The latest version of the Österreichische Schulschrift, or Austrian school script, was released in 1995. The design has existed since 1953 and undergone several modifications since, notably between 1967–70. The Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung (BMBWF), or Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research is responsible for its original designs and template.
School educators Hildegard Pollhammer (now retired) and Herbert Pesendorfer developed the digital typeface that is currently prevalent and officially approved for use in classrooms. Their first iteration was released in 2007, followed by another in 2012 and a new version with OpenType support in 2020.
Österreichische Schulschrift only comprises a cursive style in upright and slanted versions. It can be taught in the first and second grades, and the national curriculum requires that all students can write in the 1995 variation of the Österreichische Schulschrift by the end of the latter.
The letters are upright and in a continuous cursive style. The lowercase ones have an oval foundational form and medium-length extenders. Notable shapes include Kurrent-style “t”, two forms of the “r”, and “f” and “p” which connect from the baseline. The uppercase letters are cursive and semi-joined.
