Fraktur: Black Letter Script

Used beginning in the 16th century to write the German language called Fraktur, after that time antiqua was popular. It is derived from "fractured" pen strokes, coming from European folk culture.
It was used until 1945, and was reused as a font favored by Heavy Metal bands in the 1970's to the present. In the United States it is used to describe highly artistic 18th century -19th century folk art. Fraktur was brought to us with the Pennsylvania Dutch or Pennsylvania German.

Drawings of Fraktur were made of ink and watercolors are found in a variety of forms made into: "Vorschriften (writing samples), the Taufscheine (birth and baptismal certificates), marriage and house blessings, book plates, and floral and figurative scenes." The earlier forms were done entirely by hand; you'll see printed versions later. Common motifs were made of tulips, birds, and hearts.

Bookplate Fraktur
You will find this Fraktur in church hymn books, as early as 1745 you'll find meticulous finely illustrated pieces.
From the 1780's to 1830's especially at the beginning of book ownership, these Fraktur pages were created by parochial groups mainly Mennonites, and Schwenkfelders. They showed meticulous illustrated songbooks and texts mostly given to children, showing detail to the drawings.

Presentation Fraktur
Used as a reward for students that did well in school. This Fraktur you would see as a bookmark, or a gift. The work is illustrated more with pictures than calligraphy with smaller detail to artwork.

Other examples of Presentation Fraktur are loverknots, loveletters, valentines, and holiday wishes. They would involve different shapes and incorporate other shapes and forms, such as circular, cut-outs, or pinpricks, familiar with the 18th century.

Taufshein Fraktur
Birth and marriage announcements were numerous in Taufshein Fraktur as Pennsylvania Germans had a need for printing, and recording of these two events. They had lavish borders, with text as added after the 18th century, short entry spaced for adding names and dates to the artwork. In the 19th century houses were added to the art.

Vorshrift Fraktur
Volshrift surpasses Taufshein in calligraphic beauty, and art form. Vorshrift Fraktur was used for school teachers, and memorizing memory verses used in parochial schools, popular among the Mennonites and Schenkfelders. They are found in state sponsored schools of Berks county, Pennsylvania.

While there are exceptions Vorshift Fraktur pays more attention to manipulation of the text for artistic quality. The Mennonite work of the 1790's was given the best merit for quality and the Schenkfelders of the 18th century came next.

Fraktur Blackletter Script - copyright 2007 by Beth Gatewood all rights reserved