12/10/2025
Hans Hartmann (1913–1991), a Swiss graphic designer born in Köniz, studied at Zürich’s Kunstgewerbeschule (1932–1936) and later ran a studio in Bern, creating logos, posters, and stamps for major Swiss institutions like Swissair and the Swiss PTT. In 1972, he designed the iconic Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) logo, replacing the outdated winged wheel symbol. The logo, featuring a white Swiss cross with arrow-like extensions on a red background, symbolizes dynamism and Swiss identity. It was part of a modernization effort to strengthen SBB’s image amid rising car ownership and a complex rail network.
Refined by Josef Müller-Brockmann, the logo’s design adheres to strict branding rules, with the full “SBB CFF FFS” trilingual text used consistently, though the standalone emblem is allowed for visibility with approval. A similar logo used in Uri since 1959 led to an agreement limiting SBB’s use in local press there. The logo’s red shade influenced Switzerland’s standardized flag color in the 1990s. Celebrated for its clarity, it won awards like the Brunel Award and is showcased in exhibitions at the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich.
