Friedrich Wilhelm Hörnlein

Medal from Friedrich Wilhelm Hörnlein, inflation 1923, minted in the Muldenhütten mint

Friedrich Wilhelm Hörnlein (born August 16, 1873 in Suhl , † February 13, 1945 in Dresden ) was a Saxon medalist . He mostly signed his works with FH

Life

Hörnlein was born the son of a carpenter in Suhl. After elementary school , at the age of 14, he began an apprenticeship in the "Art Engraving Institute" Robert Fritz in Suhl, where he learned the craft of engraving . The company specialized in engraving of hunting rifles, jewelry and even the cutting of stamps . Hörnlein's first teacher was the engraver Richard Keller. Hörnlein spent his wandering years in Lüdenscheid , Elberfeld and Vienna before finally finding a job with the Dresden engraver Northmann. He had already attended courses in drawing and modeling in Vienna. He continued this artistic training in Dresden, where from 1896 to 1898 he attended the sculpture class of Prof. Hugo Spieler at the School of Applied Arts before finally switching to portrait painting . Supported by his parents, he continued his art studies until 1905 at the Academy of Fine Arts with the impressionists Hermann Freye , Leon Pohle , Carl Bantzer and Gotthardt Kuehl . After his studies, Hörnlein worked as a freelance painter , sculptor for small sculptures and medalist in Dresden. During this time he also took part in various competitions and exhibitions, which in turn resulted in state and private commissions, especially for plaques and medals . The period between 1905 and 1911 was characterized by close collaboration with the mint Carl Poellath , for which Hörnlein created a number of medals and tokens .

On May 27, 1911, Hörnlein was appointed as a coin engraver at the Kgl. Saxon State Mint Muldenhütten . On June 1, 1911, he succeeded Max Barduleck, who had retired . He was allowed to keep his residence in Dresden at his request.

On May 14, 1913 Hörnlein married Pauline Luise Wahode. From this marriage a girl named Gertrud was born. The family lived at Ostbahnstrasse 17 until 1945 , where Hörnlein was killed together with his wife and daughter in the great bombing raid on Dresden on February 13, 1945. On his last medal he had depicted the intact Dresden before the destruction.

plant

3 Mark Friedrich the Wise (1917), Hörnlein stamp

More than 300 medals and coins were created by Hörnlein. The commemorative coin he created for the 400th anniversary of the Reformation in 1917 with the bust of Frederick the Wise is one of the most valuable and rarest silver coins of modern times. The catalog raisonné , published in 1992, lists a total of 403 works, including models and stamps, without making any claim to completeness. Hörnlein's tragic death not only put an end to his artistic work, it also marked the end of the traditional medal tradition of the Saxon Mint in Dresden, which had grown historically over centuries . What is special about Hörnlein’s medals is that he was one of the last representatives of direct cutting. Through his training as an engraver and chaser for hunting rifles, he was able to cut his designs into the stamps himself. Dispensing with the reducer makes his artistic signature look and feel much more immediate. In addition to his work as a medalist, Hörnlein also engaged in painting and small sculptures . However, very few of his pictures have survived.

Awards

During his studies, Hörnlein received several awards:

1898 and 1899 premiums
1900 Certificate of honor with a premium
1902 the small silver medal of the academy
1903 the great silver medal of the academy
In 1904, instead of the large gold medal, a cash prize of 500 marks in connection with a medal for his teacher Gotthardt Kuehl
Order of Merit of Saint Michael ( Order of Saint Michael )

literature

Paul Arnold, Max Fischer, Ulli Arnold: Friedrich Wilhelm Hörnlein 1873–1945. Ed .: Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Münzkabinett Dresden, 1992
Forrer 7, pp. 454-455
ThB 17, p. 220
Vollmer 2, p. 460
Hans-Günther Hartmann: Friedrich Wilhelm Hörnlein: an important German medalist of the 20th century and the March League . Freiberg, 2018. ISBN 978-3-86012-593-9

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Hörnlein, Friedrich Wilhelm
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German medalist
DATE OF BIRTH	August 16, 1873
PLACE OF BIRTH	Suhl
DATE OF DEATH	February 13, 1945
Place of death	Dresden