Wilhelm John (historian)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Wilhelm John

Wilhelm John (born May 1, 1877 in Olomouc , Moravia , † March 19, 1934 in Vienna ) was an Austrian historian and general . From 1909 until his death he was director of the Army History Museum .

Life

Wilhelm John began his military career in 1898 as a cadet in the 3rd Artillery Division , at the same time he studied history at the University of Vienna and received his doctorate in philosophy in 1901 . During his studies he became a member of the Association of German Students in Vienna . In the years from 1899 to 1901 he completed the training course at the Institute for Austrian Historical Research . He then went on a study trip to the Austrian Historical Institute in Rome . In 1902 he was promoted to lieutenant in the reserve , in 1903 he accepted a position as a “scientific unskilled worker” in the Imperial and Royal Army Museum (today: Army History Museum ) at the side of Wilhelm Erben . After Erbens left the University of Innsbruck , John became a curator , and from 1909 director of the Imperial and Royal Army Museum. In this function, John was the first to hold the official title of "director", and in his function he also held the rank of captain ( artillery engineer ), since the Army Museum was still affiliated with the technical artillery of the Austro-Hungarian Army .

His first major success was the then much-noticed Archduke Karl exhibition on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Aspern in the new wing of the Museum of Art and Industry (today: Museum of Applied Arts ), for whose organization he was directed by Emperor Franz Joseph I. was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Franz Joseph Order . In 1913 he also made a name for himself with the publication of the Archduke Carl Works .

In 1915 he was promoted to colonel and awarded the Officer's Cross with War Decoration of the Franz Joseph Order. From the beginning of the First World War , John headed the art group in the Austro-Hungarian war press quarter . In this double function as head of the KPQ art group and director of the Army Museum, he founded a large collection of works by war painters such as Oskar Laske , Ferdinand Andri , Alexander Pock , Albin Egger-Lienz and others, as was the case with the rise of the Army Museum over the years from 1909 to 1934. Subsequently, he organized the museum's other collecting service and the display of the collected works in a picture gallery, which was opened in 1923. In addition, in his double function he became a kind of “guardian angel” for artists who subsequently made a name for themselves in art history , including Egon Schiele and Anton Faistauer . He saved them from being deployed at the front by providing them with at least a temporary job or use in the Army Museum.

In 1921 John was promoted to general and in 1929 appointed councilor . Towards the end of his life, his museum activity was restricted by a severe heart condition , which led to a sudden death while he was still active . John was buried in the Vienna Central Cemetery and left a widow and daughter.

Awards (as of 1933)

Fonts (selection)

  • Wilhelm John, Wilhelm Erben: Catalog of the Austro-Hungarian Army Museum , Vienna 1903

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Louis Lange (Ed.): Kyffhäuser Association of German Student Associations. Address book 1931. Berlin 1931, p. 103.
  2. ↑ Stefan Kurz: The Archduke Karl Exhibition in 1909, in: Heeresgeschichtliches Museum (ed.), Viribus Unitis. Annual report 2017 of the Heeresgeschichtliches Museum, Vienna 2018, pp. 49–59
  3. ↑ Ilse Krumpöck: Anton Faistauers military worthlessness , in: Series of publications on Anton Faistauer and his time. Published by the Anton Faistauer Forum, Maishofen, 2007, p. 13
  4. ^ Adalbert Stifter Verein (ed.): Muses to the Front! Writer and artist in the service of the Austro-Hungarian war propaganda 1914–1918. Exhibition catalog, Munich, 2003, volume 2, p. 10
  5. ↑ John Wilhelm. In: Austrian Biographical Lexicon 1815–1950 (ÖBL). Volume 3, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna 1965, p. 126.
  6. ↑ Ilse Krumpöck: Anton Faistauers military worthlessness , in: Series of publications on Anton Faistauer and his time. Published by the Anton Faistauer Forum, Maishofen, 2007, p. 14
  7. ^ Leopold Auer: Egon Schiele und das Heeresmuseum , in: Österreichisches Staatsarchiv (ed.), Mitteilungen des Österreichisches Staatsarchiv , 26, 1973, pp. 456–459
  8. ↑ Ilse Krumpöck: Anton Faistauer's military uselessness. In: Series of publications on Anton Faistauer and his time. Published by the Anton Faistauer Forum, Maishofen, 2007, p. 14.
personal data
SURNAME John, Wilhelm
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian historian and museum director
DATE OF BIRTH May 1, 1877
PLACE OF BIRTH Olomouc , Moravia
DATE OF DEATH March 19, 1934
Place of death Vienna