Description:

REICH MINISTRY OF AVIATION BUILDING ORIGINAL WALL ART SCHEMATIC BY ADOLF WAMPER
A most impressive piece of Third Reich art, an original, hand drawn schematic, 91" x 36", in pencil and charcoal, showing the placement of a proposed enormous carved stone frieze on a protected exterior wall adjacent to an entrance of the Berlin headquarters of the "Reichsluftfahrtministerium" ("Reich Ministry of Aviation"), or RLM. The frieze itself is illustrated in charcoal as consisting of nine panels, together depicting a winged man with arms outstretched, flanked by a gryphon and winged horse, beneath a Latin motto. The floorplan of the exterior alcove in which the carving is located is projected beneath the illustration, and four entrance doors are depicted to the right of the frieze. The pillars separating the alcove from the building''s courtyard are visible at bottom. The pencil notation "Entwarf I/Verfasser: Adolf Wamper, Berlin-Dahlem Hundekehlestrasse 29" ("Design I/Artist Adolf Wamper, Berlin-Dahlem Hundekehlestrasse 29") appears above the schematic, giving the name of the designer and his address; other dimensional notations appear in pencil throughout, and the verso bears the identifying pencil inscription "RLM Wilhelmstr." The schematic shows original folds and notable chips to the edges, and with small holes along the bottom edge, not affecting the artwork of the frieze, else very good. The RLM building, located on the Wilhelmstrasse in central Berlin, was constructed between February 1935 and August 1936, following a design by Ernst Sagebiel, who completed numerous other projects for the Luftwaffe, including the modernization of Tempelhof Airport. It was one of the few public buildings in Berlin to escape serious damage during World War II, and its ceremonial hall hosted the founding of the German Democratic Republic, which utilized it as a governmental center. The building is now known as the "Detlev-Rohwedder-Haus". It appears that the design presented here would have been installed in the space now occupied by a porcelain tile mural designed by Max Lingner, depicting the Socialist ideal of contented East Germans facing a bright future. ADOLF WAMPER (1901-1977) was a German figural sculptor, best known for his monumental depictions of the idealized male form, married with martial themes. His work decorated the entrance to the "Waldbuhne" theatre on the grounds of the Berlin Olympic stadium, as well as that of the "Messe Berlin" trade fair center.

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April 17, 2018 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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$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 + $10,000