The exciting life of book fanatic Gerhard Steidl

It all began after he graduated from high school, with a screen printing workshop in Göttingen. Soon after that, the young Gerhard Steidl met artist Klaus Staeck, an encounter that led to a long-term working relationship. A fellow Young Socialist called Gerhard Schröder gave Steidl a tip about a piece of property, today the center of the “Steidl Village” in the middle of the city. Staeck introduced him to Beuys and Steidl became part of the artist’s entourage. Steidl printed a first book for Günter Grass. He soon owned the international rights to the Nobel Laureate’s work. A long phase of work with Karl Lagerfeld began, which continued until Lagerfeld’s death. Steidl turned 70 in November 2020, and he remains obsessed with printing and ink, paper, paint and oil. Writer Michael Lentz talks to Gerhard Steidl – and will find out why you might say his empire is built on drug money.