The sculpture "Partei und Wehrmacht" served as a prominent fixture at the entrance to Albert Speer's new Reich Chancellery in Berlin. As an official state sculptor during the Nazi era, Arno Breker produced neoclassical works that defined the aesthetic standards of that period. His career spanned from the early twentieth century through the post-war recovery of West Germany.
Early Development and Training
Born in 1900 in Elberfeld, Germany, Arno Breker was the son of stonemason Arnold Breker. His technical education began at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, where he focused on sculpture under Hubert Netzer and Wilhelm Kreis. By 1927, he relocated to Paris, a city he regarded as his home, where he integrated into artistic circles, connecting with figures such as Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau, and Aristide Maillol.
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In 1932, Breker received the Rome Prize of the German Academy Villa Massimo, allowing for a year of study in Italy. Upon returning to Germany in 1934, he secured significant support from Adolf Hitler. Joining the Nazi Party in 1937, he was appointed official state sculptor, exempted from military service, and granted a studio with forty-three assistants. During the 1936 Berlin Olympic games, his sculptures "Zehnkämpfer" and "Die Siegerin" earned recognition, including a silver medal for the former.
Post-War Career and Rehabilitation
Following the collapse of the Third Reich, Breker returned to Düsseldorf in West Germany. Despite being officially designated as a fellow traveller in 1948, he maintained his professional output, working as both an architect and sculptor. His later commissions included portraits of Konrad Adenauer and Anwar Sadat, as well as a statue of Pallas Athene for Düsseldorf city hall. The Arno Breker Museum was established in 1985 at Schloss Nörvenich.
Fast facts
- Born: 1900, Elberfeld
- Died: 1991, Düsseldorf
- Education: Kunstakademie Düsseldorf
- Notable Award: Prix de Rome
- Spouses: Demetra Messala (m. 1937), Charlotte Kluge (m. 1958)
- Children: Gerhart, Carola
- Burial Site: Düsseldorf North Cemetery
- Primary Occupations: Sculptor, Architect
Questions readers ask
What was Breker's relationship with the Nazi government?
He served as the official state sculptor, producing monumental works for the party and receiving exemptions from military service as a divinely gifted artist.
Did his artistic style change after 1945?
He continued to work in his established neoclassical style, producing portrait busts and public statues for various patrons in West Germany.
Achievements
- Prix de Rome
- Rome Prize of the German Academy Villa Massimo
- Notable work: Partei und Wehrmacht
