Rudolf Warnecke

Biography

Woodcuts, illustrations, posters. Born 4 September 1905 in Bautzen. First learned lithography with Gebrüder Weigang, Bautzen; attended classes at the Industrie- und Gewerbeschule, Bautzen. 1920s: formed with Karl W. Schmidt in Zittau the advertising studio ‘Schmidt und Warnecke’ which produced posters and advertisements. Mid 1930s: worked for several publishers including Beyer, Beenken, Paul Menzel and Fritz Heyder. Designed the official bear symbol used on the Berlin city shield and flag from September 1935. 1945: interned in a prisoner-of-war camp in Neu-Ulm; much of his work had been destroyed in the war. 1969: retired to Ravenstein/Merchingen; he died there on 12 October 1994.

Writings by

  • Mit Geissfuss und Stichel durch ein Künstlerleben (memoirs) (exh. cat.), Ravenstein/Merchingen: Galerie Ravenstein, 1981.

Writings about

  • Hans Bockwitz, ‘Junge deutsche Büchkunstler’, AfB, 1934, pp. 699-784, esp. pp. 709, 779-81
  • ‘Lusatia’s graphic artist Rudolf Warnecke’, AfB, Dec. 1936, pp. 537-48
  • H. Weber, ‘Der deutsche Holzschnitt der Gegenwart’, Die Kunst im Deutschen Reich, Nov. 1941, pp. 308-20
  • Vollmer, 1961 (lists illustrated books, writings about RW in German journals)
  • Carl Hans Sasse, ‘Der Holzschneider Rudolf Warnecke’, EuG, 1971, pp. 24-30 plus 2-p. supplement
  • Ekkehard Hieronimus, ‘Rudolf Warnecke 70 Jahre’, EuG, 1975, pp. 25-6 plus 2-p. supplement
  • Werner Daniel, ‘Rudolf Warnecke zum 75. Geburtstag’, EuG, 1981, pp. 17-24 plus 2-p. supplement
  • MGD, 1992
  • Hommage à Rudolf Warnecke (exh. cat.), Bautzen: Stadtmuseum Bautzen, 1998
  • Clemens Ottnad, ‘Rudolf Warnecke (1905-94)’, Graphische Kunst, 53, 1999, pp. 66-70 (includes lit. about RW)
  • Benezit, 2006.

Exhibitions

  • Galerie, Ravenstein, 1981
  • Bautzen, 1998.