Theodor Francksen

In the middle with a book: Theodor Francksen, member of the Camera obscura Oldenburgensis , 1893.

Theodor Francksen (born April 2, 1875 in Oldenburg ; † June 17, 1914 there ) was a German collector , patron and the founder of the Oldenburg City Museum .

Life

His father - Theodor Francksen senior - was a wholesale merchant whose economic success enabled his only child to build up the Francksen collections and become a patron. The collector Theodor Francksen fell ill with tuberculosis during his school days (1881–1896) , which led to school breaks due to illness. He was a student at the old grammar school and a member of the Camera obscura Oldenburgensis student association . Theodor Francksen lost both parents before he finished school.

After graduating from high school in 1896, he studied law in Lausanne , Berlin , Heidelberg and Göttingen , but had to give up this in 1900 due to illness. Between 1902 and 1906 Theodor Francksen undertook a total of seven trips to Italy, during which he deepened his cultural inclinations. His illness finally prevented further trips, after which he concentrated on building up his collections. He collected antique vases and terracottas, Japanese woodblock prints and Chinese porcelain , European prints from the 16th century to the present day as well as in his Oldenburg collection art, arts and crafts and cultural-historical objects from the 17th to the 20th centuries with a clear connection to the city and country of Oldenburg . He was also interested in contemporary art, from which he also purchased pieces. Theodor Francksen's graphic collection comprised around 7,000 sheets at his death.

In order to be able to present his collections, he first rebuilt the "Francksen Villa" he had inherited. In 1908 he bought a neighboring house, the "Jürgensche Villa". The two houses were connected by a connecting corridor in the same year and are now part of the Oldenburg City Museum.

Theodor Francksen died on June 17, 1914. He bequeathed his property to the city of Oldenburg with the aim of developing a museum. On January 1, 1915, the city accepted the legacy. In addition to the city museum, the Horst Janssen Museum is now also located on the property donated by Theodor Francksen.

literature

• Thea Strahlmann: A typical Oldenburg, Theodor Francksen. A biography. Isensee, Oldenburg 1998, ISBN 3-89598-514-7 .

Web links

• Website of the Stadtmuseum Oldenburg on the founder ( Memento from February 17, 2010 in the Internet Archive )