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Hermann BrachertGerman sculptor
Date of Birth: 11.12.1890
Country:  Germany |
Content:
- Hermann Brachert: German Sculptor and Artist
- Professor of Art and Crafts
- Monuments and Sculptures
- Nazi Repression and Exile
- Late Career and Return to Stuttgart
- Legacy in Königsberg
- Four reliefs on the façade of the Grand Hotel in Sopot (now Poland)
- Brachert House Museum
Hermann Brachert: German Sculptor and Artist
Early Life and EducationHermann Brachert was born in Stuttgart, Germany, on December 11, 1890. After completing real school, he pursued private art lessons and studied at the art school in Weissenhof. He furthered his education by studying architecture in Stuttgart.
Professor of Art and Crafts
In 1919, Brachert accepted an invitation to join the School of Arts and Crafts in Königsberg. As a professor, he led classes in sculpture, interior design, and jewelry making until 1926, when he became a full-time sculptor.
Monuments and Sculptures
Brachert's monumental sculptures and reliefs adorned numerous buildings in Königsberg and other cities in East Prussia. Notably, he served as artistic consultant for the State Amber Manufactory in Königsberg for over a decade.
Nazi Repression and Exile
In 1933, Brachert's rejection of Nazi ideology led to a ban on his professional and teaching activities. He left Königsberg and settled in a summer house in Georgenswalde (now Otradnoye) by the Baltic Sea, where he continued his work as a free artist.
Late Career and Return to Stuttgart
In 1944, Brachert evacuated from East Prussia to Stuttgart. From 1945 onwards, he taught at the State Academy of Fine Arts Stuttgart, serving as its director from 1947 to 1951 and vice-director until 1953. He retired in 1955 but continued to create sculptures in Stuttgart. His final work, titled "Remembrance of East Prussia," was completed in 1970.
Legacy in Königsberg
Of the over twenty sculptures, reliefs, and bas-reliefs that Brachert created for buildings in Königsberg and East Prussia, most were destroyed during wartime or removed after the war due to ideological reasons. Today, only a few remain in their original locations:
Sculpture of an engineer on the House of Technology (now a shopping mall in Kaliningrad)
Decorative door ornament on the Financial Administration Building (now the Kaliningrad Regional Government Building)
Four reliefs on the façade of the Grand Hotel in Sopot (now Poland)
Preserving Brachert's LegacyTo protect Brachert's works, the reliefs from the former spool factory in Königsberg were moved to the Brachert House Museum in Otradnoye in 2001. His famed marble sculpture "Water Bearer" (also known as "Girl with Pitcher") was restored and placed in the museum in 2002, while a replica was installed in its original location in Svetlogorsk in 2005.
Brachert House Museum
In 1990, the Brachert House in Otradnoye was identified and a memorial plaque was installed. Despite plans to demolish the house for construction, local resident Nadezhda Kuzmina led a petition to preserve it. The Brachert House Museum was established and opened in 1993, showcasing Brachert's life and work.
