How the Futura Typeface Escaped Widespread Use by the Nazis and Instead Landed on the Moon

In a fascinating episode of Vox Almanac, host Phil Edwards talks about the history of the distinctive Futura typeface famously designed by the legendary Paul Renner in 1927. The typeface was rejected by the Nazis as too modern, but found its popularity elsewhere in the world. When the Nazis were ready for a new look, the design had become too popular throughout the world and later, outer space.

Futura was created by Paul Renner in 1920s Germany, just as the Bauhaus movement was picking up steam. …The newly powerful Nazis favored the ornate Fraktur type style to modern Futura, so they excluded both the type and its creator. Of course, Nazis are not just evil, but also often insane and inefficient — so Futura returned to Germany, as did Renner. But by that time, Futura had established itself as the international typeface of the future, and the font’s legacy was secured. That’s even more clear when you learn about the lunar plaque that went up on Apollo 11. Futura was the font selected for that great task — making Futura the font that escaped the Nazis and landed on the moon.