Theo Akkermann

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Theo Akkermann
Akkerm9.jpg
Grave of the Akkermann family in the
main cemetery of Krefeld
Born(1907-11-01)1 November 1907
Krefeld, German Empire
Died1 August 1982(1982-08-01) (aged 74)
Krefeld, West Germany
Education
Occupation
  • Sculptor
  • Academic teacher

Theo Akkermann (1 November 1907 – 1 August 1982) was a German sculptor who focused on public sculptures in churches and cemeteries. He held teaching positions at the University of Pretoria and in Ghent, Belgium.

Life[]

Akkermann and his twin sister Sabine were born in Krefeld,[1][2][3] the children of Hermann Akkermann and Sabina Becker.[1] He studied at the Kunstgewerbeschule in Krefeld and at the Hamburger Kunstakademie from 1926 to 1929, although he planned to become an engineer.[1] Deciding in the end to focus on the arts, he studied at the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts of Paris from 1929 to 1931, working at the studio of Jakob Mellen in Hüls during vacation times.[1] His first major work was a war memorial for the victims of World War I, unveiled at the cemetery of Nieukerk in Kerken in 1932.[1][4] Akkermann studied further at the Academy of Arts, Berlin, with Hugo Lederer and Fritz Klimsch in 1932/33.[1] Back in Krefeld, he married Adele Bieger in 1942, and the couple had three children.[1]

Many of Akkermann's works were destroyed by bombing in World War II.[3] In 1950, Akkermann became a professor and head of a sculpture class at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.[3] From 1957 he worked as a professor in Ghent, Belgium.[2]

Akkermann's twin sister also became a sculptor whose works are shown in public space.[2] He died in Krefeld in 1982.[5]

Works[]

Akkermann created large sculptures for public spaces, especially Christian art and monuments for churches and cemeteries.[3] His early war memorial for the cemetery in Kerken shows larger-than-lifesize figures of six soldiers carrying the coffin of a comrade.[4] He designed the interior of the Autobahnkapelle Geismühle near Krefeld, including a large bronze sculpture instead of an altar.[6]

  • Pottbäcker Denkmal
  • Portal of cemetery chapel in Krefeld-Hüls, 1958
  • Altar, St. Cyriakus Krefeld-Hüls
  • Bronze bust of Gregor Schwamborn, St. Dionysius, Krefeld
  • Crucifix, Hauptfriedhof, new part, Krefeld
  • Angel of Peace, Krefeld-Inrath
  • Portal of the Pauluskirche, Krefeld
  • Angel with Trumpet, Erlöserkirche Krefeld-Lindental
  • Ehren- und Mahnmal Krefeld-Fischeln
  • Bronze sculpture, Autobahnkapelle Geismühle

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g Opdenberg, Birgit; Opdenberg, Georg. "KunstRaum Krefeld / Porträts Theo Akkermann 1907 – 1982 / Bildhauer" (PDF). kunstundkrefeld.de (in German). Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Skulpturen bis ins ferne Kapstadt". Westdeutsche Zeitung (in German). 9 November 2007. Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Fehrmann, Chrismie (15 May 2020). "Kultur trotz Corona / Ein Akkermann gehört nicht ins Museum". Westdeutsche Zeitung (in German). Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b "Kerken-Nieukerk, Kreis Kleve, Nordrhein-Westfalen:". denkmalprojekt.org (in German). Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  5. ^ "Theo Akkermann". Kunst im öffentlichen Raum in Hagen (in German). Retrieved 19 June 2020.
  6. ^ Tückmantel, Ulli (2019). Gott to go: Das Autobahnkirchen-Buch fürs Handschuhfach (in German). BoD. p. 135. ISBN 978-3-73-476720-3.

External links[]

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