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Karl Christian Ludwig Hofer or ''Carl Hofer'' (11 October 1878 – 3 April 1955) was a German expressionist painter. He was director of the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts. One of the most prominent painters of
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 ...
, he never was a member of one of the expressionist groups, like "
Die Brücke Die Brücke (The Bridge), also known as Künstlergruppe Brücke or KG Brücke, was a group of German expressionist artists formed in Dresden in 1905. The founding members were Fritz Bleyl, Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, and Karl Schmidt-R ...
", but was influenced by their artists. His work was among those considered degenerate art by the
Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...
, but after
World War II 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 ...
he regained recognition as one of the leading German painters.


Life


Early years and career (1878–1920)

Hofer was born in 1878 in
Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...
. Four weeks after his birth, his father, the military musician Karl Friedrich Hofer, died of a lung disease. Since his mother Ottilie had to earn a living, Karl was housed in 1879 with two great aunts, before he went to live in an orphanage (1884-1892). At the age of 14 Karl began a bookshop apprenticeship, which he completed three years later. In 1896 he met the three years younger German philosopher Leopold Ziegler. In 1897 Hofer began studying painting at the Art Academy of
Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...
. His talent was recognized early, he received a scholarship from the fund of the Grand Duke of
Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in southern Germany. In earlier times it was considered to be on both sides of the Upper Rhine, but since the Napoleonic Wars, it has been considered only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Ba ...
. After the appointment of the painter Hans Thoma to the Karlsruhe Academy of Art, in 1899, Hofer became his pupil. In the same year he had his first stay in
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 ...
. In the year of his second stay in Paris in 1900 he made the acquaintance of Julius Meier-Graefe. Hofer became a student of Thoma in 1901 and a year later a student of the painter Leopold von Kalckreuth at the State Academy of Fine Arts in
Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...
. During this time he began his friendship with the sculptor Hermann Haller. In 1903, Karl Hofer and Mathilde Scheinberger married in Vienna. Mathilde belonged to a Jewish family, but was not educated in the Jewish faith and later joined the Protestant church. The couple had three sons, Karl Johannes Arnold, called Carlino, born in 1904, Titus Wolfgang, born in 1905, who died in 1906, and Hans-Rudi, born in 1911. In 1902 Hofer concluded a five-year contract with the Swiss entrepreneur and patron Theodor Reinhart, in which it was agreed a regular support. In return, Reinhart received each year at first three and later four paintings by Hofer. The contract was later extended by five years until 1913. Reinhart's scholarship enabled Karl and Mathilde to move to
Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...
. From 1908 to 1913 the Hofer family lived in
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 ...
, and in 1913 they moved to
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 ...
. During his residence in
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 ...
, he was very influenced by
Paul Cézanne Paul Cézanne ( , , ; ; ; 19 January 1839 – 22 October 1906) was a French Post-Impressionism, Post-Impressionist painter whose work introduced new modes of representation, influenced avant-garde artistic movements of the early 20th century a ...
and by
Pablo Picasso Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, Ceramic art, ceramicist, and Scenic ...
, specially his early period. Since 1905, Hofer's paintings had been regularly shown at exhibitions. In 1908 he was represented at the exhibition of the "Berlin Secession", founded by
Max Liebermann Max Liebermann (20 July 1847 – 8 February 1935) was a German painter and printmaker, and one of the leading proponents of Impressionism in Germany and continental Europe. In addition to his activity as an artist, he also assembled an important ...
. In
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 ...
, Hofer became a member of the new "Freie Secession" in 1913 and was represented at its first exhibition in 1914, together with
Max Liebermann Max Liebermann (20 July 1847 – 8 February 1935) was a German painter and printmaker, and one of the leading proponents of Impressionism in Germany and continental Europe. In addition to his activity as an artist, he also assembled an important ...
, and German Expressionist painters
Erich Heckel Erich Heckel (31 July 1883 – 27 January 1970) was a German people, German Painting, painter and printmaker, and a founding member of the group ''Die Brücke'' ("The Bridge") which existed 1905–1913. His work was part of the art competition ...
,
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (6 May 1880 – 15 June 1938) was a German Expressionism, expressionist Painting, painter and printmaker and one of the founders of the artists group Die Brücke or "The Bridge", a key group leading to the foundation of Expr ...
, Max Pechstein and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. Hofer traveled to India in 1910 and 1911. During the summer of 1914, during a stay in the French seaside resort of
Ambleteuse Ambleteuse (; ; Picard language, Picard: ''Imbelteuse'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Pas-de-Calais Departments of France, department in northern France. History Ambleteuse began as a hamlet of a few huts in the middle of the dunes, f ...
, the Hofers were surprised by the outbreak of
World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
and were interned because of their citizenship. Mathilde and the sons were eventually allowed to return to
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
at the end of 1914. Hofer was dismissed by the mediation of Reinhart in 1917, and moved to
Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, first to Churwalden, then to
Zürich Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The ...
. After the end of the war, Hofer returned to his family in
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 ...
, in 1919. In 1920 he was appointed to the College of Fine Arts in
Charlottenburg Charlottenburg () is a Boroughs and localities of Berlin, locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Established as a German town law, town in 1705 and named after Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, Queen consort of Kingdom ...
, and in 1921 he was appointed professor. The College of Fine Arts was merged in 1924 with the Arts and Crafts Museum to form the United State Schools of Free and Applied Arts. In recognition for his services as an artist and as a professor, Hofer was admitted to the
Prussian Academy of Arts The Prussian Academy of Arts () was a state arts academy first established in 1694 by prince-elector Frederick III of Electorate of Brandenburg, Brandenburg in Berlin, in personal union Duke Frederick I of Prussia, and later king in Kingdom of ...
in 1923. Between the art movements of the twenties, Hofer represented his own style, which was later referred to as "Magic Realism". Hofer's paintings were represented in many museums. In 1928 he was invited to the International Art Exhibition of the Carnegie Institute in
Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, and its county seat. It is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, second-most populous city in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia) and the List of Un ...
, Pennsylvania in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
.


Middle period and mature career (1933–1945)

At the beginning of the twenties, Karl Hofer had a relationship with Elisabeth Schmidt, whom he had met as a model. In the summer of 1926 he had a short-term love affair with Ruth Wenger. Since 1927 Karl and Mathilde lived separately but remained married. Hofer had been opposed to
Nazism Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was fre ...
even before they reached power. In 1931 he was attacked in the Nazi press, with claims that he was Jewish. In the same year he wrote articles against
Nazism Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During Hitler's rise to power, it was fre ...
, "Faschismus, die dunkle Reaktion!" ("Fascism, the dark reaction!") and "Wie kämpfen wir gegen ein Drittes Reich?" ("How do we fight against a Third Reich?"), published at the Communist newspaper ''Welt am Abend''. In the article he argued for a nonpartisan initiative against the NSDAP. On April 1, 1933 Hofer was defamed in a poster together with Oskar Schlemmer and other teachers of the Berlin Art Academy as "representatives of the decomposing liberal-Marxist-Jewish alliance". He was then on a leave and was dismissed from teaching in the summer of 1934. At the beginning of
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
, Hofer still tried to conciliate his art with the new regimen ideology to a certain extent. Despite his rejection of National Socialism, Hofer believed that his art could be accepted by the regimen, because he understood it as being German. In the exhibition of the Berlin Secession in the summer of 1933, the catalog preface said that German art was expressed in Hofer's painting. At the same time he participated with the article "Der Kampf um die Kunst" ("The struggle for art") in a series of articles on German art in the ''Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung''. Among other things, he argued that German art was "free of Jews", like no other area of society, except the military. Nevertheless, his work, like other German expressionist painters, was condemned by the regimen as degenerate art. Hofer was represented with eight works in the Nazi propaganda exhibition " Degenerate Art" held in
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
, in 1937. In 1938 he was expelled from the Prussian Academy of Arts. Because of his marriage with Mathilde, considered a Jew according to the Nazi laws of marriage, despite being a convert to Protestantism, Hofer was threatened with exclusion from the Reich Chamber of the Fine Arts . In July 1938, the couple was divorced. Hofer was expelled from the Reich Chamber of the Fine Arts in October 1938, since the confirmation of the divorce came too late at the Ministry of Propaganda. He was then no longer allowed to sell his works publicly in the art trade or at auctions; the exclusion was therefore considered a professional ban. In November 1938, Hofer married for a second time to Elisabeth Schmidt, considered an "aryan" according to Nazi standards. As a result the ban was lifted and Hofer was reinstated by the President of the Reich Chamber in February 1939. After the divorce, his ex-wife Mathilde was no longer protected for being in what the
Nuremberg Laws The Nuremberg Laws (, ) were antisemitic and racist laws that were enacted in Nazi Germany on 15 September 1935, at a special meeting of the Reichstag convened during the annual Nuremberg Rally of the Nazi Party. The two laws were the Law ...
called a "privileged mixed marriage", and was deported to the
Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...
, where she was killed on 21 November 1942. His Atelier in
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 ...
was bombed in March 1943 and completely destroyed with many of his works, in November 1943. The apartment where he lived with Elisabeth Hofer was also destroyed. His son Carlino would be killed in an assault in 1947.


The final years (1945–1955)

After the end of
World War II 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 ...
, Hofer was involved in the construction of the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts, whose director he became in July 1945. He regained his artistic prestige once again in the post-war
Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
. He received an honorary doctorate from the
University of Berlin The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick William III on the initiative of Wilhelm von Humbol ...
in 1948. He was also awarded the Order Pour le mérite for Science and Arts in 1952, and the Great Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1953. Hofer published two autobiographical books, ''Aus Leben und Kunst'' (''Of Life and Art''), in 1952, and "Erinnerungen eines Malers" (''A Painter's Memories''), in 1953. Hofer was involved in a public dispute with the art critic Will Grohmann on figuration and abstraction. The controversy led Ernst Wilhelm Nay, Willi Baumeister and Fritz Winter, to withdraw from the Deutscher Künstlerbund. Hofer planned to publish the treatise ''Über das Gesetzliche in der bildenden Kunst'' (''On the Lawful in Fine Art''), on the controversy, because in the same year, at the climax of the dispute, he suffered a stroke, from which he succumbed later. Hofer died in Berlin on 3 April 1955, aged 76 years old. Some of his works were shown posthumously at documenta 1 in
Kassel Kassel (; in Germany, spelled Cassel until 1926) is a city on the Fulda River in North Hesse, northern Hesse, in Central Germany (geography), central Germany. It is the administrative seat of the Regierungsbezirk Kassel (region), Kassel and the d ...
, in 1955. Hofer's importance for post-war German painting lies in his insistence that the antinomy between figurative and abstract painting was nonsensical. For him, the "distinction of value between representational and nonrepresentational appeared as a senseless absurdity."


Art market

The highest selling painting by the artist was ''Arbeitslose'' (''Unemployed'') (1932), who sold by €817,000 ($874,190), at Ketterer Kunst, on 11 December 2020.Ketterer Kunst
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Works


Early work, 1898–1920

*1901: ''Betende Kinder (Praying Children)'', Oil on Canvas, Private Collection, Karlsruhe, Germany *1903: ''Karl und Thilde Hofer (Karl and Thilde Hofer)'', Oil on Canvas, Former Hofer Estate, Berlin, Germany *1907: ''Drei Badende Jünglinge (Three Young Bathers)'', Oil on Canvas, The Winterthur Museum of Art, Winterthur, Switzerland *1911: ''Im Sturm (By Storm)'', Oil on Canvas, The Winterthur Museum of Art, Winterthur, Switzerland *1913: ''Selbstbildnis (Self Portrait)'', Oil on Canvas,
Bavarian State Picture Collection The Bavarian State Painting Collections (), based in Munich, Germany, oversees artwork held by the Free State of Bavaria. It was established in 1799 as ''Centralgemäldegaleriedirektion''. Artwork includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, video ...
, Munich, Germany *1913: ''Fahnenträger (Flagbearer)'', Oil on Canvas, Municipal Art Gallery, Mannheim, Germany *1914: ''Im Meersand (In the Sand)'', Oil on Canvas, State Art Gallery, Karlsruhe, Germany *1918: ''Bildnis Theodor Reinhart (Portrait of Theodor Reinhart)'', Oil on Canvas, Volkhart Brothers, Winterthur, Switzerland


Middle period, 1920–1933

*1922: ''Maskerade'' oder ''Drei Masken (Masquerade'' or ''Three Masks)'', Oil on Canvas, Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Cologne, Germany *1922/1923: ''Freundinnen (Girlfriends)'', Oil on Canvas, Kunsthalle Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany *1924: ''Große Tischgesellschaft (Large Dinner Party)'', Oil on Canvas, The Winterthur Museum of Art, Winterthur, Switzerland *1924: ''Der Rufer (The Caller)'', Oil on Canvas, New Masters Gallery, Dresden, Germany *1925: ''Still life'' National Museum of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia *1926: ''Zwei Freunde (Two Friends)'', Oil on Canvas,
Städel The Städel, officially the ''Städelsches Kunstinstitut und Städtische Galerie'', is an art museum in Frankfurt, with one of the most important collections in Germany. The museum is located at the Museumsufer on the Sachsenhausen bank of t ...
, Frankfurt am Main, Germany *1928: ''Großer Karneval (Big Carnival)'', Oil on Canvas,
Bavarian State Picture Collection The Bavarian State Painting Collections (), based in Munich, Germany, oversees artwork held by the Free State of Bavaria. It was established in 1799 as ''Centralgemäldegaleriedirektion''. Artwork includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, video ...
, Munich, Germany *1928: ''Yellow Dog Blues'', Oil on Canvas, Private Collection *1930: ''Selbstbildnis mit Dämonen (Self Portrait with Demons)'', Oil on Canvas, Former Hofer Estate, Berlin, Germany


Mature work, 1933–1945

*1933: ''Gefangene (Prisoner)'', Oil on Canvas, Berlinische Galerie, Berlin, Germany *1935: ''Frühe Stunde (Early Hour)'', Oil on Canvas, Portland Art Museum, Portland, USA *1935: ''Turmbläser (Trumpeters)'', Oil on Canvas, Former Hofer Estate, Berlin, Germany *1936: ''Agnuzzo – Italienische Landschaft (Agnuzzo – Italian Landscape)'', Oil on Canvas, The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, USA *1937: ''Mann in Ruinen (Man in Ruins)'', Oil on Canvas, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Kassel, Kassel, Germany *1943: ''Die Schwarzen Zimmer'' (2. Fassung) ''(The Black Rooms, 2nd version)'', Oil on Canvas,
Neue Nationalgalerie The Neue Nationalgalerie (New National Gallery) at the Kulturforum is a museum for modern art in Berlin, with its main focus on the 20th century. It is part of the National Gallery of the Berlin State Museums. The museum building and its sculpt ...
, Berlin, Germany *1944: ''Der Brief (The Letter)'', Oil on Canvas, Private Collection *1944: ''Schwarzmondnacht (Black Moon)'', Oil on Canvas, Former Hofer Estate, Cologne, Germany


Late work, 1945–1955

*1947: ''Höllenfahrt (Descent into Hell)'', Oil on Canvas, Former Hofer Estate, Cologne, Germany *1947: ''Ruinennacht (Night of Ruin)'', Oil on Canvas, Former Hofer Estate, Cologne, Germany *1948: ''Schwarzmond'' (2. Fassung)''(Black Moon, 2nd version'', Oil on Canvas, Former Hofer Estate, Cologne, Germany *1950: ''Im Gestein (In Rock)'', Oil on Canvas, Private Collection, Southern Germany *1951: ''Zwei Frauen'' (Doppelportrait), ''(Two Women)'' (Double Portrait), Oil on Cardboard, Private Collection, Cologne, Germany *1954: ''Zwei Masken (Two Masks)'', Oil on Canvas, Former Hofer Estate *1954: ''Drei Mädchen zwischen Leitern (Three Girls between Conductors)'', Oil on Canvas, Private Collection, Cologne, Germany *1954: ''Vater und Tochter (Father and Daughter)'', Oil on Canvas, Private Collection, Cologne, Germany


Literature

* Karl Hofer: ''Über das Gesetzliche in der bildenden Kunst''. Ed. Kurt Martin. Berlin 1956. * Karl Hofer: ''Erinnerungen eines Malers''. München 1963. * Christine Fischer-Defoy (ed.. Karl-Hofer-Gesellschaft): ''Ich habe das Meine gesagt! – Reden und Stellungnahmen von Karl Hofer zu Kunst, Kultur und Politik in Deutschland 1945–1955''. Berlin 1995. * Daniel Kupper (ed.): ''Karl Hofer – Schriften''. Berlin 1995. * Ernst Rathenau: ''Karl Hofer – Das graphische Werk''. Berlin 1969. * Katherine Rigby: ''Karl Hofer''. New York/London 1976. * Elisabeth Furler (ed.): ''Karl Hofer – Leben und Werk in Daten und Bildern''. Frankfurt am Main 1978. * Elisabeth Hofer-Richold, Ursula Feist und Günther Feist: ''Karl Hofer''. Berlin 1983. * Renate Hartleb: ''Karl Hofer''. Leipzig 1987. * Ursula Feist und Günther Feist (ed.): ''Karl Hofer – Theodor Reinhart. Maler und Mäzen. Ein Briefwechsel in Auswahl''. Berlin 1989. * Jürgen Schilling: ''Karl Hofer''. Unna 1991. * Karl Bernhard Wohlert: ''Werkverzeichnis Karl Hofer''. Karl-Hofer-Dokumentation. 3 Bände. VAN HAM Art Publications. * Hans Gerhard Evers (ed.): ''Darmstädter Gespräch – Das Menschenbild in unserer Zeit''. Darmstadt 1951. * Ausstellungskatalog: ''In Memoriam Will Grohmann – Wegbereiter der Moderne''. Stuttgart 1987/1988. * Ausstellungskatalog: ''Abstraktion und Figuration''. Galerie Pels-Leusden. Berlin 1989.


References


External links


Biography and available work
Galerie Ludorff, Düsseldorf, Germany *
Leben und WerkGrafiken
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hofer, Karl 1878 births 1955 deaths 19th-century German painters 19th-century German male artists German male painters 20th-century German painters 20th-century German male artists German Expressionist painters Artists from Karlsruhe Painters from Baden-Württemberg People from the Grand Duchy of Baden Recipients of the Pour le Mérite (civil class) Commanders Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart alumni