KOCH, RUDOLF

born Nov. 20, 1876, Nrnberg, Ger. died April 9, 1934, Offenbach German calligrapher, type designer, and teacher. Koch's father was on the staff of the Bavarian industrial museum in Nrnberg, and Koch went to high school in that city. As a youth he studied art in the evening while serving as an apprentice in metalworking at Hanau. After an unsuccessful effort to become an art teacher, he moved to Leipzig, an important printing centre. After several jobs and a period as a free-lance designer, he joined the Klingspor foundry, Offenbach, in 1906 in an association that continued until his death. Beginning in 1908 he also taught lettering at the newly organized School of Arts and Crafts in Offenbach. At that time his particular interest was handwritten books, and he produced a number of fine examples. He designed his first typeface shortly before World War I, in which he served as an infantryman. In 1918 Koch and a few of his students formed a workshop community in which many outstanding calligraphers, including Fritz Kredel and Warren Chappell, were trained. In addition to his activities in lettering and typography, Koch had a deep interest in handicrafts, producing tapestries, rugs, altar cloths, candlesticks, and chalices. Among his outstanding typefaces are Maximilian (1913), Neuland (1923), and Kabel (1927).