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Otto Nagel | |
|---|---|
 Nagel in 1950 | |
| Born | 27 September 1894 |
| Died | 12 July 1967(1967-07-12) (aged 72) |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation | Painter |
| Political party | Socialist Unity Party of Germany |
| Spouse | Valentina Nikitina |
Otto Nagel (27 September 1894 – 12 July 1967) was a German painter, graphic designer and long-time head of theBerlin Academy of Arts who was one of the most prolific artists ofEast Germany.
Born atBerlin-Wedding, Nagel was the son of a carpenter and social democrat. After completing his basic schooling, he briefly entered into an apprenticeship with astained glass painter, but soon broke this off. In 1912 he joined theSocial Democratic Party. He was aconscientious objector during the First World War and was imprisoned for refusing to serve. After the war he first began to paint after being exposed to the work ofAugust Macke. He gradually became a staunch communist, joining theCommunist Party of Germany in 1920. Throughout the 1920s he was very active in the Berlin art scene, becoming acquainted withKäthe Kollwitz,El Lissitzky, and many other notables. He became secretary of theWorkers International Relief, and in 1922 he co-founded the "Artist's Relief" division thereof withErwin Piscator. In 1924, Nagel joined the Red Group in Berlin and
accompanied an exhibition of young artists to theSoviet Union. He was close friends withHeinrich Zille andKäthe Kollwitz, whose estate he later handled. Through Nagel, numerous writings about her work have been published. In 1925 he married the Russian singer-actress Valentina ("Walli") Nikitina.[1] From 1928 to 1931, he joined theNovember Group and was a co-founder of theAssociation of Revolutionary Visual Artists. From 1928 to 1932, he was publisher and editor-in-chief of the satirical magazineEulenspiegel.
In 1933, Nagel was elected chairman of theNational Association of Visual Artists of Germany, but the election was annulled by the Nazis the next day. When theNazisseized power, much of Nagel's work was declareddegenerate. He was forbidden to paint, and from 1936 to 1937 he was incarcerated in variousNazi concentration camps, includingSachsenhausen.
After the end of theSecond World War, Nagel lived and worked inBergholz-Rehbrücke inPotsdam,Brandenburg, later part ofEast Germany. In 1945, he was one of the co-founders of theCultural Association of the GDR. In 1952, he moved toBerlin-Biesdorf. From 1956 to 1962, he was the president of the DDRAcademy of Arts, Berlin. He died at Berlin-Biesdorf in 1967 and was honoured with anEhrengrab in Berlin'sFriedrichsfelde Cemetery. In 1970, he was posthumously made anhonorary citizen of Berlin.
There is asecondary school named for Nagel in Berlin-Biesdorf.[2]
Media related toOtto Nagel at Wikimedia Commons