Hermann Josef Abs
Encyclopedia
Hermann Josef Abs was a German
banker. He was a member of the board of directors of Deutsche Bank
from 1938 - 1945. After World War II
(1957–1967) he was chairman of Deutsche Bank
, and contributed to the reconstruction of the German economy.
Hermann J Abs was a German banker who "played a key role in the economic design and stabilization of Nazism".
Conceptual artist Hans Haacke created a work in 1974 called "Manet-PROJEKT '74," which was supposed to be displayed in the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum. "Manet-PROJEKT '74" was a "ten-panel work about the turbulent and surprising fate of a painting by Edouard Manet, "Bunch of Asparagus" (1880), as it passed through the hands of its various owners before being bought for the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum by an acquisition committee of the museum's friends. Every temporary owner of the painting was presented, along with their biographical data, including that of the Chairman of the committee, the German banker Hermann J Abs, who had played a key role in the economic design and stabilization of Nazism. Such biographical details had tended to be suppressed in the post-war period, but Haacke had only to go the Bonn University library to dig them up".
In a six-by-eight meter room, Manet's "Bunch of Asparagus" (1880) was to have been positioned on a studio easel juxtaposed with panels hung on the wall presenting "the social and economic position of the persons who have owned the painting over the years and the prices paid for it".
Then director of the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Dr. Horst Keller, "objected to listing Hermann J. Abs' nineteen positions on the board of directors". "Given that most of the previous owners of the Manet...had been Jewish...the revelation of Abs' past provided a cultural-historical twist with considerable impact. Under pressure from the Director of the museum (presumably in the interest of Abs, who, as the post-war chairman of Deutsche Bank for may years, was still extraordinarily influential), the curators were forced not to admit Haacke's work to the exhibition".
Abs was a powerful financier, who helped the museum purchase the work; he was on the Board of Directors; he was a Friend of the Museum; at the time he was honorary president and member of Deutsche Bank's advisory board.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
banker. He was a member of the board of directors of Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank AG is a global financial service company with its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. It employs more than 100,000 people in over 70 countries, and has a large presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the emerging markets...
from 1938 - 1945. After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(1957–1967) he was chairman of Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank
Deutsche Bank AG is a global financial service company with its headquarters in Frankfurt, Germany. It employs more than 100,000 people in over 70 countries, and has a large presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia Pacific and the emerging markets...
, and contributed to the reconstruction of the German economy.
Hermann J Abs was a German banker who "played a key role in the economic design and stabilization of Nazism".
Conceptual artist Hans Haacke created a work in 1974 called "Manet-PROJEKT '74," which was supposed to be displayed in the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum. "Manet-PROJEKT '74" was a "ten-panel work about the turbulent and surprising fate of a painting by Edouard Manet, "Bunch of Asparagus" (1880), as it passed through the hands of its various owners before being bought for the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum by an acquisition committee of the museum's friends. Every temporary owner of the painting was presented, along with their biographical data, including that of the Chairman of the committee, the German banker Hermann J Abs, who had played a key role in the economic design and stabilization of Nazism. Such biographical details had tended to be suppressed in the post-war period, but Haacke had only to go the Bonn University library to dig them up".
In a six-by-eight meter room, Manet's "Bunch of Asparagus" (1880) was to have been positioned on a studio easel juxtaposed with panels hung on the wall presenting "the social and economic position of the persons who have owned the painting over the years and the prices paid for it".
Then director of the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum, Dr. Horst Keller, "objected to listing Hermann J. Abs' nineteen positions on the board of directors". "Given that most of the previous owners of the Manet...had been Jewish...the revelation of Abs' past provided a cultural-historical twist with considerable impact. Under pressure from the Director of the museum (presumably in the interest of Abs, who, as the post-war chairman of Deutsche Bank for may years, was still extraordinarily influential), the curators were forced not to admit Haacke's work to the exhibition".
Abs was a powerful financier, who helped the museum purchase the work; he was on the Board of Directors; he was a Friend of the Museum; at the time he was honorary president and member of Deutsche Bank's advisory board.