Fritz Roeber (15 October 1851, Elberfeld – 15 May 1924,

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

) was a German illustrator,

lithographer Lithography () is a planographic method of printing originally based on the immiscibility of oil and water. The printing is from a stone (lithographic limestone) or a metal plate with a smooth surface. It was invented in 1796 by the German a ...

and history painter, associated with the Düsseldorfer Malerschule. As Director of the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, he carried out some significant organizational changes.

Biography

His father was the writer , who also served as the Procurator for Elberfeld. After completing his primary education, he studied painting at a private school operated by

Eduard Bendemann Eduard Julius Friedrich Bendemann (3 December 1811, Berlin – 27 December 1889, Düsseldorf) was a German-Jewish painter. Biography Bendemann was born in Berlin. His father, Anton Heinrich Bendemann, was a Jewish banker. His mother, Fanny El ...

. His studies were interrupted by service in the Franco-Prussian War then, in the mid-1870s, he presented some large lithographs on Biblical themes. Roeber-Viking

He accepted a major commission from

Rhine Province The Rhine Province (german: Rheinprovinz), also known as Rhenish Prussia () or synonymous with the Rhineland (), was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822 to 1946. It ...

to design figurative jewelry for a gold trophy, to be presented to Prince (later Kaiser) Wilhelm on the occasion of his wedding. Later, he became a co-founder of the "Central-Gewerbe-Vereins" (Central Trade Association) and helped to develop the local arts and crafts industry. From 1893, he was an instructor at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. During the early part of the 20th century, he was involved in organizing several large, international exhibitions and a memorial plaque in his honor was placed at the ."Gedenktafel für Fritz Roeber"
in ''Rhein und Düssel'' (Nr. 14) From 1908 to 1924, he served as Director of the Kunstakademie. His tastes and approach to governing were considered to be rather conservative for the time.Kristina Kratz-Kessemeier: ''Kunst für die Republik. Die Kunstpolitik des preußischen Kultusministeriums 1918 bis 1932''. Akademie Verlag, Berlin 2008,
Online
@ Google Books) Despite this, he was constantly making additions to the curriculum; including workshops for church art and

stained glass Stained glass is coloured glass as a material or works created from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant religious buildings. Although tradition ...

. In 1919, following a partial merger with the

Kunstgewerbeschule A Kunstgewerbeschule (English: ''School of Arts and Crafts'' or S''chool of Applied Arts'') was a type of vocational arts school that existed in German-speaking countries from the mid-19th century. The term Werkkunstschule was also used for thes ...

(Arts and Crafts School), he hired seven instructors to teach the new subjects that would be added: the painter , sculptor

Hubert Netzer Hubert Netzer (October 5, 1865 in Isny im Allgäu–October 15, 1939 in Munich) was a German sculptor, medalist, and university professor. Life and work Netzer was born in 1865 in Isny im Allgäu, Kingdom of Württemberg, Germany, the son of ...

, graphic artist Ernst Aufseeser and three architects;

Wilhelm Kreis Wilhelm Kreis (17 March 1873 – 13 August 1955) was a prominent German architect and professor of architecture, active through four political systems in German history: the Wilhelmine era, the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich, and the founda ...

Emil Fahrenkamp Emil Fahrenkamp (November 8, 1885, Aachen – May 24, 1966, Ratingen-Breitscheid) was a German architect and professor. One of the most prominent architects of the period between the first and second World Wars, he is best known for his 1931 ...

(the Kunstgewerbeschule's former Director) and . He also oversaw the construction of new studio buildings for the Kunstakademie, along the Rhine, designed to be an "art city on the English model". These were demolished in 1937 to make room for the

Reichsausstellung Schaffendes Volk The Reichsausstellung Schaffendes Volk (The Reich's Exhibition of a Productive People) of 1937 was held in today's North Park district of Düsseldorf, Germany, along one mile of the Rhine shoreline. It was opened on May 8, 1937 by Hermann Gör ...

(now the ). A street that runs alongside the Kunstakademie has been named after him. His older brother, , was also an instructor there.

References

External links

* ''Kölner Humor im Malkasten''
Digitalisierte Ausgabe
* ''Erica''
Digitalisierte Ausgabe

''Fritz Roeber''
Data sheet @ the Rijksbureau voor Kunsthistorische Documentatie {{DEFAULTSORT:Roeber, Fritz 1851 births 1924 deaths Artists from Wuppertal German history painters Academic staff of Kunstakademie Düsseldorf People from Elberfeld

Biography

References

Further reading

External links