Werner Coninx (born & died in

Zürich Zürich () is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zürich. It is located in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zürich. As of January 2020, the municipality has 43 ...

, 28 July 1911 – 10 March 1980) was a Swiss artist, art collector and patron.

Life

Werner Coninx was the son of the publisher Otto Coninx-Girardet, who had founded the

Tages-Anzeiger ''Tages-Anzeiger'' (), also abbreviated ''Tagi'' or ''TA'', is a Swiss German-language national daily newspaper published in Zurich, Switzerland. History and profile The paper was first published under the name ''Tages-Anzeiger für Stadt und K ...

, then as now one of

’s and

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

’s top selling newspapers. In the city theirs was already a leading family in terms of wealth and influence. Werner had a seat on the

board Board or Boards may refer to: Flat surface * Lumber, or other rigid material, milled or sawn flat ** Plank (wood) ** Cutting board ** Sounding board, of a musical instrument * Cardboard (paper product) * Paperboard * Fiberboard ** Hardboard, a ty ...

of the family publishing company between 1942 and 1978, but his role within the publishing business was not an active one. Instead he devoted his life to art while his brother, Otto Coninx-Wettstein, ran the business. Werner Coninx built up a significant art collection which was transferred, in 1973, to the Coninx Foundation. Today the collection belongs in the Coninx Museum which occupies the house where Werner once lived, in the Hottingen district on the east side of Zürich. Werner Coninx was the father of Severin Coninx and Rena Coninx, which made him the grandfather of the media magnate Pietro Supino. He was also a close friend to

Max Frisch Max Rudolf Frisch (; 15 May 1911 – 4 April 1991) was a Swiss playwright and novelist. Frisch's works focused on problems of identity, individuality, responsibility, morality, and political commitment. The use of irony is a significant featur ...

, whom he met originally at school and whom he financed after Frisch (temporarily) set aside his literary ambitions in order to study and qualify as an architect.

Criticism

In January 2022, in a

Die Weltwoche ''Die Weltwoche'' (German for "The World Week") is a Swiss weekly magazine based in Zürich. Founded in 1933, it has been privately owned by Roger Köppel since 2006. The magazine's regular columnists include the former president of the Social D ...

article entitled "Raubkunst der Familie Coninx", Christoph Mörgeli criticised the Werner Coninx collection for its lack of Nazi-era provenance research.

Notes and source

{{DEFAULTSORT:Coninx, Werner 1911 births 1980 deaths People from Zürich 20th-century Swiss painters Swiss male painters Swiss art collectors 20th-century art collectors 20th-century Swiss male artists