Meinrad Zünd

Meinrad Zünd (born May 5, 1916 in Balgach ; † March 21, 1998 there ; entitled to live there ) was a Swiss artist and sculptor from Balgach in the St. Gallen Rhine Valley . He was known as Mädy Zünd or as he called himself: Mädy XIII. He created simple but very expressive works of wood, iron, bronze, stone or clay, but also paintings on canvas and on facades, as well as woodcuts.

Painting by Mädy Zünd in the northeast corner of the drugstore in Rebstein
(seen from the staircase to the castle)

Life

Meinrad Zünd grew up as the 13th child of a poor working-class family in Balgach. After compulsory schooling, which he completed more or less successfully, he initially worked in a so-called "ship embroidery" as a simple worker. After a year and a half, he was sent to a bakery as an apprentice . However, he soon broke off this apprenticeship and found a job in his brother's plumbing shop. Mady, as he was called by everyone, discovered in his spare time his ability to carve figures out of old fence posts. Among them were some figures of the Swiss national saint, Brother Klaus , which he sold to pious fellow citizens for pocket money. A doctor from Balgach then helped him to get a scholarship and thus enabled him to study for four years at the arts and crafts school in Lucerne. During this intensive time his love for the creative arts grew, which became his calling. He also met Klara Stutz in Lucerne , his future wife, with whom he moved back to the St. Gallen Rhine Valley after completing his studies.

Stone relief "In the oak forest" at the oak fountain in Balgach .

His artistic work was close to nature and the people and was initially insufficient to support the growing family. His wife Claire had to earn her daily bread as a wallpaper seamstress for many years . Mädy Zünd lived with his family in a small house on the edge of the forest above the village of Balgach. His modest studio and a few small stables for a few pets and farm animals were attached to the house. He was very well read and has also trained. In later years he was financially able to travel to different European countries and explore great art with his own eyes. The versatile artist wrote a 280-page autobiography and designed his own urn while he was still alive. He was popular with the population because of its simplicity and was considered a life artist and original.

Painting in sgraffito technique by Mädy Zünd on the south side of the syringe house (former fire department depot and today's local museum) in Rebstein .

Works

The fountain figure "Girl with Field Flower" on the Untermäderbrunnen in Balgach.

The works of Mädy Zünd are characterized by clear lines and strong colors. They are limited to the essentials, but do not require any explanation. The range of subjects in his works is quite large. There are subjects from everyday life, from the Bible, saints, animals, etc.

• various wood carvings
• Iron and bronze figures
• Sculptures made of stone and clay
• various paintings on canvas and on facades
• Woodcuts

literature

• Mady the XIII. Autobiography, Mädy Zünd, 1995, 2nd edition

Web links

Commons : Mädy Zünd  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• Zünd, girl. In: Sikart

swell

• Our Rhine Valley, yearbook for the St. Gallen Rhine Valley. 56th year (1999), pp. 226–232 (Author: Peter J. Schaps, former secondary school teacher, Altstätten )
• Rhine valley heads. Historical-biographical portraits from five centuries. 2004, ISBN 3-033-00265-X .