A geometric sans that originated at the Leipzig punchcutting company Wagner & Schmidt. Available from various foundries under different names, including:

• Kristall-Grotesk (Norddeutsche Schriftgießerei, 1937–38; later by Johannes Wagner, also listed as Kristall (Rund-)Grotesk)
• Polar-Grotesk (John, 1930–37, registered Nov. 1930, proofs sent June 1931 [VdS])
• Rund-Grotesk (Weber, 1931–39, six styles, registered April 1931, proofs sent Dec. 1932 [VdS])
• Saxo grotesk with André kursiv grotesk (Berling, 1931/1932) [Klevgaard]
• Predilecta (Iranzo, 1935, credited to A. Saurí Sirés) [Reichardt 2011]
• Principe (FTC, by 1938)
• Universal Grotesk (Státní tiskárna/Grafotechna, 1935?)
• Europe Gras Étroit (Deberny & Peignot, by 1934, bold condensed only. The other styles of the Europe family follow Futura/Futura Condensed.)

Not all versions are identical in regard to the style range and the design of some glyphs (e.g., single and double-story ‘a’). Kristall-Grotesk has alternates for ‘AÄMNVW’, with pointed and flat apexes. Rund-Grotesk and Universal Grotesk have an ‘M’ with raised vertex.

Digitally revived as Kristall Grotesk MfD (Elsner+Flake, 2009, for the Museum für Druckkunst) and extended as Kristall Now (2010). While the former spans the seven original styles incl. the caps-only lichtfett, latter comes in seven weights in regular and condensed widths. The regular wide styles have italics. All upright styles but the bold ones come with small caps.

Frédéric Krauser digitized Rund-Grotesk in 2012 as part of his Bachelor thesis at the Bauhaus-University Weimar. Three weights plus obliques.

See also Globe Grotesk Display (Jan Charvát, 2014) and Uni Grotesk (Typotheque, 2016) for interpretations of Universal Grotesk.