User:Uta frith/sandbox

Making words bold Use ISBN for books DOI for articles

Wilhelm Aurnhammer

W.A. was an artist and art teacher. He was born in Burghausen/Salzach 15 November 1907. He grew up in Ludwigshafen/Rhein. His father, who was born in Augsburg, worked in the public relations office of the BASF. He had one brother Robert, who later became an industrial chemist and a sister, Margot. He was gifted in maths and drawing and was a competitive chess player. He intended to study engineering, but soon changed to art. He studied in München at the University (art history), the Technische Hochschule (technical drawing) and the Akademie der Künste (art). One of his projects as a student assistant was to measure and record in drawings the interior of the Rococo Cuvillié Theatre of the Residence. These measurements were used in the reconstruction of the theatre after the war. W.A. was taught amongst others by Knapp. He started as an expressionist working in oils, water colour, pena and ink and produced wood cuts and etchings. He was part of a circle of young artists who were denied the right to exhibit by the Nazis.

W.A. retrained as a teacher and taught in Gaugrehweiler, a small village at the foot of the Donnersberg. Children of all ages were taught together in one classroom.