Jean Widmer
Jean Widmer (born Hans Ulrich Widmer; 31 March 1929 – 2 February 2026) was a Swiss and French graphic designer. Widmer studied at the Zurich School of Arts and Crafts and moved to France in the 1950s, aiming to revamp public signage and road infrastructure. He was one of the first designers in France to make typography an element of their designs.
Jean Widmer
- Name
- Jean Widmer
- Birth Name
- Hans Ulrich Widmer
- Born
- 31 March 1929
- Birthplace
- Frauenfeld, Thurgau, Switzerland
- Died
- 2 February 2026
- Place of death
- Paris, France
- Occupation
- Graphic designer
- Education
- Zurich School of Arts and Crafts
- Nationality
- Switzerland and France.
- Honours
- Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres and Knight of the Legion of Honour.
- Languages
- French.
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Jean Widmer (born Hans Ulrich Widmer; 31 March 1929 – 2 February 2026) was a Swiss and French graphic designer. Widmer studied at the Zurich School of Arts and Crafts and moved to France in the 1950s, aiming to revamp public signage and road infrastructure. He was one of the first designers in France to make typography an element of their designs.
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gnd · 1091413487 · wikidata · Q3175103 · wikipedia · Jean Widmer
In this article
Biography
Biography
He also created the design of the Centre Pompidou logo. Widmer died on 2 February 2026, at the age of 96, in Paris.
Jean Widmer studied at Kunstgewerbeschule Zürich. The recorded working language is French. Places of work recorded in the authority are Paris. Work by Jean Widmer is recorded in the collections of Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and Centre Georges Pompidou. Distinctions recorded are Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres and Knight of the Legion of Honour.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Jean Widmer • Birth Name — Hans Ulrich Widmer • Born — 31 March 1929 • Birthplace — Frauenfeld, Thurgau, Switzerland • Died — 2 February 2026 • Place of death — Paris, France • Occupation — Graphic designer • Education — Zurich School of Arts and Crafts
Distinctions
Distinctions
• Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Chevalier, 1983; Officier, 1991; Commandeur, 2001) • Knight of the Legion of Honour (2012) • Swiss Design Award (2017)
Identity
Identity
Jean Widmer is recorded as having received Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres and Knight of the Legion of Honour. Recognition and collections. Widmer received Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres and Knight of the Legion of Honour.
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1929
Jean Widmer born at Frauenfeld.
2026
Jean Widmer died at Paris.
Places
Named by the record
Places
Only places the record itself states, plotted where the house gazetteer settles their coordinates. Nothing is inferred from a name or a nationality.
Frauenfeld.
Birth place
13th arrondissement of Paris.
Death place
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q3175103: Jean Widmer
Reputable secondary · Wikidata
- “Jean Widmer”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 1091413487, Rétrospective "Jean Widmer" (1991 : Villeurbanne).
General reference · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 1091413487, Rétrospective "Jean Widmer" (1991 : Villeurbanne).Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witness
People, houses and institutions
Knowledge graph
People, houses and institutions
Teachers, collaborators, publishers and institutions recorded against this person, each on a stated basis.
Died at
1- ParisPlace
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Prints
4,138 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Jean MetzingerEngraver
- Jean MignonEngraver
- Jean MorinEngraver
- Jean Pierre Marie JazetEngraver
- Jean-Antoine GrosEngraver
- Jean-Antoine WatteauEngraver
- Jean-Baptiste AudebertEngraver
- Jean-Baptiste Camille CorotEngraver
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