Klingspor Museum

The Klingspor Museum is dedicated to the art of the book — typography, type design, calligraphy, bookbinding, and illustration — and holds one of the finest collections of its kind in Europe. The permanent collection includes original type specimens, printing blocks, calligraphic manuscripts, artist's books, and an archive of correspondence between typeface designers and foundries.

For anyone interested in typography, graphic design, or print history, the Klingspor is a remarkable resource — the collection covers the period from Gutenberg to digital type design, with particular strength in the German Expressionist and Bauhaus eras. The temporary exhibitions bring in contemporary book artists and designers. The museum is quiet, well-lit, and rewards close attention. Closed Mondays.

things to do museum
A story
The museum is named after Karl Klingspor, whose type foundry in Offenbach commissioned typefaces from the leading designers of the early 20th century, including Rudolf Koch and Walter Tiemann. The Klingspor foundry produced some of the most influential typefaces of the German Art Nouveau and Expressionist periods, and the museum preserves their design archives alongside a broader collection of book arts.