This is what the editor of a well-known newspaper once called us – and he was not completely wrong, since no one has ever published more about door handles than we have.

The idea for the books was born in Rotis, on a snowy January day in 1985. Our Mentor Otl Aicher suggested then that we should start publishing our thoughts about grasping and handles in a series of books. "Then you will have something home-made to present on suitable occasions", he added with a smile.

Thus the FSB Edition dealing with the cultural aspects of door handles was published under the auspices of Otl Aicher. He wrote four essays for the first volume "Grasping and Handles", which he later included in his own publications. The edition grew to 16 volumes, the contents of which were summarized with selected excerpts in a “Best-of edition“ with the title "The Language of the Hands” in 2006, including detailed explanatory notes and documentation.

Following the turn of the millennium, we thought hard about how to continue our editorial tradition. An incident in Eastern Westphalia came to our aid. The organizer of a well-known series of summer events by the name of "Paths through our country" suggested to us one day that we might add some aspects of architecture to the music, poetry and literature in these events. FSB agreed to have a part in sponsoring this new event on condition that its contribution would be documented afterwards. Thus the perceptive volume “Introduction to the Objects around me“ by Peter Zumthor was published in 2004, and a year later Mario Botta’s explanation of the interaction between architecture and memory.
 
As you can see, FSB remains true to itself. Otl Aicher has shown us the right way.