Friedrich Press

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Friedrich Press (born September 7, 1904 in Ascheberg , Westphalia , † February 5, 1990 in Dresden ) was a German sculptor , painter and church interior designer.

Life

Pietà in the Catholic Court Church in Dresden (1973)
Wall design "Red Sea" in the Trinity Church (Stralsund) (1966)
Steel worker sculpture in Niederhäslich (1953)

After training as a wood and stone sculptor in Münster , he attended the Kunstgewerbeschule in Dortmund from 1924 to 1926 , after which he studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule Charlottenburg with Hans Perathoner and at the Dresden Art Academy , among others with Georg Wrba .

Until 1935 Press lived as a freelance artist near his hometown. He set up his first studio from Easter 1931 to 1935 in the castle tower of Davensberg Castle . During this time he created his "Christ Head", which attracted great attention at exhibitions in Münster and Berlin in 1932 . In the same year he created the soldier with horse memorial for those who died in World War I at the agricultural school in St. Katharinenstift in his hometown . This is now in the Ascheberg cemetery.

Press' works soon encountered resistance from the National Socialists . He received no more public commissions, his art was considered degenerate . In 1933 an exhibition with his works was closed at the instigation of the National Socialists.

In 1946 Press returned from captivity to the destroyed Dresden and concentrated his work on sacred art and church interior design. With a few exceptions, he received no government contracts. In 1965 the Vatican Museum bought his carved figure Ecce Homo . From 1970, Press redesigned the interior of the Josefskirche in the Dresden district of Pieschen . He also redesigned the chancel of the Kreuzkirche in Weimar .

In 1980 he was elected a member of the Academy of Arts in Parma in Italy , and in May 1985 Press became an honorary citizen of his home town of Ascheberg .

Friedrich Press designed over 40 churches in the GDR as well as in West Germany . One of his best-known works is the Pietà in the Katholische Hofkirche (cathedral) in Dresden, created in 1973 , the largest sculpture ever made from Meissen porcelain . There are also numerous murals made of Meissen porcelain by the artist, which can be experienced in and on public buildings.

The last work by Friedrich Press is the design of the chancel of the Martinus Church in Deutsch Evern , Lüneburg district. Previously, the interior of the Berlin Holy Cross Church was done according to his ideas, it was his last work in East Berlin .

The Diocesan Museum ( Museum am Dom ) in Würzburg manages his estate . Individual works can also be found in the smaller museums of the diocese such as the “Pilger & Wallfahrer” museum in Dettelbach .

The grave of the Press couple is in the Loschwitz cemetery in Dresden. Press created his grave sculpture himself.

Web links

Commons : Friedrich Press  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Atelier in the Burgturm: Friedrich Press , accessed on June 3, 2012
  2. ↑ Typewritten chronicle of the Holy Cross Church in Berlin-Hohenschönhausen, in the archive of the Lichtenberg Local History Museum.
  3. ↑ On the trail of the big questions. Diocese of Würzburg, May 3, 2013, accessed on July 28, 2014 .
personal data
SURNAME Press, Friedrich
BRIEF DESCRIPTION German sculptor, painter and interior designer
DATE OF BIRTH September 7, 1904
PLACE OF BIRTH Ashberg
DATE OF DEATH 5th February 1990
Place of death Dresden