Form und Zweck

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Form und Zweck (Form and Purpose) was an East German design magazine and the official journal of the German Democratic Republic. It ran from 1956 to 2008 and was published in East Berlin by the Institute for Applied Art. In the early years, socialist culture focused on housing, architecture, and city planning, but from the mid-1950s policy shifted toward consumer goods and domestic spaces. The magazine was aimed at professional designers and design enthusiasts, and it reflected state preferences, including promoting plastic products. Hein Köste was editor-in-chief until 1983, when he was fired after publishing an article about a fictitious museum in Prenzlauerberg. Because the magazine faced less strict control, Köste could publish critical pieces and writings by critics Lothar Kühne and Karl-Heinz Hüter. Günter Höhne was the last editor-in-chief, and Hans Aust was among its contributors. Form und Zweck ceased publication in 2008.