Franz greetings

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Franz Gruß (born January 29, 1931 in Ringwalde near Malapane , Upper Silesia, † October 30, 2006 in Großwelka ( Bautzen )) was a German sculptor.

Life

At the age of twelve he discovered painting, drawing and modeling for himself. This talent favored his further professional career. After the war his family settled in Großwelka near Bautzen and he began training as a decorative painter. He later completed courses at evening school and then completed his training as a sculptor.

In 1978 he modeled the first dinosaur figures from the Mesozoic era in his private garden . This is how the first dinosaur garden was created, in which faithful replicas and models of great apes can also be seen. His work quickly became known in the region. He obtained the cement, which was scarce in the GDR, from allegedly torn sacks of the planned economy. In the neighboring town of Kleinwelka , the desire also grew to create a dinosaur park or primeval zoo, which was then realized in 1981. The original zoo quickly became popular in the GDR .

In addition to the facility in Kleinwelka, Franz Gruß further expanded his private dinosaur garden. Franz Gruß worked in both areas until 1991, but from 1991 until his death only continued the work in the private complex, the dinosaur garden, as he had fallen out with the community over the income. The sculptor Thomas Stern has continued work in the dinosaur park since 1994. The dinosaur park and garden are now connected to each other and can be visited with one ticket.

Greeting opened in 1996 with the Urzeitpark another private area in Sebnitz . There are more than 400 sculptures of dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals to visit. The reticent autodidact died ten years later of cancer at the age of seventy-five.

Honors

Web links

Commons : Franz Gruß  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ [1] The primeval giants of Lausitz, mdr series: Der Osten on July 2nd, 2019
  2. ↑ Office of the Federal President
personal data
SURNAME Greetings, Franz
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German painter and sculptor
DATE OF BIRTH January 29, 1931
PLACE OF BIRTH Ringwalde near Malapane , Upper Silesia
DATE OF DEATH October 30, 2006
Place of death Großwelka ( Bautzen )