Lothar Malskat
Encyclopedia
Lothar Malskat was a German
painter and art restorer who repainted medieval fresco
es of Marienkirche in Lübeck
.
Malskat was a painter from Königsberg
. In 1951 he was part of the group of Dietrich Fey, whose firm was commissioned to restore the frescoes of cathedral of Marienkirche in Lübeck
. The cathedral had been severely damaged in World War II
bombings and left neglected after the war, so the medieval frescoes on its walls had nearly disappeared. The church had received donations worth DM 150,000 for restoration and Fey's company did the work behind closed doors. The work was finished September 2, 1951.
The restorers were praised for their good work. The frescoes were unveiled during the seven-hundredth anniversary celebrations of the founding of the Marienkirche; present dignitaries included various government ministers, including Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer
. The West German government printed 2 million postage stamps depicting the frescoes.
The next year Malskat announced that he had painted the frescoes himself. When he was ignored, he told his own lawyer to sue both Fey and himself. Both men were eventually arrested.
The trial began in 1954. Evidence included Malskat's other forgeries of works of Marc Chagall
and Toulouse-Lautrec.
Malskat told that when the work had begun, the walls had been nearly empty of frescoes; he proved it presenting a film depicting the unpainted walls. Instead of restoring the original frescoes, Malskat had whitewashed the walls and painted them over. New pictures included various anachronisms like an image of a turkey, which had not reached Europe at the time the original frescoes had been painted. Malskat had modelled various religious figures on his sister Freyda, actresses like Marlene Dietrich
and even historical figures like Rasputin.
Fey was sentenced for 20 months and Malskat for 18. The frescoes were washed off the church walls.
A fictionalised version of Malskat's painting of the Marienkirche frescoes appears in the Günter Grass
novel The Rat.
After Malskat was released, he began to paint in his own name. He painted decorations on restaurants and inns, including the Tre Kronor Inn in Stockholm
. He also arranged exhibitions of his works in northern Germany. He died in Wulfsdorf near Lübeck.
's novel The Rat.
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...
painter and art restorer who repainted medieval fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
es of Marienkirche in Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
.
Malskat was a painter from Königsberg
Königsberg
Königsberg was the capital of East Prussia from the Late Middle Ages until 1945 as well as the northernmost and easternmost German city with 286,666 inhabitants . Due to the multicultural society in and around the city, there are several local names for it...
. In 1951 he was part of the group of Dietrich Fey, whose firm was commissioned to restore the frescoes of cathedral of Marienkirche in Lübeck
St. Mary's Church, Lübeck
The Lutheran Marienkirche in Lübeck was constructed between 1250 and 1350. For many years it has been a symbol of the power and prosperity of the old Hanseatic city, and as Germany's third largest church it remains the tallest building of the old part of Lübeck. It is larger than Lübeck Cathedral...
. The cathedral had been severely damaged in 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...
bombings and left neglected after the war, so the medieval frescoes on its walls had nearly disappeared. The church had received donations worth DM 150,000 for restoration and Fey's company did the work behind closed doors. The work was finished September 2, 1951.
The restorers were praised for their good work. The frescoes were unveiled during the seven-hundredth anniversary celebrations of the founding of the Marienkirche; present dignitaries included various government ministers, including Federal Chancellor Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Adenauer
Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was a German statesman. He was the chancellor of the West Germany from 1949 to 1963. He is widely recognised as a person who led his country from the ruins of World War II to a powerful and prosperous nation that had forged close relations with old enemies France,...
. The West German government printed 2 million postage stamps depicting the frescoes.
The next year Malskat announced that he had painted the frescoes himself. When he was ignored, he told his own lawyer to sue both Fey and himself. Both men were eventually arrested.
The trial began in 1954. Evidence included Malskat's other forgeries of works of Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall
Marc Chagall Art critic Robert Hughes referred to Chagall as "the quintessential Jewish artist of the twentieth century."According to art historian Michael J...
and Toulouse-Lautrec.
Malskat told that when the work had begun, the walls had been nearly empty of frescoes; he proved it presenting a film depicting the unpainted walls. Instead of restoring the original frescoes, Malskat had whitewashed the walls and painted them over. New pictures included various anachronisms like an image of a turkey, which had not reached Europe at the time the original frescoes had been painted. Malskat had modelled various religious figures on his sister Freyda, actresses like Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich
Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer.Dietrich remained popular throughout her long career by continually re-inventing herself, professionally and characteristically. In the Berlin of the 1920s, she acted on the stage and in silent films...
and even historical figures like Rasputin.
Fey was sentenced for 20 months and Malskat for 18. The frescoes were washed off the church walls.
A fictionalised version of Malskat's painting of the Marienkirche frescoes appears in the Günter Grass
Günter Grass
Günter Wilhelm Grass is a Nobel Prize-winning German author, poet, playwright, sculptor and artist.He was born in the Free City of Danzig...
novel The Rat.
After Malskat was released, he began to paint in his own name. He painted decorations on restaurants and inns, including the Tre Kronor Inn in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
. He also arranged exhibitions of his works in northern Germany. He died in Wulfsdorf near Lübeck.
Fiction
Malskat's forgeries are a major theme, as a symbol of the alleged corruption of post-war Germany, in Günter GrassGünter Grass
Günter Wilhelm Grass is a Nobel Prize-winning German author, poet, playwright, sculptor and artist.He was born in the Free City of Danzig...
's novel The Rat.