Marcel Hastir

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Marcel Hastir (born March 22, 1906 in Brussels ; † July 2, 2011 ) was a painter and active in the Belgian resistance. Two prizes from the Royal Academy of Belgium are named after him, one for music and one for painting.

Life

Marcel Hastir trained as a painter with Constant Montald, Émile Fabry and Jean Delville, and trained as a sculptor with Victor Rousseau. During his military service he worked on the preparatory work for Belgium's centenary (1930). He was then commissioned to furnish the interior of the chemistry pavilion for the World Exhibition in Brussels (1935). In the same year he moved to the Léopold district in Brussels, to the house at Rue du Commerce 51, which belongs to the Theosophical Society of Belgium, of which he was a member.

With the help of a deception maneuver, Marcel Hastir obtained permission from the German occupation in 1940 to hold painting and drawing courses in his studio. Behind this facade, he was able to offer a certain protection to young resistance members who met in his house and copied leaflets. This also enabled him to save a number of fellow countrymen from being sent to forced labor. Among the course participants were the brothers Alexandre and Youra Livchitz , two students of Jewish origin, and the actor Jean Franklemon , who hatched one of the boldest plans of the resistance in Belgium: Together with a friend, Robert Maistriau , they managed to transport the 20th Jews from To stop Mechelen after Auschwitz and to help some deportees to escape.

After the war, Marcel Hastir resumed his work as a painter and portraitist, but also gave drawing lessons and courses in the restoration of oil paintings. At the same time he organized with his wife Ginette van Rijckevorsel van Kessel, whom he married in 1946, musical and literary events, theater performances and philosophical lectures in his studio. In this way, young artists were promoted on a small scale, on an equal footing with the public, so to speak, and some talent was discovered, such as Charles Trenet , Jacques Brel , Barbara, Carlo Van Neste , Lola Bobesco , Narciso Yepes and Maurice Béjart . The painters René Magritte , Paul Delvaux and Jef Lambeaux went in and out there. Queen Elisabeth , the wife of Albert I , a Wittelsbach woman from Bavaria, was also an occasional guest in the studio.

In 1949 Marcel and Ginette founded the association "L'Atelier - Maison des arts coordonnés". During his lifetime, Marcel Hastir often told of these fruitful, lively and enriching years, in which thinkers and peace activists such as Lanza del Vasto , Père Pire or Abbé Pierre also came to give lectures in the studio. Marcel Hastir reports on many experiences of these years in the book “Une Vie”, his biography, which was reprinted in 2015.

In 1983 his wife Ginette died. Already at this point in time, the real estate speculation in the Léopold quarter threatened the remaining old houses, and so Marcel Hastir, as a tenant in the house of the Theosophical Society, had to fear for his place to live. He was threatened with eviction several times, especially between 2000 and 2004. Thanks to a citizens' initiative of Belgians and Germans who made friends with the aged painter, it was possible to save his house and residence.

Gamba concert in the Hastir studio, 2018

In 2005, on the initiative of Marcel Hastir, a foundation, the "Fondation Atelier Marcel Hastir", was set up, to which he assigned all of his artistic work. On March 22, 2006, Marcel Hastir was awarded honorary citizenship by the city of Brussels on his 100th birthday. At the same time, his studio was officially classified as a historical and cultural heritage worthy of protection. The French-language Belgian television RTBF broadcast the film "51, Rue du Commerce" by Caroline Hack, which depicts the painter's life and work.

On April 24, 2008, Marcel Hastir received the honorary title “Mensch de l'année” from the secular Jewish society in Brussels, which highlights his special services to fellow Jewish citizens during the Second World War. At this ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Laurette Onkelinx announced on behalf of the Belgian state that it would support the foundation's efforts to acquire the house on Rue du Commerce. The building was bought by the city of Brussels in February 2010 and on October 1st 2010 it was leased to the “Fondation Atelier Marcel Hastir” for 99 years. The multifaceted work of Marcel Hastir was saved and placed in the hands of his friends and confidants.

Gravesite of Carl Sternheim and Marcel Hastir in Ixelles

Marcel Hastir died on July 2, 2011 at the age of 105. He is buried in the grave of his friend, the German-Jewish writer Carl Sternheim , in the cemetery of Ixelles .

The non-profit foundation and the association continue to organize concerts and theater performances, lectures, film and discussion evenings and take care of the maintenance of the house. Drawing, language and dance courses are also held in the house. In addition, guided tours through the building and the studio are possible (by arrangement) and the rooms can be rented for concerts, lectures, exhibitions and private parties.

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