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Description
Gobelin ‘Du bist Deutschland’ (‘You are Germany’)
Biography: Rudolf Hermann Eisenmenger
(photo at the right shows the gobelin in 2017 in the atelier of the tapistry-restorer).
The oak leaves are a traditional German national symbol associated with patriotism and military prowess.
Large gobelin ordered (and paid) by the Reichs Chancellery for Hitler’s birthday in 1945. Not delivered due to Hitlers suicide. Destinated for the Reichs Chancellery.
Size 2,85 x 2,4 meter, hand-woven by ‘Wiener Gobelin-Manufaktur AG’, based in the Wiener Hofburg Imperial Palace (Vienna).
Described in the book ‘Die Tapisserie im Nationalsozialismus’, by Dr. Anja Prölss-Kammerer, 2000.
Also described and depicted in ‘Wiener Gobelin-Manufaktur 1921-1987. Geschichte einer Manufaktur’, 1996, by Anita Gallian.
The gobelin was mentioned by curator Wolfgang Brauneis in his opening-speech on August 26, 2021, of the exhibition ‘DIVINELY GIFTED’. NATIONAL SOCIALISM’S FAVOURED ARTISTS IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC (German Historical Museum, Berlin): Die Liste der „Gottbegnadeten“. Künstler des Nationalsozialismus in der Bundesrepublik – DHM-Blog | Deutsches Historisches Museum
‘Du bist Deutschland‘ by Eisenmenger was again discussed in the speeech by art historian Veronika Flochs at the congress ‘Die Künstler der Gottbegnadeten-Liste nach 1945. Geschichte / Kunst / Politik‘, organised by the German Historical Museum at 15 November 2021: 102828-Artikeltext-263977-1-10-20240131.pdf
Also described in the catalog of the exhibition ‘Dispossession‘, Künstlerhaus, Vienna, 2021/22 (an examination of the history of the Viennese Küsntlerhaus during the Third Reich, and after): Katalog_DISPOSSESSION.pdf
Described in the catolog of the exhibition ‘Auf Linie, NS-Kunstpolitiek in Wien’, Vienna, 2021/22; Auf Linie. NS Kunstpolitik in Wien. Die Reichskammer der bildenden Künste by Wien Museum – Issuu
‘Du bist Deutschland’ by Eisenmenger was displayed at the exhibition ‘Nazi Design’, Design Museum Den Bosch, The Netherlands, 8 September 2019 – 1 March 2020.
This world-wide highly publicized exhibition attracted over 130.000 visitors in six months. The exhibition was covered on the front page of the New York Times and Bild, and i.a. in the Guardian, Le Monde, Le Figaro, Paris Match, Spiegel, Welt, Tagesspiegel, El Pais and all Dutch newspapers. On television the exposition was covered i.a. by the ARD, ZDF, DW News, Aljazeera, AFP News Agency, SBS World News, and all mayor television chanels in The Netherlands. Because of the enormous popularity of the exhibition, the museum extended opening hours, opened its doors also on Mondays, and finally it extended the exhibition by 6 weeks.
Left: the gobelin on the cover of ‘Bild’, 10. September 2019.
Right: ‘Du Bist Deutschland’ by Eisenmenger depicted in ‘Le Monde’, 17 October 2019.
‘Du Bist Deutschland’ by Eisenmenger, shown on German television during prime time: Tagesschau, 9 September 2019 (Daily News, main edition, the television news service produced by the German public-service television network ZDF).
In front of the gobelin, a sidetabel from Hitlers workroom in the New Reichs Chancellery. The table, disigned by Hermann Kaspar, is owned by the German Historical Museum in Berlin.
The gobelin published on Dutch TV, NOS News, prime time, at 3 September 2019.
https://nos.nl/uitzending/43974-nos-journaal.html
Broadcasted by ‘Deutsche Welle’ at 6 October 2019.
The gobeling depicted in the Dutch newspaper The Volkskrant, 5 September 2019.
Published at 21 September 2019 in the Dutch Telegraaf.
Published in Artnet, 17 September 2019.
Sputnik news agency, 5 September 2019 (formerly The Voice of Russia. News agency, news website platform and radio broadcast service established by the Russian government-owned news agency Rossiya Segodnya, headquartered in Moscow. Sputnik operates news websites, featuring reporting and commentary, in over 30 languages).
Extreme scarce work of art
Art works considered as overt propaganda were massively destroyed
As described below, in accordance with the Potsdam Agreementof August 1945, the Allied Control Council laws and military government regulations, all collections of works of art related or dedicated to the perpetuation of German militarism or Nazism, were destroyed. Thousands of paintings were considered of ‘no value’ and burned. Around 8,722 artworks were shipped to military deposits in the U.S. In 1986 the largest part was returned to Germany, with the exception of 200 paintings which were considered as overt propaganda: depictions of German Soldiers, war sceneries, swastika’s and portraits of Nazi leaders.
Rudolf Hermann Eisenmenger, Gobelin ‘Du Bist Deutschland’, depicted in ‘Wiener Gobelin-Manufaktur 1921-1987’. Diplomarbeit in Kunstgeschichte, 1996, by Anita Gallian (Examination for the Doctoral’s Degree I; photo by Dr. Grausam, -Wiener Gobelin Manufaktur).
Text in ‘Wiener Gobelin-Manufaktur 1921-1987’, by Anita Gallian, 1996:
‘The series of Coat of Arms-Gobelins also includes one by R.H. Eisenmenger. The gobelin ‘Du bist Deutschland’ (Picture 45) shows also a similar, however stylised Coat of Arms-structure with oak-leaves at both sides and a smooth surface.’
Footnote 192: ‘According to Dr. Hellmuth Grausam (Head of the Wiener Gobelinmanufaktur from 1981-1987) the gobelin was commissioned -and paid- as a birthday present in 1945 for Hitler. Beause of the circumstances in 1945, the gobelin was not picked up.’
‘Du Bist Deutschland’ by Eisenmenger, discribed at page 341 in the book ‘Die Tapisserie im Nationalsozialismus’, by Dr. Anja Prölss-Kammerer, 2000. The text reads: ‘Also produced by the Viennese Gobelin-Manufaktur was a gobelin after a design by Eisenmenger, with national emblem, oak leaves and the text ‘You are Germany’; it was commissioned for Hitler’s birthday at 20 April 1945, but for obvious reasons never picked up’ (Hitler committed suicide at 30 April 1945).
The gobelin ‘Du bist Deutschland’ by Eisenmenger was mentioned by curator Wolfgang Brauneis in his opening-speech on August 26, 2021, of the exhibition ‘DIVINELY GIFTED’. NATIONAL SOCIALISM’S FAVOURED ARTISTS IN THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC (German Historical Museum, Berlin).
The gobelin ‘Du Bist Deutschland’ by Eisenmenger was again discribed in the catalog of the exhibition ‘Auf Linie, NS-Kunstpolitiek in Wien’, Wien MUseum MUSA, October 2021 – April 2022.
Wiener Gobelinmanufaktur
Wiener Gobelinmanufaktur, 1921–1987, based in the Wiener Hofburg Imperial Palace, was founded after WWI by August Mader and the painter Robin Christian Andersen. Tapestry work by the Wiener Gobelinmanufaktur can be seen in the Vienna State Opera, the Festspielhaus in the city of Salzburg, the Austrian Museum of Applied Art in Vienna and in several ministries. Works by the Wiener Gobelinmanufaktur have been exported to America, Great Britain and Switzerland. The list of artists who worked for the Wiener Gobelinmanufaktur included: R. Chr. Anderson, A. Faistauer, A.P. Gütersloh, Oskar Kokoschka, Fritz Wotruba and Rudolf Hermann Eisenmenger.
| – condition | : II perfect condition* |
| – size | : 2,85 x 2,4 meter |
| – signed | : hand-woven by Wiener Gobelinmanufaktur |
| – type | : Gobelin; weft thread from scheep’s wool, warp thread from cotton |
| – misc. | : cleaning, conservation and new lining in 2016/ 2017 |
* The tapestry has been professional cleaned by a top gobelin restorer. Some small parts were restored and a lining was applied. The gobelin is in extremely good condition, the colours have hardly faded. This is probably because it has not been displayed since 1945, but instead has been stored (and rolled up) appropriately.
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