Axel Guttmann

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Axel Guttmann (born September 27, 1944 in Krems ; † October 28, 2001 in Berlin ) was a German builder and collector of antique weapons.

After training as an industrial clerk, Axel Guttmann worked for the Klingbeil Group , of which he had been managing partner since 1978. Here he learned from Karsten Klingbeil . In 1993 he took on the same function at the Trigon group of companies , the successor company after Klingbeil retired into private life, and remained there until his death. With the Trigon group of companies, Guttmann and his business partner Klaus Grönke dedicated themselves in particular to the property development business in the construction of Berlin and the new federal states after German reunification . In 1994 the company got into massive difficulties after taking over 27 Interhotels from the former GDR from the Treuhand and amassing five to six billion D-Marks in debts because the intended resale of the houses, apart from four houses, did not materialize. In addition to the general economic situation, restitution claims were also decisive for the bad investment. By the time they went bankrupt , Guttman and Grönke are said to have amassed assets of up to 500 million Deutschmarks. They owned a private plane and shares in the private radio station Hundert, 6 . One of his friends was Hundert, 6 managing director Georg Gafron . Trigon did not go bankrupt, however, as the banks feared bankruptcy and therefore supported the group of companies.

Since 1982 Guttmann has built up a well-known private art collection, which, in addition to sculptures and other works of art, included, in particular, ancient oriental , ancient and historical European weapons. What began in 1982 with a Roman bronze helmet was in 1993 a collection of 1200 pieces - including 174 helmets - which the collector kept on the upper floor of his villa in Berlin-Dahlem . From the beginning he worked with the restorer Hermann Born , who also took care of the publication of the Axel Guttmann Collection , which, without being completely processed, comprised nine volumes after ten years when Guttmann died in 2001. The focus of Guttmann's collection was on Assyrian , Urartean , Early Greek , Celtiberian , Campanian - Apulian and Roman pieces. The majority of the collection came from the international art trade, which meant that the provenance of the pieces could usually no longer be determined. Guttmann also bought some pieces that probably came from illegal robbery excavations, especially in Southeastern Europe , because he was of the opinion that the pieces would not be withdrawn from research. From the beginning he made his collection accessible to research. He also repeatedly loaned pieces for exhibitions. He also supported scientific research on ancient weapons and military technology as well as military history .

Guttmann died after a short, serious illness. His collection was sold in 2002 and 2004. He was married twice and left a wife.

literature

Catalogs from the Guttmann Collection

Axel Guttmann Collection. Verlag Guttmann Collection at von Zabern, Mainz

  • Volume 1: Hermann Born, Louis D. Nebelsick : A bronze punk helmet from the Hallstatt period. 1991.
  • Volume 2: Hermann Born: Restoration of antique bronze weapons. 1993
  • Volume 3: Hermann Born, Svend Hansen : Early history bronze helmets. 1994
  • Volume 4: Hermann Born, Ursula Seidl : Protective weapons from Assyria and Urartu. 1995
  • Volume 5: Hermann Born, Klaus Stemmer :. Damnatio memoriae. The Berlin Nero portrait .. 1996
  • Volume 6: Hermann Born, Marcus Junkelmann : Roman combat and tournament armor. 1997
  • Volume 7: Melitta Kunze-Köllensperger: Alexander's animals. 2000
  • Volume 8: Marcus Junkelmann: Roman helmets. 2000
  • Volume 9: Hermann Born, Svend Hansen: Helmets and Weapons of Old Europe. 2001
Auction catalogs of the Guttmann Collection (selection)
  • The art of warfare. The Axel Guttmann collection, part 1. Wednesday 6 November 2002. Christie's South Kensington, London
  • The Axel Guttmann collection of ancient arms and armor, part 2. Wednesday 28 April 2004. Christie's South Kensington, London
  • Iron objects and selected antiques from the Axel Guttman Berlin collection. Hermann Historica, Munich, auction 44, May 15, 2004.
  • Continental ceramics, including the Otto Höffer and Alexander Guttmann collections. Monday 5 July 2004. Christie's London
  • The Alexander Guttmann porcelain collection. Hampel art auctions Munich, December 3, 2004

Web links

supporting documents

  1. ↑ Corpses in the basement
  2. ↑ Axel Guttmann is dead
personal data
SURNAME Guttmann, Axel
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German builder and collector of antique weapons
DATE OF BIRTH September 27, 1944
PLACE OF BIRTH Krems
DATE OF DEATH October 28, 2001
Place of death Berlin