Edita in “History of the Jews in the Bohemian lands”

The book’s full Czech title is Dějiny Źidů v českých zemích: Od Hilsnera po Slánského, and in it Martin Wein traces the interaction mainly of Czechs and Jews, but also of Christian German-speakers, Slovaks, and other groups in the Bohemian lands and in Czechoslovakia throughout the first half of the 20th century. This period saw accelerated cycles of nation-building and nation-cleansing in the context of hegemony exercised by a changing cast of dominant powers, namely Austria-Hungary, France, Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union.

Pilar Cano’s Edita typeface is an apt choice for such an important topic. Edita is humanist in concept yet with a contemporary feel where softness and fluidity play a very important role. This is especially seen in its italics, which are loosely based on handwriting.

Edita is intended to be used complementarily in books where text is set together with photographs and other graphic elements. However, it is versatile enough to be used in many other contexts, from novels and dictionaries to promotional material.

Photos taken by Tomáš Rasl