März book covers (1969–1987)

Published February 13, 2023

März Texte 1, 1969. Compilation of texts by Bazon Brock, Peter O. Chotjewitz, William S. Burroughs, LeRoi Jones, Uve Schmidt, Hermann Nitsch, and others.

Among German publishers, März is probably the most iconic example for our tag “typeface plus color equals brand”. In this case, the first ingredient is Block, a bold advertising typeface with rough contours that was first cast by the Berthold foundry in 1908. The second one is the color yellow, or rather the color combo yellow, red and black. März has stuck to this formula throughout its turbulent history, creating a striking identity for their emancipatory books.

The publishing house was founded in Frankfurt/Main in 1969 by Jörg Schöder and others. It was also Schröder who came up with the concept for the cover designs and the typeface choice. The co-founders left already in 1971, and in 1973, Schröder had to file for bankruptcy for the first time. The company was rebooted a year later, now with Zweitausendeins as distribution partner. In Barbara Kalender joined Schröder in 1981. In 1987, after he suffered two heart attacks, März had to be liquidated. The project lived on in the form of the März Desktop Verlag, which relocated to Berlin in 2005.

When Schröder died in June 2020, it seemed that März had come to a final end. In 2021, however, Richard Stoiber together with Kalender relaunched the publishing house. You can read about this new chapter in the post by Andreas Seidel, and see his custom typeface MaerzType in use on the new covers.

Manifest der Gesellschaft zur Vernichtung der Männer S.C.U.M. by Valerie Solanas, translated by Nils-Thomas Lindquist, 1969

Sexfront by Günter Amendt, 1970 (this printing: 1978). In 2007, Schröder described this then controversial book about sexual education for teenagers as the “most memorable and important März title, because it made a whole generation happier.”

Die Befreiung Guineas by Basil Davidson, 1970

Antiautoritäre Erziehung und Psychoanalyse. Ausgewählte Schriften, Bd. 3 by Siegfried Bernfeld, 1970

Kampf um Mozambique by Eduardo Mondlane, translated by Heidi Riechling, Stefan Rössel, Burkhard Bluem, 1970

Lernen und Freiheit. Aus der Praxis der First Street School by George Dennison, 1971

Dunkelbraun by Michael McClure, translated by Heiner Bastian, 1971, with MÄRZ in yellow letters – the exception proves the rule.

Laß jucken Kumpel by Hans Henning Claer, 1971

Mondstrip. Neue englische Prosa by Rolf Eckart John, 1971

Aktionen auf der äußeren Rinde by Paulus Böhmer, 1972

Acid. Neue amerikanische Szene by R.D. Brinkmann & R.R. Rygulla (eds.), 1975. At that time, März books were distributed by Zweitausendeins.

Hamlet by Peter Kuper, 1980 (third edition, 1981)

Hamlet oder die Liebe zu Amerika by Peter Kuper, 5th edition, 1982. Note how this paperback cover uses a wide E and a narrow T in the title, as well as and a K with curved arm in the author’s name. The dust jacket of the hardback edition shown above uses different forms for these letters.

Blumen für Hitler by Leonard Cohen, 1982

Die Küche der Armen by Huguette Couffignal, 1982

Schläfer erwacht by Kenneth Patchen, translated by Marc Adrian, 1983

Das grosse Der Die Das by Gunter Schmidt, 1986 (2nd later edition)

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