Werner Kurt Armin Meinhof (20 October 1901 – 7 February 1940) was a

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

art historian Art history is the study of aesthetic objects and visual expression in historical and stylistic context. Traditionally, the discipline of art history emphasized painting, drawing, sculpture, architecture, ceramics and decorative arts; yet today ...

of the 20th century. Meinhof was born in Halle an der Saale, the son of

pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...

Johannes Meinhof and brother of Africanist

Carl Meinhof Carl Friedrich Michael Meinhof (23 July 1857 – 11 February 1944) was a German Linguistics, linguist and one of the first linguists to study African languages. Early years and career Meinhof was born in Barzowice, Barzwitz near Darłowo, R� ...

. He studied history of art in his hometown under Paul Frankl, where he got to know the painter Walter Timmling and the future art historian Hellmuth Allwill Fritzsche. After obtaining his doctorate, Werner Meinhof served from 1928 as a research assistant at the

Oldenburg Oldenburg may also refer to: Places *Mount Oldenburg, Ellsworth Land, Antarctica *Oldenburg (city), an independent city in Lower Saxony, Germany **Oldenburg (district), a district historically in Oldenburg Free State and now in Lower Saxony *Olde ...

state museum, and in 1936 became director of the ''Göhre'' city museum in

Jena Jena () is a German city and the second largest city in Thuringia. Together with the nearby cities of Erfurt and Weimar, it forms the central metropolitan area of Thuringia with approximately 500,000 inhabitants, while the city itself has a popu ...

. Werner Meinhof married art historian Ingeborg Guthardt (died 1949) with whom he had two daughters, Wienke (born 1931) and

Ulrike Meinhof Ulrike Marie Meinhof (7 October 1934 – 9 May 1976) was a German left-wing journalist and founding member of the Red Army Faction (RAF) in West Germany, commonly referred to in the press as the "Baader-Meinhof gang". She is the reputed author ...

(born 1934), future founding member of the Red Army Faction (RAF). Upon the early death of their parents, both were raised by the historian and "peace activist"

Renate Riemeck Renate Riemeck (4 October 1920 – 12 May 2003) was a German historian and Christian peace activist who became known as former foster parent of the famous journalist and left-wing militant Ulrike Meinhof. As a young woman, she joined the The Christ ...

. In 1919 Meinhof joined the national-conservative German National People's Party (DNVP).Oldenburg State Museum at musealog.de
/ref> He came into conflict with

Joseph Goebbels Paul Joseph Goebbels (; 29 October 1897 – 1 May 1945) was a German Nazi politician who was the ''Gauleiter'' (district leader) of Berlin, chief propagandist for the Nazi Party, and then Reich Minister of Propaganda from 1933 to 19 ...

in 1933 due to the publication of the essay ''Film, Kunst, Kitsch, Propaganda'' (Cinema, Art, Kitsch, Propaganda) by Walter Timmling and Hermann Ulrich in the ''Der Damm'' series issued by Werner Meinhof. Their description of propaganda was a "devil's work". However Ulrike Meinhof's biographer Jutta Ditfurth stated that Werner Meinhof had joined the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right politics, far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that crea ...

by May 1933.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meinhof, Werner 1901 births 1940 deaths People from Halle (Saale) People from the Province of Saxony German National People's Party politicians Nazi Party politicians Militant League for German Culture members 20th-century German historians German male non-fiction writers Meinhof family