Erich Fitzbauer

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Erich Fitzbauer (born May 13, 1927 in Vienna ; pseudonym: Hieronymus Zyx) is an Austrian graphic artist , illustrator , writer , publisher , printer and graphic collector who, among other things, founded the International Stefan Zweig Society in 1957 and as a publisher of "Edition Graphischer Zirkel" became known.

Education and employment

Fitzbauer spent his childhood in Vienna. At the Second World War , he first took off in 1943 as an Air Force auxiliary , and in the last days of the war even as an infantryman in part so that he in Soviet captivity on the Crimea fell. In 1947 he began studying German and psychology at the University of Vienna , which he completed in 1952 with a master's degree. In addition, he learned the trade of a bookseller . From 1953 to 1976 he taught as a professor at the Hernalser Gymnasium Geblergasse in Vienna. He was also a freelancer for several domestic and foreign magazines and newspapers; occasionally he also worked for the Austrian radio . For these he delivered stories, essays and series of articles on literature and the visual arts, especially of the 20th century.

Artistic and publishing work

Since 1955 Fitzbauer had contacts to numerous writers and artists at home and abroad, including Peter Gan , Hans Henny Jahnn , Felix and Robert Braun , Gunter Böhmer , Robert Hammerstiel and Max Brod . In 1957 Fitzbauer founded the International Stefan Zweig Society in Vienna , of which he was President until 1964. He has dedicated numerous exhibitions and publications to this author, including first editions and works with original graphics. In addition, the illustrators Hans Fronius , with whom he had worked in the Zweig Society from 1958, Hans Alexander Müller , Axl Leskoschek , from whose estate he mainly published woodcuts, and Karl Rössing, the particular journalistic focus of Fitzbauer. For many years he was friends with the Austrian artist Carry Hauser . He printed early expressionist woodcuts and linocuts from him . In 1993 he wrote a catalog raisonné on Stefan Eggeler's oeuvre and published it as volume 54 of the Edition Graphischer Zirkel (EGZ) described below . Fitzbauer was also the publisher of "Typeface Books" with facsimiles of manuscripts by writers and visual artists of the 20th century, such as the four-volume book series "The Moving Word", one of which was devoted to the greats of the early sound film (s) (EGZ 146) active.

Erich Fitzbauer: An intimate diary of a different kind (EGZ 55)

Since 1973, the same year in which he became a member of the Austrian PEN Center (left in 2000), Fitzbauer has published the Edition Graphischer Zirkel , which has reached almost 200 titles. The impetus for this edition, in which each edition has a volume numbering, came from the conscious neglect of the bibliophile book on the part of the major publishers and his preference for illustrated books. In it appear in numbered small editions almost exclusively first prints in pictures and text, which he proofreads and designs and very often also signs. He also prints the majority of the linocuts and woodcuts by the artists involved in the editions himself, mostly as hand rubs. The majority of the editions of the Edition Graphischer Zirkel are available in bound volumes, which are reminiscent of the famous Insel-Bücherei in terms of format, their sample paper and the stuck-on title label, but the title labels do not have any numbers and there is no spine label. From the numerous journeys made by Fitzbauer to Greece and other Mediterranean countries since 1961, he brought back extensive travel records and many colored chalk drawings with realistic landscape and architectural sketches. He later published these travel impressions within the EGZ as travel books , such as B. Pinwheel, moon and magic circle. Greek impressions. Illustrations by Karlheinz Pilcz (EGZ 1, 1973), cicadas and owls call. New Greek impressions. Illustrations Erich Fitzbauer (EGZ 4, 1977) or The wind smells like macchia and sea. Greek impressions third episode. Illustrations by Erich Fitzbauer (EGZ 24, 1985).

Under the pseudonym “Hieronymus Zyx”, Fitzbauer has been writing time-critical and satirical poems since 1978, which he publishes, including with his own illustrations, in the Edition Graphischer Zirkel, such as Hieronymus Zyx: The Magic Drum. Poems in the third person. Illustrations by Gerhard Grimm (EGZ 43, 1991), Mr. Zyx: Sitting between chairs. Collected foolish wisdom. Illustrations by W. Simon (EGZ 43, 1991) or Mr. Zyx travels close - Mr. Zyx travels far. Stories in poetry. Illustrations by Erich Fitzbauer (EGZ 47, 1992).

Its strictly negative attitude towards nuclear weapons and the nuclear industry gave Fitzbauer expression with that of Kurt Moldovan illustrated book rays fugue or reprocessing of concerns. An eschatological hodgepodge published in 1987, one year after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster . In 1987 Fitzbauer received the Lower Austrian Literature Prize.

Fitzbauer, who has been married for a second time since 1972 (his marriage in 1954 resulted in a daughter in 1956) has lived and worked in Eichgraben since 1991 .

Exhibitions

  • 1969: Shapes, formulas, formations. Watercolors 1966–1968 (Austrian State Printing Office Vienna)
  • 1970: Imaginary stations. Poster, printmaking, commercial art. Small Gallery Vienna , Vienna-Josefstadt
  • 1971: Galerie Alsergrund, Vienna
  • 1975: Gallery for Sculpture, Vienna
  • 1978: District Office Josefstadt, Vienna
  • 2007: Kunsthaus Horn (Lower Austria)
  • 2007: Literaturhaus Wien
  • 2007: Lower Austria State Library, St. Pölten

literature

swell

  1. ^ Saur: General Artist Lexicon , KG Saur Verlag, Munich and Leipzig 2004, Volume 40, p. 525, ISBN 3-458-16819-2
  2. ↑ Elke Lipp: Possibilities of expanding not only island book collecting , in: Inselbücherei. Messages for friends. Number 14 . Insel, Frankfurt am Main and Leipzig 1996, ISBN 3-458-16819-2

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Fitzbauer, Erich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian graphic artist
DATE OF BIRTH May 13, 1927
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna