Karl Hagenauer

Karl Hagenauer ( 1898 - 1956 ) was an Austrian architect , artisans and designers . He was the eldest son of Carl Hagenauer , the founder of the "Werkstätte Hagenauer". The company initially specialized in traditional “ Viennese bronzes ” and was taken over by Karl Hagenauer in 1928. He expanded and managed the business until his death. In recognition of his achievements, he was appointed a member of the board of the Austrian workshops and the Austrian Werkbund . His style before the Second World War was assigned to Art Deco , after the war to Mid Century Modern .

Life

Karl Hagenauer completed his architectural training at the Kunstgewerbeschule under Josef Hofmann and Karl Strnad and graduated with a diploma in architecture. After two years of military service, he joined his father's company in 1919 and subsequently designed hundreds of arts and crafts objects. The models listed in the 1928 catalog are almost exclusively works by Karl Hagenauer.

In 1928, after the death of their father, the siblings Karl, Franz and Grete took over the workshop. Karl took over the management and was still responsible for the designs of the brass figures. His younger brother Franz Hagenauer also worked in the company. In addition to his sculptural work, he was involved in the modernization and expansion of the product range with many designs.

In the economically difficult times of the late 1920s and early 1930s, Karl Hagenauer met the public's taste with the elegant and inexpensive brass objects. The offer has been expanded to include works made of silver, copper and wood. A carpentry shop and a sales branch on the Opernring increased the income. The handicrafts at a high level and the exclusive utensils secured the company's existence. Much of the production has already gone to Western Europe and the USA. The war years meant that Karl Hagenauer had to ensure the continued existence of the workshop by manufacturing brass parts for the armaments industry.

In the economically difficult post-war period, brass was practically unavailable. With the acquisition of a turnery in Fuschl, production was largely switched to souvenir items and design objects made of wood. A branch for modern interiors was opened in Salzburg. With the economic upswing in Eastern Austria, there was now greater demand for the products of the Werkstätte am Wiener Opernring. Modern small pieces of furniture, lighting fixtures and metalwork again completed the offer.

Karl Hagenauer died of a heart attack in 1956. He was buried at the Vienna Central Cemetery . His brother Franz took over the management of the workshop. The shop on the Opernring was subsequently run by his son Karl Hagenauer jr. further.

Exhibitions

• 1930 Triennale di Milano
• 1948, 1951, 1955, 1957 Triennale in Milan or Monza
• 1971 Exhibition at the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna 
• 2011 Exhibition in the Otto Wagner “Sparcassensaal” of the BAWAG Foundation, Vienna

literature

• Fritz Wotruba, Wilhelm Mrazek: Catalog for the exhibition "Hagenauer" in the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna.
• Erich Breinsberg: Franz Hagenauer - The singular art of hand-driven metal sculpture . Morawa, ISBN 978-3-9905706-9-2 .
• Olga Kronsteiner: Werkstätte Hagenauer - Viennese Modernism and New Objectivity . Exhibition catalog Wagner-Werk of the Bawag Foundation, 2011.

Individual evidence

1. ^ Karl Hagenauer grave site , Vienna, Central Cemetery, Group 89, Row 4, No. 25.