Hans Leistikow (artist)

Hans Leistikow (4 May 1892 - 22 March 1962) was a German artist, specialising in graphic design.

He was born in Elblag, the eldest of three children of the pharmacist Johannes Leistikow (1863–1897) from Elblag and his wife Käte (nee Zachler; 1869–1945) from Breslau.

This also made him a nephew of Walter Leistikow and an elder brother to Grete Leistikow, whilst his brother Wolf died aged 18 in 1914.

He studied at the Staatliche Akademie für Kunst und Kunstgewerbe Breslau under Hans Poelzig.

Poelzig recommended that Leistikow use a signature that would distinguish him from his father's brother Walter Leistikow and from then on Hans signed his works "HAL", adding a letter A between his initials to express his admiration for Edgar Allen Poe.

The grave of Hans Leistikow and his wife Erica (nee Habermann) in the Südfriedhof (Frankfurt am Main)