The 28th calendar produced by Papierfabrik Scheufelen, Lenningen, focuses firmly on language. German is becoming a world language. Although many people here in Germany complain about the flood of English loan words and Anglicisms, German words have been almost imperceptibly gaining ground in foreign cultures for many years now. Working with the agency Strichpunkt, Papierfabrik Scheufelen set out to find ideal examples of this that would also reflect the company values. 

Even the calendar’s title “Wunderkind” creates a wonderful connection with Carl Scheufelen, the brilliant company founder, who introduced art paper to Europe in 1892. “With its art paper, Papierfabrik Scheufelen became synonymous with high-quality coated papers. With this calendar, we aim to make people more aware of Lenningen as a location, sustainable and traditional ways of making paper, and our paper brands that represent exceptional quality worldwide – quality made in Germany,” says Irmgard Glanz, Head of Marketing at Scheufelen, describing the linguistic journey that awaits in this calendar fresh off the presses. 

The calendar provides a month-by-months guide through some familiar and some more unexpected words drawn from different aspects of life. Carefully chosen Germanisms that have now become commonplace worldwide are lovingly explained in this calendar and presented in an unmistakeable and, indeed, familiar style. The graphics take pride of place, while the accompanying text explains the words and draws parallels with the paper manufacturer. It’s a fascinating, exceptionally high quality, sometimes playful and extremely vivid collection. The calendar for the individual months is located at the foot of each page.

The year gets off to a spirited start. Scheufelen’s fine paper grades have been renowned for over a century, but only a handful of people are aware of the wonderful “Kirschwasser” brandy made from fruit grown on trees in the company’s very own meadows. February introduces Walter Gropius, who founded his Staatliches “Bauhaus” in 1919, bringing together fine arts, applied arts and performing arts for the first time. This unique symbiosis continues to influence painting, theatre and music to this very day. Scheufelen itself adopted Gropius’ mantra of “light, air and hygiene” and applied these principles in many parts of its company complex. In March, the theme is “Zeitgeist”. Issues like the environment are now in the minds of people across the globe. This focus on the natural world is reflected in Scheufelen’s sustainable production of FSC- and PEFC-certified papers and, in line with the DIN EN ISO certifications 50001 and 14001, represents a lasting commitment to energy and the environment. 

A “delicatessen” is a place to enjoy some of the finer things in life in April and all year round. Producing tasty food needs more than just the very best ingredients; it also needs the perfect recipe. As with the secret formulas and intense craftsmanship involved in manufacturing paper, the only way to achieve exceptional results is to use exceptional raw materials. May is dedicated to the pioneering spirit. In 1892, Rudolf “Diesel” used Sadi Carnot’s theory of an ingenious cycle to develop the “ideal thermal machine”, a move that marked an enormous leap forward in the field of transportation. By launching the first art paper, Adolf and Heinrich Scheufelen heralded the dawn of a new era of paper in Europe. The Scheufelen brand with its phoenix logo is still the benchmark for coated papers. The message in June is that children are the future. This is a concept that Friedrich W. A. Fröbel, founder of the first ever “Kindergarten”, embraced right back in 1840. Even in its early years, Scheufelen demonstrated a high level of social responsibility for its employees by building various facilities for the community, young people and children. 

The “Edelweiss” is the most famous Alpine flower. That’s more than enough reason to celebrate this highly symbolic little plant during July. The edelweiss has been a protected species since 1886 and its brilliant white is echoed in the paper grade phoenixmotion Xenon. August reflects how Scheufelen is active regionally and has a strong presence across the globe. As the Lenningen site has a good connection to the “Autobahn”, the company can deliver paper reliably and quickly. Incidentally, “Autobahn” is also part of the vocabulary required for the “Deutsch als Fremdsprache” (German as a Foreign Language) certificate. Papierfabrik Scheufelen is located deep in the Lenningen valley, a precious cultural landscape on the edge of the Swabian Alb biosphere reserve. So, in September, what could be better than packing up a “Rucksack”? Previously only the trusty companion of walkers and hikers, its modern-day counterpart is often used by travellers, in leisure time or even as an alternative travel bag.

October is the month for “Lederhosen”, leather trousers with a long history. Usually made from tanned deerskin, traditional lederhosen are mainly worn in the Alpine regions of Central Europe (but not in Switzerland). The braces and intricate stitching on the trousers are particularly eye-catching. Closer examination reveals interwoven linden branches. Used in Lenningen’s coat of arms, this symbolizes the coming together of the six districts that now make up Lenningen. In November, the spotlight falls once again on the design and print work that can be achieved on the paper grade heaven 42. This page of the calendar shows a final draft complete with colour scale. “Wunderbar” conjures up the silvery grey of November days and the first isolated snowflakes herald the onset of winter, but the yellow writing evokes a feeling of glorious bright sunshine. And, now, the year is drawing to a close. December’s striking “Glockenspiel” image reflects the celebratory atmosphere of the festive season. Generally found in church towers or historic buildings, mechanical glockenspiels with moving figures enchant visitors from all over the world. It’s a fascinating image and the perfect way to end one year and welcome a new one.

The “Wunderkind” calendar is printed on the coated Scheufelen papers phoenixmotion, heaven 42 and bvs with different matt and gloss surfaces, and with grammages of 250 grams per square metre throughout. Further information on the selected words and details of the relevant print techniques and finishes – such as hot foils, Iriodin coating, other spot coatings using screen printing and embossing – are given in the appendix to the calendar. The new calendar is printed by druckpruskil.gmbh, Gaimersheim, with surface finishing by DENGLANZ Druckveredelung GmbH in Erlangen-Eltersdorf.

Just 3,500 copies of the limited edition bilingual (German/English) “Wunderkind” calendar are being printed. A limited number are available for calendar fans to buy at a price of EUR 100.00 each (including VAT). A smaller number of individual calendar pages are also available at EUR 15.00 each (including VAT). Orders can be placed from mid-December directly in the Scheufelen webshop at: 

www.scheufelen.com/en/creative-shop/products/kunstkalender.html