A book compiled by students of photography at the Academy for Graphic Design and Artwork, Leipzig under the direction of Timm Rautert
Published in 1996 by: Verlag der Buchhandlung Walther König, Cologne
ISBN 3-88375-231-2

In the autumn of 1993, Timm Rautert was appointed to the chair of artistic photography at the Academy for Graphic Design and Artwork in Leipzig. When FSB made a point of congratulating him as a faithful friend of the company and partner of long standing ( ("St. Anne’s Day in Brakel", "Entrances – Exits") ) he asked whether he could perhaps carry out another photography project for the FSB Edition with his students. FSB reminded him of Otl Aicher’s old dream of publishing a report about working hands in the FSB Edition. The newly appointed professor listened attentively – and accepted at once.

An elaborate book project was prepared in Leipzig in the course of several semesters. On various visits, FSB was confronted with new surprises every time. For example, with the "Street of the Best", a series of pictures in the style of the former GDR. Group photographs were taken to honour successful groups of workers and then exhibited as exemplary models in the showcases of government-owned companies. One of Rautert’s students had come across such photographs by accident. The peculiarity of the “Street of the Best”: no hands are shown. All workers have their hands crossed behind their backs. The Chancellor of the University then in office, Albrecht von Bodecker, stated as his interpretation of this posture that these "best workers" were probably holding each other’s hands behind their backs. This again would reflect a characteristic sentiment of that period. He quoted a sentence from Goethe addressed to Schiller in 1795: "If people of like mind do not join hands, what is to become of society and of social intercourse?"

FSB takes particular pride in volume 12 of the FSB Edition, since it has given us an opportunity to repay a moral debt of thanks. In the years following the reunification of Germany our company had benefited from the reunification boom as a supplier to the building industry. Now, by sponsoring this elaborate book project, we have been able to return a small part of what we had earned by selling door handles throughout the five new federal states of Germany. Give and take is not only a practical general rule of capitalism, but also an excellent basic principle of democracy.