Sergius Pauser (28 December 1896 – 16 March 1970) was an Austrian

painter Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called the "matrix" or "support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush, but other implements, such as knives, sponges, and ai ...

. Pauser was probably one of the first few truly internationally recognized Austrian artist in the 1930s after receiving numerous prices including the international Carnegie exhibition price in Pittsburgh in 1935. His work was part of the art competitions at the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics ( nl, Olympische Zomerspelen 1928), officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad ( nl, Spelen van de IXe Olympiade) and commonly known as Amsterdam 1928, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from ...

and the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-sp ...

. As a young man, he first studied architecture in Vienna, then switched to painting and studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich from 1919 to 1924 . During this time he was impressed by the artistic work of Max Beckmann, Otto Dix and

Karl Hofer Karl Christian Ludwig Hofer or ''Carl Hofer'' (11 October 1878, Karlsruhe – 3 April 1955, Berlin) was a German expressionist painter. He was director of the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts. One of the most prominent painters of expressioni ...

. Subsequent to the Nazi occupation of Austria Pauser's paintings were deemed degenerate art after an alleged incident in which Adolf Hitler himself got agitated when spotting the artist's paintings at a visit to the aus der Deutschen Kunstn 1939. Adolf Hitler personally tore three pictures by Sergius Pauser off the walls of an exhibition at the “Haus der deutschen Kunst” in Munich, along with works by Kolig. The German Führer is said to have been infuriated by the depiction of miserable working conditions of German workers contrary to official Nazi propaganda. Pauser's work was deemed degenerated art and his international career came to a sudden end as he was banned from exhibiting his art works. He was labeled politically unreliable and was denied any further promotions, eventually ended up in a concentration camp, where he met the German actor Curd Jürgens. After the liberation of Austria Pauser was fully rehabilitated and reinstalled as a teacher at the cademy of Fine Arts in Vienna He taught there for two decades Pauser as a victim of the Nazi regime was subsequently chosen to paint the official picture celebrating the ratification of the Austrian State Treaty ending the Allied Occupation of Austria and restoring full Austrian sovereignty. His two proposed pictures were rejected by the Austrian chancellor which created considerable controversy in Austria and abroad. Instead the Austrian government in defiance of public tender regulations hired another painter allegedly a friend of the chancellor. He received an honorary grave at the Vienna Central Cemetery after he died on 16 March 1970.(group 40, number 8).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pauser, Sergius 1896 births 1970 deaths 20th-century Austrian painters Austrian male painters Olympic competitors in art competitions Artists from Vienna 20th-century Austrian male artists