Emil Georg Bührle

Emil Georg Bührle (1890 in Pforzheim – November 26, 1956, in Zurich) was an industrialist, art collector and patron. His art collection is now housed in the Foundation E.G. Bührle.

After studying philosophy, literature, history and art history in Freiburg, Bührle went to Munich. From 1914 to 1919 he was a German cavalry officer in the imperial army. In 1919 he joined the Magdeburg Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik and rose up to the attorney. The Magdeburger Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik bought the Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon in 1923, and Bührle became the CEO the following year. In the same year he was moved to Zurich. In 1929, Bührle became the majority shareholder of Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon in 1936 and sole owner of the company (later Oerlikon-Bührle Holding AG). Also in 1936, Bührle obtained Swiss citizenship.

From the 1920 marriage with Charlotte closed Schalk came two children. The following foundations are Emil Bührle attributed G.: "Emil Bührle Foundation for the Swiss literature" (1943), "Goethe Foundation for Art and Science" (1944) and the Foundation of the cultivation of the Kunsthaus Zurich (1954).

Industrialist

Emil George Bührle's role as industrialist is controversial and has been in recent decades. First, he has the standing before the bankruptcy Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon into a thriving company converted, on the other hand, arms production and arms exports morally always under pressure. The Independent Commission of Experts Switzerland - Second World War "has detailed examinations and assessments. Thus, before the second world war the Republican Spain (ie Franco opponents) and the independent Abyssinia (in the colonial war against fascist Italy) as supplies, as the Baltic countries, Czechoslovakia, Greece, China, Turkey, France, Holland and England. In the period from 1940 - 1944 (Switzerland was now completely fascist countries (Italy, Germany) and fascist-occupied countries (Austria, France) included) supplied the company Oerlikon-Bührle at the request of the Swiss government also supplied weapons to Germany and Italy . From the independent commission of experts, these weapons deliveries as not kriegsentscheidend or not kriegsverlängernd classified.

Art collector

Bührles first acquisitions were two 1920 watercolours by Erich Heckel, 1924 where a picture of Maurice de Vlaminck was followed. Der eigentliche Aufbau der Sammlung Bührle begann ab 1936, als die finanziellen Voraussetzungen geschaffen waren. The actual construction of the collection Bührle started from 1936, when the financial conditions were. Den größten Teil seiner Sammlung (ca.75%) erwarb der Sammler in der Zeit von 1951 bis 1956. The largest part of his collection (ca.75%) acquired the collectors in the period from 1951 to 1956. Advised was Bührle Others Nathan Fritz, gallery owners and a small circle of international dealers in Paris, London and New York, in addition to which Georges Wildenstein and Paul Rosenberg also Max Kaganovitch and Frank Lloyd by the Company Ltd. Marlborough. gehörten. Included. The collection includes medieval sculptures and paintings of old masters pictures mainly of French Impressionism and classical modernism, including masterpieces by Paul Cézanne (The boy with a red vest), Pierre-Auguste Renoir (La petite Irène) and Vincent van Gogh (Sower ). Bührle was in the tradition of collectors in Germany, Scandinavia, Britain and the USA, before the First World War and in the inter-war years, the French modernism at the center of their debate. This preference also coined many collections in Switzerland, such as a comparison with the incurred after 1920 collection "Am Römerholz" by Oskar Reinhart in nearby Winterthur. Two-thirds of the collection Bührles were in 1960 by the heirs to the EC Bührle Foundation collection and have since been introduced to the public. Also, the family-owned remaining works of art were always shown in exhibitions. At an exhibition featuring works of the collection in 1990 in Washington DC led to protests and discussions in the media because Bührles role as a weapons exporter in the Second World War and the sometimes not fully clarified origin of the pictures from formerly Jewish-owned. Also on this issue, there was an "Independent Commission of Experts Switzerland - Second World War". Bührle had 13 paintings from French-Jewish property after the Second World War to return to the former owners or this a second time.

References

* Heller, Daniel: Zwischen Unternehmertum, Politik und Überleben. Heller, Daniel: Between entrepreneurship, politics and survival. Emil G. Bührle und die Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon, Bührle & Co. 1924- 1945 Frauenfeld, Stuttgart, Wien 2002 ISBN 3-7193-1277-1 G. Emil Bührle and Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik Oerlikon, Bührle & Co. 1924 - 1945 Frauenfeld, Stuttgart, Vienna 2002 ISBN 3-7193-1277-1
* Esther Tisa Francini, Anja Heuss, Georg Kreis: Fluchtgut – Raubgut. Esther Tisa Francini, Anja Heuss, Georg Kreis: Fluchtgut - Raubgut. Der Transfer von Kulturgütern in und über die Schweiz 1933–1945 und die Frage der Restitution Zürich 2001 ISBN 3-0340-0601-2 The transfer of cultural goods in Switzerland and the 1933-1945 and the issue of restitution Zurich 2001 ISBN 3-0340-0601-2
* Peter Hug: Schweizer Rüstungsindustrie und Kriegsmaterialhandel zur Zeit des Nationalsozialismus: Unternehmensstrategien – Marktentwicklung – politische Überwachung Zürich 2002 ISBN 3-0340-0611-X Peter Hug: Swiss arms industry and trade war material at the time of National Socialism: Corporate strategies - market development - political surveillance Zurich 2002 ISBN 3-0340-0611-X
* Katalog Washington DC: The Passionate Eye, Impressionist and other Master Paintings from the EG Bührle Collection Zürich 1990 ISBN 0-8478-1215-4 Catalog Washington DC: The Passionate Eye, and other Impressionist Master Paintings from the Collection EC Bührle Zurich 1990 ISBN 0-8478-1215-4
* Lukas Gloor: Stiftung Sammlung EG Bührle: Katalog I - III Silvana 2004-2005 ISBN 88-87582-95-5 (1) ISBN 88-87582-88-2 (2) ISBN 88-87582-73-4 (3) Luke Gloor: Foundation collection EC Bührle: Catalog I - III Silvana 2004-2005 ISBN 88-87582-95-5 (1) ISBN 88-87582-88-2 (2) ISBN 88-87582-73-4 (3)
* Emil Maurer: Stiftung Sammlung EG Bührle, Zürich Bern 1992 ISBN 3-85782-526-X Emil Maurer: EC Bührle Foundation Collection, Zurich Bern 1992 ISBN 3-85782-526-X
* Ruedi Christen: Die Bührle-Saga Zürich 1981 ISBN 3-85791-033-X Ruedi Christen: The Saga of Zurich-Bührle 1981 ISBN 3-033-85791-X

External links

* Sammlung EG Bührle – Bilder, Videos und Audiodateien Commons: EC Bührle collection - pictures, videos and audio files
* Stiftung Sammlung EG Bührle Foundation collection EC Bührle
* Unabhängige Expertenkommission Schweiz – Zweiter Weltkrieg Independent Commission of Experts Switzerland - Second World War