Josef Ehinger

Josef Ehinger (* 23. December 1889 in Meersburg , † 7. August 1955 ) was a German sculptor , wood carver , wood carver and restorer .

Life

Josef Ehinger, son of the Meersburg master baker Friedrich Ehinger, after completing his apprenticeship as a baker, joined the Mezger sculptor and restoration workshop in Überlingen in April 1906 without the knowledge of his parents. His teacher Victor Mezger immediately judged him to be talented because he waived his tuition fees. He completed his apprenticeship as a wood carver by April 1909 in Überlingen and Karlsruhe, the Mezgers branch. There he learned to work with stone. Furthermore, he first attended the vocational training school in Meersburg for two years, 1909/1910 the vocational school in Überlingen and finally for a few months the Grand Ducal Badische Kunstgewerbeschule in Karlsruhe. Ehinger completed his training as the “best wood carver” at the trade school.

He spent 1911 to 1914 in Berlin at the Charlottenburg School of Applied Arts. Despite a scholarship, he was dependent on additional income, so he was already selling his first works at that time and worked for a time in a carpentry shop. In 1915 he did his military service in the First World War and then returned to Meersburg wounded. Ehinger died in Meersburg at the age of 66. The art room was taken over by his daughter Annette and his sculptures continued in the spirit of his late teacher Berthold "Bertie" Brandes, since Ehinger's son Reinhard died in 1952 of pneumonia.

Artistic phases

Picture carver

In 1919, Ehinger transformed his father's bakery on Schlossplatz into a carving workshop. In 1920, in which he also married, he took part in an art exhibition in Meersburg together with his more famous artist colleagues Waldemar Flaig and Kasia von Szadurska . With a crucifix in pear wood with an ornamental background , he won the championship title on February 22, 1923. Two years later he went to the art metropolis of Munich for a while to supplement his studies.

Most of the time, however, he spent in Meersburg. There he occasionally worked with the nationally known painters Hans Dieter and Kasia von Szadurska, among other things on house altars and furniture. In 1932 he moved his workshop to Mesmerstrasse - just outside the city center; He kept the house with art parlor as a shop. During the Nazi era , he benefited from funding from the Mayors of Meersburg, Karl Moll and Friedrich Vogt, who actively supported local handicrafts under the aspect of tourism.

Nativity Carver

Ehinger quickly made a name for himself as a nativity scene carver. He came to this subject through his childhood friendship with the church painter Karl Strommayer, in whose house one of the largest nativity scenes in Meersburg is located, and the sacristan Georg Seyfried. From the mid-twenties, his crib ensembles were discussed and depicted in many German magazines.

One of his most important works was a monumental nativity scene with a landscape for the Heiligkreuzkirche in Bad Kreuznach, which he made around 1925. After the Second World War, together with Pastor Restle, he initiated the crib (1951) in the Meersburg parish church , in which Meersburg citizens can be seen as figures, most of which were created by his apprentice Berthold Brandes.

Interior decorator

Although he was known throughout Germany for his cribs, this is only a small part of his extensive oeuvre. In addition to figures of saints and putti , he also manufactured complete furnishings for private apartments and restaurants in Meersburg, such as B. for the "Ratskeller" and the "Becher" as well as the "Bear" and the "Lion" opposite.

Monuments

Bear fountain in Steigstrasse in Meersburg by Josef Ehinger

In addition to the wooden sculptures, he occasionally made memorial plaques, tombs and fountains in stone, such as B. the "Bear Fountain". This is one of the Meersburg figureheads, which still today reminds of the "civil society of the Hunderteiner" in a prominent place in Steigstrasse.

He sent his works not only within Germany to Stralsund, but also z. B. to Königsberg, London, New York and Cincinnati. He was also involved in organizing the first art exhibition after the Second World War in the Old Castle of Meersburg, where he himself exhibited numerous exhibits.

restorer

First and foremost, Ehinger stands for down-to-earth saints and nativity figures in their own style. But his work also includes modern figures, portraits and ensembles in Art Deco style . He also carried out restorations of church inventory and historical buildings, but also copied medieval and baroque masterpieces of wooden sculpture. To lively design his animal figures, he often visited the zoo in Berlin and studied the movements of the animals. The zoo director at the time bought some of Ehinger's studies. In addition, he made jewelry barrels for the winegrowers' associations in Meersburg and Hagnau and the Meersburg state winery , partly in collaboration with his son Reinhard . Examples are the "five-country barrel" and the anniversary barrel for the 50th anniversary of the winegrowers' association.

student

After the Second World War, orders from members of the French occupying military soon followed, which made it possible for Ehinger to employ more apprentices than needed - Ehinger's version of social commitment. His apprentices included his children Norbert, who did not practice the profession, Annette and the particularly versatile Reinhard Ehinger, as well as Berthold "Bertie" Brandes, but also Norbert Zepf, Klaus Pytzka, Konrad Holzapfel, Gregor Betz, Hermann Schneider and Hans- Georg Benz.

Exhibitions

• In 1956, Annette Ehinger organized an exhibition about her father in the Old Castle in Meersburg, supplementing it with her own works.
• December 6, 2014 to January 18, 2015: 125 years of the Josef Ehinger art workshop in Meersburg. In the Meersburg winegrowers' association in the lower town of Meersburg.

Appreciation as an artist

The extensive estate, including parts of the workshop, is held by the city and the Meersburg Museum and History Association. His works are listed in auctions.

Web links

Commons : Josef Ehinger  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Josef Ehinger on artnet

Individual evidence

1. ↑ See also Yvonne Herzig: Süddeutsche Skulptur im Historismus. Petersberg 2001, ISBN 3-932526-88-0 , p. 22.
2. ↑ Erna Stübel: Meersburg - From history and art…. Konstanz n.d. (around 1955), p. 59.
3. ↑ Margret Meier and Peter Schmidt: Meersburger Fasnacht through the ages from 1360. Tettnang 2013, p. 168.
4. ↑ Meersburg Community Post from November 2, 1952
5. ↑ Brigitte Rieger-Benkel u. Barbara Stark: Kasia von Szadurska. 1886–1942 - passion and suffering. Konstanz 2009, ISBN 978-3-929768-24-4 , p. 16.
6. ^ According to Meersburger Gemeindeblatt from June 17, 1934.
7. ^ Museum Association Meersburg (ed.): Meersburg under the swastika. 1933-1945. Friedrichshafen 2011, p. 186.
8. ↑ z. B. The Freiburg newspaper's picture show on December 24, 1927; Die Neue Demokratie im Bild , 2nd year, issue 31/32, 1947; Bodensee Rundschau from October 9, 1937 a. German Bodenseezeitung from October 6, 1936.
9. ^ German Bodenseezeitung from December 16, 1926. u. Seebote from December 16, 1926.
10. ↑ Numerous small monuments in Meersburg and the surrounding area came from the Ehinger workshop. An overview is provided: Diethard Nowak: Small monuments in the Meersburger Landen. Meersburg 2003.
11. ↑ A close relationship between Ehinger and the “Hunderteiners” is also conveyed: Guntram Brummer: The Meersburger Bürgergesellschaft der Hunderteiner. Meersburg 1972. One chapter is dedicated to Joseph Ehinger's Hundred Tile Table in the “Bear”.
12. ↑ Kathrin Stutz, Lisa Foege: 500 Years of the St. Anna Brotherhood in Meersburg 1510–2010. Tettnang 2010, ISBN 978-3-86136-149-7 , pp. 80-83.
13. ^ Diaries and accounts from the Josef Ehinger estate at the city of Meersburg and the Museum and History Association Meersburg.
14. ↑ Bodensee Rundschau of September 29, 1937.
15. ^ Documents, diaries and account books from the estate of Josef Ehinger near the city of Meersburg and the Museum and History Association of Meersburg
16. ↑ Account book 1949–1955.
17. ↑ Sylvia Floetemeyer: exhibition opens on 6 December. In: Südkurier from November 28, 2014
18. ^ Sculptures by Josef Ehinger on artnet