Over the centuries The Order has developed from a closed community of select aristocrats to a charity endowment fund with a focus on social activity and care. As guardians of an extensive historical archive of artefacts and cultural objects, they possess an astonishing collection of portraits of all the land commanders that served the order over the last 450 years.
The project required us to create a publication that reflects the atmosphere and the ideals of The Order and connects them to the present. To introduce a wider Dutch audience to the Utrecht Bailiwick by unlocking its unique history. The form of the book is reminiscent of a hard brick with the strength to endure, and that of a bible with the background of the order tracing back into Christianity. This bold and daring format, combined with a modern typographic treatment lends a sense of endurance, survival, and the will to go further into the future. This resilience is balanced with the use of quality materials such as gold ink, cotton fibres for the cover, rice paper for the insides, and high-end printing.
All of this adds up to form a timeless memorable book, sensitively opening the doors of this discreet community to the dutch society. The publication makes the past relevant to the present while respectfully protects the values of the Order. With the ‘medium’ being the message this state-of-the-art communication tool, physically reflects the longstanding key values of the order: tradition, social engagement and endurance.
Client: Ridderlijke Duitsche Orde, Utrecht / author: Daantje Meuwissen / redaction: Andre van Leerdam / concept: Mariola Lopez Mariño / ontwerp: Lopezlab Amsterdam, Marriëlle Frederiks, Jaimy van Leur/ photography: Joost van den Broek / publisher: Uitgeverij Verloren
