Martin Wolff (19 May 1852,

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 ...

– 6 October 1919, Berlin) was a German sculptor.

Life

He was the only son of sculptor Albert Wolff of

Mecklenburg-Strelitz The Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a duchy in Northern Germany consisting of the eastern fifth of the historic Mecklenburg region, roughly corresponding with the present-day Mecklenburg-Strelitz district (the former Lordship of Stargard) ...

. From 1871 to 1875, he studied at the

Prussian Academy of Art The Prussian Academy of Arts () was a state arts academy first established in 1694 by prince-elector Frederick III of Brandenburg in Berlin, in personal union Duke Frederick I of Prussia, and later king in Prussia. After the Accademia dei Linc ...

under Eduard Daege, followed by study trips to Vienna and Italy. His training was completed in his father's studio. In 1880, his figure group "Theseus Finden die Waffen Seines Vaters" (

Theseus Theseus (, ; ) was a divine hero in Greek mythology, famous for slaying the Minotaur. The myths surrounding Theseus, his journeys, exploits, and friends, have provided material for storytelling throughout the ages. Theseus is sometimes desc ...

Finding His Father's Weapons) brought him a scholarship to Paris. From 1882 to 1883, he was in Rome and established his own studio upon returning to Berlin. The late 1890s proved to be a hard time for artists and his financial distress was relieved only when he was given a commission to work on the Kaiser's

Siegesallee The Siegesallee (, ''Victory Avenue'') was a broad boulevard in Berlin, Germany. In 1895, Kaiser Wilhelm II ordered and financed the expansion of an existing avenue, to be adorned with a variety of marble statues. Work was completed in 1901. A ...

(Victory Avenue) project, possibly based on his father's reputation. His work earned him the Order of the Crown, Fourth Class. Although he became very successful afterward, he never grew beyond the

Academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

style taught to him by his father.

Selected major works

* 1889-1898: Bust monuments for notable people who contributed to medicine and public health, at the

Charité The Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité – Berlin University of Medicine; ) is Europe's List of hospitals by capacity, largest university hospital, affiliated with Humboldt University of Berlin, Humboldt University and the Free ...

, Berlin: Heinrich Adolf von Bardeleben (1889),

Eduard Heinrich Henoch Eduard Heinrich Henoch (June 16, 1820 Berlin – August 26, 1910) was a German physician. He taught at the Berlin University (1868–1894). Henoch was of Jewish descent, and was the nephew of Moritz Heinrich Romberg. Work After taking the ...

(1890), (1893),

Ludwig Traube Ludwig Traube may refer to: *Ludwig Traube (physician) (1818–1876), German physician and co-founder of experimental pathology in Germany *Ludwig Traube (palaeographer) (1861–1907), his son, German paleographer {{hndis, Traube, Ludwig ...

(1895) and (1898). Due to the fact that Henoch, Traube and Spinola were Jewish, their busts were melted down in 1940. The busts have since been replaced with memorial trees. * 1893:

Fritz Reuter Fritz Reuter (7 November 1810 – 12 July 1874; born as ''Heinrich Ludwig Christian Friedrich Reuter'') was a novelist from Northern Germany who was a prominent contributor to Low German literature. Early life Fritz Reuter was born at Stavenhage ...

Monument,

Neubrandenburg Neubrandenburg (, Low German ''Niegenbramborg'', both lit. ''New Brandenburg an der Havel, Brandenburg'') is a city in the southeast of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is located on the shore of a lake called Tollensesee and forms the urban c ...

, created with the assistance of

Wilhelm Wandschneider Wilhelm Georg Johannes Wandschneider (6 June 1866, Plau am See – 23 September 1942, Plau am See) was a German sculptor. Life His father was a commercial decorative painter. At an early age, he began an after-school apprenticeship in the fami ...

* 1899: "Denkmal 1870/71" (Monument for the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

), "Viktoria mit sterbendem Krieger" (

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

with a Dying Warrior), bronze figure group.

Neustrelitz Neustrelitz (; ) is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district in the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany. It is situated on the shore of the Zierker See in the Mecklenburg Lake District. From 1738 until 1918 it was the capital o ...

, Bahnhofsplatz; destroyed in World War II * 1901: Siegesallee Group 21, consisting of

Johann Georg The German given name Johann Georg, or its variant spellings, may refer to: John George *John George, Elector of Brandenburg (1525–1598) *John George I, Elector of Saxony (1585–1656) *John George II, Elector of Saxony (1613–1680) *John Geor ...

, Elector of Brandenburg, as the central figure; flanked by Count Rochus zu Lynar, a military engineer who built the

Spandau Citadel The Spandau Citadel () is a fortress in Berlin, Germany, one of the best-preserved Renaissance military structures of Europe. Built from 1559–94 atop a medieval fort on an island near the meeting of the Havel and the Spree, it was design ...

, and Lampert Distelmeyer, Chancellor of the

Margraviate of Brandenburg The Margraviate of Brandenburg () was a major principality of the Holy Roman Empire from 1157 to 1806 that, having electoral status although being quite poor, grew rapidly in importance after inheriting the Duchy of Prussia in 1618 and then came ...

. * 1906

Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (11August 177815October 1852) was a German gymnastics educator and nationalist whose writing is credited with the founding of the German gymnastics (Turner) movement, first realized at Volkspark Hasenheide in Berlin, the origin of modern sports ...

, bust monument,

Weißwasser Weißwasser (, ; ) is a town in Upper Lusatia in eastern Saxony, Germany. Weißwasser is the third largest town in the Görlitz (district), Görlitz district after Görlitz and Zittau. The town's landmark is its water tower. The town is part o ...

, Jahn-Park. * 1909

Frederick William, Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz Frederick William (17 October 1819 – 30 May 1904) was a German sovereign who ruled over the state of Mecklenburg-Strelitz as grand duke from 1860 until his death. Biography He was born in Neustrelitz, the son of Grand Duke Georg of Mecklen ...

, bronze statue, Neustrelitz, Paradeplatz; destroyed in 1944. * 1911

Joachim II Hector, Elector of Brandenburg Joachim II ( or ''Hektor''; 13 January 1505 – 3 January 1571) was a Prince-elector of the Margraviate of Brandenburg (1535–1571), the sixth member of the House of Hohenzollern. Joachim II was the eldest son of Joachim I Nestor, Elector of Br ...

, bronze statue,

Stadtschloss, Berlin The Berlin Palace (), formerly known as the Royal Palace (), is a large building adjacent to Berlin Cathedral and the Museum Island in the Mitte area of Berlin. It was the main residence of the Electors of Brandenburg, Kings of Prussia and ...

; missing and presumed destroyed. * 1912

Gaspard II de Coligny Gaspard de Coligny, seigneur de Châtillon (; 16 February 1519 – 24 August 1572), was a French nobleman, Admiral of France, and Huguenot leader during the French Wars of Religion. He served under kings Francis I and Henry II during the ...

, bronze statue,

Wilhelmshaven Wilhelmshaven (, ''Wilhelm's Harbour''; Northern Low Saxon: ''Willemshaven'') is a coastal town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the western side of the Jade Bight, a bay of the North Sea, and has a population of 76,089. Wilhelmsha ...

. Martin Wolff - Denkmal Adolf Bardeleben.jpg, Bust of Heinrich Adolf von Bardeleben Johann Georg (Brandenburg) Siegesallee Zitadelle.JPG, Johann Georg; now at the Spandau Citadel Reuter-Neubrandenburg-JMUnger.jpg, Fritz Reuter Monument, Neubrandenburg Friedrich Ludwig Jahn Bueste Weisswasser.jpg, Bust of
Friedrich Ludwig Jahn Humboldt Box, Berlin 2017 015.jpg, Moritz von Oranien, Berlin (1906)

External links

Charité website: Denkmäler Berühmter Wissentschaftler und Politiker in den Gartenanlangen...
(list of the bust monuments at the Charité Hospital, with biographies, histories and photographs of the surviving busts) {{DEFAULTSORT:Wolff, Martin 1852 births 1919 deaths Sculptors from Berlin Prussian Academy of Arts alumni Artists from the Kingdom of Prussia 20th-century German sculptors 20th-century German male artists 19th-century German sculptors German male sculptors

Life

Selected major works

Further reading

External links