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Last updated 5/12/2023

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'Faltarbeiten aus Papier 1' (Paperfolding Work) by Georg Netzband was published by W Kohlhammer Verlag in Stuttgart and Berlin in 1936 as a handbook to accompany educational film F57 (which is credited to Dr H Curlis of the Kulturfilm-Institut). Both were produced by the Reich Ministry of Education. The author is described as a 'Zeichenlehrer' - a drawing teacher. I am grateful to Birgit Ebbert for letting me see a copy of this work.

There is a second similar work, 'Faltarbeiten aus Papier 2' and a second film F58.

The final section of the introductory text (the Method) starts with the sentence 'When you start folding it is best to proceed according to Froebel's methodology.' This is the only reference to Froebel in the work. This section also refers to 8 groundforms and gives examples of the designs that can be made from each. These are:

1. A square folded in half edge to edge, which produces the book or tent

2. 'Diagonal breaks' - presumably a blintzed or doubly blintzed square, which produces the envelope, house, clock, saltcellar (himmel und holle) and steamer (presumably the Steamship).

3. This groundform seems to be the Windmill, which also produces the bird (the Cocotte), duck, boat with sail, horse, rider and the pig.

4. This groundform is said to produce the table, chair and box.

5. This groundform is said to produce the kite.

6. This groundform is said to produce the flying bird.

7. This groundform is probably the waterbomb base, it is said to profuce the butterfly, flyer and bellows.

8. This groundform is folded from a rectangle. It is said to produce drinking cups, the hat and the boat.

Note that many of the designs mentioned here are not explained in either the handbook or the films.

The final sentence of the introduction says: 'It is important that as little as possible is cut, and as little as possible is glued, when folding.'

There is a short bibliography at the end of the work.

Film F57 shows a pair of hands folding the (Cut) Tent, the Paper Boat, the cut version of the Blintz Box and the Paper Dart..

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Analysis

One Fold Tent / Simple House

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The Newspaper Hat

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(Cut) Tent

Developed from the Newspaper Hat

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The Paper Boat

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A cut version of the Blintz Box

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The Paper Dart

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The Work

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