Else Hertzer (1884–1978) was a 20th-century German artist representing the German

Expressionism Expressionism is a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Northern Europe around the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it rad ...

Movement. Her later works became more abstract.

Life

She was born Else Heintze on 24 November 1884 at 22 Collegienstrasse in

Wittenberg Wittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is the fourth-largest town in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, in the Germany, Federal Republic of Germany. It is situated on the River Elbe, north of Leipzig and south-west of the reunified German ...

close to

Martin Luther Martin Luther ( ; ; 10 November 1483 – 18 February 1546) was a German priest, Theology, theologian, author, hymnwriter, professor, and former Order of Saint Augustine, Augustinian friar. Luther was the seminal figure of the Reformation, Pr ...

's house. In 1909 (on marriage) she moved to Altonaer Strasse in the Tiergarten district of

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

. Between 1911 and 1913 she spent much time with her in-laws in Buttstadt in

Thuringia Thuringia (; officially the Free State of Thuringia, ) is one of Germany, Germany's 16 States of Germany, states. With 2.1 million people, it is 12th-largest by population, and with 16,171 square kilometers, it is 11th-largest in area. Er ...

in central Germany. Here she began producing drypoint etchings and several paintings. From 1918 she joined the

Berlin Secession The Berlin Secession was an art movement established in Germany on May 2, 1898. Formed in reaction to the Association of Berlin Artists, and the restrictions on contemporary art imposed by Wilhelm II, German Emperor, Kaiser Wilhelm II, 65 artist ...

Movement. Her first publicly exhibited painting was "Frohnau". Around 1919 began formal studies at the Academy of Arts in Berlin, alongside George Mosson. In 1929 she went to

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

for further lessons under Andre Lhote. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

she received a peculiar commission from her home town to create a series of wall murals for a communal bunker serving as an air-raid shelter. The murals depicted the history of Wittenberg. Wittenberg's location and lack of strategic importance meant that the town (and bunker) escaped without damage, but the bunker was later removed when under GDR control. Following her 90th birthday the

Berliner Morgenpost ''Berliner Morgenpost'' is a German newspaper, based and mainly read in Berlin, where it is one of the most read daily newspapers. History and profile Founded in 1898 by Leopold Ullstein, the paper was taken over by Axel Springer AG in 1959 a ...

commented on her continuing freshness of style and enduring popularity. She died at 7 Dortmunder Strasse in

West Berlin West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...

on 9 February 1978.

Family

In 1909 she married Otto Hertzer, gaining the name Else Hertzer.

Exhibitions

* Else Hertzer & Brun-Stiller, Parkhaus im Englischen Garten, West Berlin, 1962 * Else Hertzer, Haus der Kirche, West Berlin, 1969 * Else Hertzer zum 90. Geburtstag: Gemälde, Zeichnungen, Aquarelle, Radierungen, Parkhaus im Englischen Garten Berlin, 1966, 1970 und 17. Juni–15. Juli 1975 * Das nachgelassene Werk aus 70 Jahren, Haus am Lützowplatz, West Berlin, 1979 * Der Fläming bei Wittenberg, Dreißig Originalwerke aus den Jahren 1907 bis 1951, Historischer Saal des Simonettihauses, Coswig (Anhalt), 2016 * Luther und die Kühe. 20 Bilder der Avantgarde-Künstlerin Else Hertzer, Vlora-Café, Wittenberg, 2017 * „Else Hertzer“ – Bilder aus dem Fläming, agnes neuhaus café, Berlin-Niederschönhausen, 9. Juni 2017–15. Juli 2017 * Retrospektive "Else Hertzer. Die Vielseitige. Wittenberg. Berlin. Buttstädt. Paris", Kunsthaus Apolda, 30. Juni bis 1. September 2019 (Aufgerufen am 13. Juli. 2019) * "Else Hertzer. Kriegsmappe 1945",

Museum of Municipal Collections in the Zeughaus The Museum of Municipal Collections in the Zeughaus (german: Museum der städtischen Sammlungen im Zeughaus) is an interdisciplinary exhibition building in Wittenberg that presents objects from archaeology and urban history, as well as natural his ...

, Lutherstadt Wittenberg, 2019 * Wiederentdeckt: Else Hertzer (1884–1978) – Aquarelle und Zeichnungen aus Füssen, den Alpen, Wittenberg und Berlin, Museum der Stadt

Füssen Füssen () is a Town#Germany, town in Bavaria, Germany, in the district of Ostallgäu, situated one kilometre from the Austrian border. The town is known for violin manufacturing and as the closest transportation hub for the Neuschwanstein and Sc ...

, 20. Juni 2020 bis 6. September 2020

Publications

*''Parthenon Vertag'' (1924) 250 hand-printed copies including six woodcuts

References

1884 births 1978 deaths People from Wittenberg German Expressionist painters 20th-century German painters {{Germany-artist-stub