Friedrich Adler (artist)

Friedrich Adler ( born April 29, 1878 in Laupheim, † 1942 in the concentration camp Auschwitz -Birkenau ), a representative of Art Nouveau and Art Deco, was known as an architect, furniture designer, ceramist, and especially for his designs for metalwork and textile printing process. Later (from about 1929/30 ), he designed one of the early plastics and industrial designer household items from phenolic resins ( phenolic ) and urea ( amino resins ).

Life

Friedrich Adler grew up as the son of a Jewish family in the Upper Swabian Laupheim. His birthplace in Chapel Street - built in Neo-Renaissance style - now houses the Art Nouveau Café Hermes with Friedrich Adler room.

He studied from 1894-1898 at the School of Art ( 1928 State Art School ) in Munich. In 1902 he completed another year of study at the newly founded College and Research Studio of Applied Arts and free ( Debschitz school) Hermann Obrist and Wilhelm von Debschitz. There he also took his first teaching from 1903-1907 on. This he then continued by 1907-1933 continued at the School of Applied Arts in Hamburg. In parallel he headed from 1910-1913 four master classes at the former Bavarian Trade Museum in Nuremberg. His Hamburger activity of 1914-1918 was interrupted by military service as an officer's deputy in the First World War. 1918 returned to the School of Applied Arts in Hamburg, he was promoted to Professor in 1927. This period saw numerous developments in the art deco and art technology.

After his dismissal or forced retirement by the Nazis in 1933, he was forced to earn his living by private activity. Thus Friedrich Adler designed from about 1929/30, as one of the very early, almost forgotten industry and plastic designer numerous household objects made ​​of pressed material ( phenol resin, amino resin ), including for the Bebrit plants in Bebra. From 1934-1941, he was able, in addition to teaching as a private arts and crafts teacher Jewish students in the context of the Jewish Cultural League. Here he could also give lectures and organize exhibitions.

On July 11, 1942 he was deported to the concentration camp Auschwitz, classified as unable to work in the selection and murdered a short time later.

Friedrich Adler's extraordinarily diverse body of work includes design activities for architecture ( sacral ), sculpture ( architectural ornaments, tombs ), stained glass windows, furniture and interior design, metal work ( household items, jewelry, religious art ), ceramics, textiles ( knotting and embroidery, textile printing ), working in wood, ivory and serpentine and flashed glasses. He provided design work for more than 50 arts and crafts enterprises, including for the silverware factory P. Bruckmann & Söhne in Heilbronn, the metal goods factory for cabaret " Osiris " by Walter Scherf and the Arts & Crafts metalware factory " Orion " by Georg Friedrich Schmitt, both in Nuremberg.

A wide audience has opened up in 1994, Friedrich Adler's Art with the exhibition " Friedrich Adler - between Art Nouveau and Art Deco " with the wards Munich City Museum, Germanic National Museum in Nuremberg, Grassi Museum, Leipzig, Museum of Arts and Crafts in Hamburg, Museum Zons Castle Friedestrom, Maurice Spertus Museum of Judaica in Chicago and Municipal Gallery Schrannenplatz in Laupheim.

Honors

• In his hometown of Laupheim since 1989 has a bronze plaque attention to his birthplace. The local junior high school bears his name: Friedrich Adler -Realschule ( FARS ).

• At the School of Visual artists in Hamburg, the former State School of Applied Arts, 1989, a commemorative plaque was placed with the text: " Here - in the present building of the College of Fine Arts - taught from 1913 ( really 1907! ) - 1933 Friedrich Adler, born 1878 in Laupheim. In 1922 he was appointed professor here. He was active as an artist in many ways. As a teacher he was unusually popular. In 1933 he was forced to retire by the Nazis. He was allowed to teach only Jewish students. On 11/07/1942 he was deported to Auschwitz " And underneath the quote: ". ... Our lives would be miserable if we do not, the imagination, the imagination would only begotten " (From an essay F. Adler from 1937 ). .
• Furthermore recalls a stumbling block in the sidewalk in front of the main staircase of the College of Fine Arts in Hamburg Friedrich Adler.