginalien, magazine for book art and bibliophilia. Berlin, Issue 21, 1965, pp. 29-33.
• Ruth Knorr: Illustration, graphics, experiments. Galerie am Turm, Berlin 1980
• Hans-Joachim Schauß: In memory of Ruth Knorr. In: Marginalien, magazine for book art and bibliophilia. Berlin, 79th issue, 1980, pp. 19-23
• Ekkehard Hellwich, Peter Röske (ed.): Graphics by Ruth Knorr; Small graphics library (special issue), Pirckheimer Society, Berlin, 1987
• Hans-Joachim Schauß (ed.): The world of images of Ruth Knorr. With texts by Fritz Böttger, Manfred Butzmann, Wilhelm Fraenger, Werner Klemke, Konrad Knebel, Ruth Knorr, Volker Pfüller, Hans Ticha. Eulenspiegel Verlag, Berlin 1989

Individual proof

1. ↑ Volker Pfüller: Goldenes Handwerk in high editions . In: Hans-Joachim Schauß (Ed.): The world of images of Ruth Knorr . Berlin 1989.