Lot 1031

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Description:

A BRONZE BUST OF ADOLF HITLER BY HANS HAFFENRICHTER
An imposing, most impressive large cast bronze bust of Adolf Hitler, executed by German sculptor HANS HAFFENRICHTER (1897-1981) This massive piece measures 15 in. tall, 9 in. wide ear-to-ear, and 12 in. from the back of the head to the end of the nose. With the base, the presentation stands 23 in. tall overall. The bust portrays Hitler with a stern, contemplative expression and was undoubtedly executed during the pre-war or wartime years. The lower part of the neck under the left ear is signed by the artist 'HAFFENRICHTER' The left side of the mounting tab is further marked with the name of the casting foundry: 'H. NOACK BERLIN FRIEDEMAN[?]' H. Noack was a prestigious German art foundry in Berlin founded in 1897, named after its original proprietor and his three direct descendants. An Art Deco stone base, possibly original, with two modern mounting bolts provided. Two rear corners of the base have small, unobtrusive chips. The last owner of this bust advised us in writing (copy of email included) that this bust was obtained from one 'Curtis Lentz' who obtained it personally in the final days of the war from 'Nazi Headquarters in Germany', presumably the Braun Haus in Munich, though there is no further provenance. Hans Haffenrichter was one of the most prominent sculptors of the Third Reich. For example, his ‘Falkner' (‘Falconer'), created in 1938, was placed in front of the entrance of the ‘Verein Bildende Kunstler' (Berlin Art Association) in Berlin, and ‘Eurydike' was depicted in ‘Die Kunst im Deutschen Reich', 1940. He was especially known for this bust of Hitler, and one of Hermann Goring. During his artistic education, he met Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky. Haffenrichter completed his education at the Koniglich Danischen Kunstakademy in Copenhagen in 1925. His works showed abstract tendencies influenced by his Bauhaus period. After the Nazis came to power, Haffenrichter – being Bauhaus-trained (‘Bolshevik art') – was fired in 1933. However, he was admitted to the Reichskulturkammer and became a member of the ‘NS-Kampfbund fur deutsche Kultur', a militant League for German Culture led by Alfred Rosenberg. During the Third Reich the Berlin foundry Noack cast at least 87 bronzes by Haffenrichter. After the war, he worked as an art teacher at the Information and Education Center of the US Army in Heidelberg. (Special thanks to our friends at germanartgallery.eu). Perhaps the best Hitler bronze bust attainable.

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January 26, 2023 10:00 AM EST
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000