This entry is for the compressed style of a typeface series that originated at the Leipzig punchcutting company Wagner & Schmidt. Available from various foundries under different names. Best known as lnserat-Grotesk schmal by Haas and Aurora-Grotesk schmalhalbfett VIII by Weber (1912, initially also named lnserat-Grotesk schmal [Wetzig 1926–40]).

Also known as Neue moderne Grotesk eng (Ludwig Wagner), lnserat-Grotesk schmal (Böttger, 1911 [VdS], from 1918 Berthold), Wotan eng (Norddeutsche Schriftgießerei [1929 and c. 1937 specimens] and Johannes Wagner [Schriftenkartei 1958–1971]), Weber), Favorit-Grotesk schmalhalbfett (Weisert, 1925), Handels-Grotesk (Roos & Junge, from 1917 Stempel), Phönix-Grotesk schmalfett (Krebs, 1914), Reklame-Grotesk eng (Bauer, John), Sirius (Schriftguss), lnserat-Grotesque “Triumph” (Tech), Imperator (Trennert), Goliath étroit (Warnery) [Reichardt 2011] [Wetzig 1926–40] Piacenza (Fondografica) [Estratto N.3 specimen].

Series: regular-wide uprights | bold extended | light/medium extended | compressed | bold condensed | extrabold condensed | italics | open.

For reworkings with straight diagonals in ‘kvwxy AKMNVWXY 4’, see Haas Inserat-Grotesk / Neue Aurora VIII.

Phototype adaptations are shown by PLINC (Wotan Bold Cond) [PLINC One Liner 1971], Berthold (Aurora-Grotesk schmalhalbfett) [Berthold 1974], and Typeshop (Aurora schmalhalbfett) [Typeshop c.1977]. Another version blurs the distinction between the original and the reworking by including both forms [Phil’s Photo].

Aurora Condensed (Bitstream/Tilde, aka Swiss 939) is a digital version and used for the sample. OPTI Aurora Condensed (Castcraft, 1990–1991) is a digitization of Haas Inserat-Grotesk / Neue Aurora VIII which includes the original curved forms as alternates. See also Wagner Grotesk (Canada Type).