Question: why was akzidenz grotesk made?
Answer: "Akzidenz-Grotesk" (Haas) Kupferschmid describes it as a "reworking of "Neue Moderne Grotesk", originally ca. 1909 by Wagner & Schmidt, Leipzig" The Haas Foundry created Helvetica in response to its decline in popularity in competition with Berthold's design.