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Alfons Zeileis 1916-1930

On 15.06.1916 Alfons Zeileis was discharged from hospital, where this self-portrait was painted. The war was raging. What was a penniless artist to do? How did Alfons Zeileis end up in the Palatinate at the Realanstalt am Donnersberg? Unfortunately, there are no letters or other evidence of this. That is why we want to take a closer look at the connections between Palatine artists and the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich. At that time, the Palatinate was not a federal state in its own right but, as a consequence of the Congress of Vienna, had belonged to Bavaria since 1816, a fate that the Palatinate interestingly shared with the Franconian areas around Aschaffenburg and Würzburg, the old home of Alfons Zeileis. Already in the 18th century, the Elector had moved his Mannheim art collection and the Zweibrück collection to Munich. The Heidelberg collection went to the Munich Pinakothek in 1827. This largely freed the Palatinate from art.
The most prominent electoral Palatine, who already studied at the Academy of Fine Arts from 1884 to 1889, among others with Gabriel von Hackl, later teacher of Alfons Zeileis, was Max Slevogt.

A comparison of the exhibition catalogues of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Pfälzer Kunst between 1924 and 1926 with the matriculation books of the Academy of Fine Arts Munich accessible at https://matrikel.adbk.de/ shows that at that time the following artists, who were members of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Pfälzer Kunst, studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich (only the links of Hans Purrmann and Otto Dill lead to the English Wikipedia, all others to German websites):

  • Albert Haueisen from Stuttgart, who enrolled at the Academy on 29 April 1891 for the nature class with Gabriel von Hackl, who later also taught Alfons Zeileis. Albert Haueisen was awarded the Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1952.
  • Peter Koch from Deidesheim, who enrolled at the Academy on 30.10.1894 for the nature class with Gabriel von Hackl and also studied with von Marr, both of whom later also taught Alfons Zeileis. He had exhibitions in Munich, Berlin Basel and Mannheim and lived in New York and New Jersey in the USA from 1914 to 1922. In 1922 he returned to Gimmeldingen in the Palatinate.
  • Hans Purrmann from Speyer, who enrolled at the academy on 08.11.1897 for the nature class with Gabriel von Hackl, the later teacher of Alfons Zeileis. He built up the "Académie Matisse" with Henri Matisse and developed his personal style through Matisse. His works were considered "degenerate" during the Nazi era. He fled from the National Socialists and did not return to Germany until 1950. He was exhibited many times and was awarded the Grand Cross of Merit of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany with Star, among many other honours.
  • Ludwig Kindler from Strasbourg, who enrolled at the Academy of Sculpture under Wilhelm von Ruemann on 07.11.1899.
  • Daniel Wohlgemuth from Albisheim Rheinpfalz, who enrolled at the Academy on 14.05.1900 in the nature class of Gabriel von Hackl, the later teacher of Alfons Zeileis. From 1887 to 1892 he attended the "Realanstalt am Donnersberg". He knew Hans Purrmann well. His extensive work is documented on the linked website.
  • Otto Dill from Neustadt an der Haardt, who enrolled in Heinrich von Zügel's painting school at the academy on 04.04.1908. Otto Dill became known for desert and Bedouin scenes, bullfight studies, tiger pictures, lion pictures and pictures of horse races and polo matches. In 1924 he was awarded the title of professor, and in 1930 he moved from Munich back to Neustadt an der Weinstraße. His works are in numerous public collections, including the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen in Munich and the Musée National d'Art Moderne in Paris.
  • Hermann Sauter from Landau, who enrolled in Karl Raupp's drawing school at the academy on 09.05.1911.
  • Adolf Kessler from Godramstein, who enrolled in Karl Raupp's drawing school at the academy on 28 October 1911. He became known mainly for his murals and frescoes in the Palatinate and took part in exhibitions in Germany and in Brooklyn in 1926. In 1973 he received the Max Slevogt Medal.
  • Emil "Elk" Eber from Haardt, who enrolled in Peter von Halm's drawing school at the academy on 03.05.1912. He became successful during the National Socialist era with motifs from the First World War and Nazi propaganda pictures.
  • Helmut Becker from St. Ingbert, who enrolled at the Academy on 28.10.1913 in the drawing school of Carl Johann Becker-Gundahl, a teacher of Alfons Zeileis. He took part in numerous exhibitions and was awarded the Prix de Paysage in 1952.
  • Hermann Spatz from Ludwigshafen am Rhein, who enrolled in painting at the Academy in the summer semester of 1921.
  • Hermann Arnold from Morschheim, who enrolled at the academy on 31.10.1913 to study sculpture with Erwin Kurz.
  • Hermann Croissant from Landau in the Palatinate, who enrolled at the academy on 27.10.1915 for the subject of drawing under Carl Johann Becker-Gundahl, a teacher of Alfons Zeileis. He was the son of Philipp Croissant. As a professional painter, he created an extensive body of work that includes still lifes, landscapes, murals and portraits.
  • Eugen Croissant from Landau in the Palatinate, who enrolled in painting at the academy in the winter of 1922/1923. He was the son of the painter August Croissant, who was also active in the Palatinate Art Working Group.
  • Otto Ditscher from Neuhofen in the Palatinate, who also enrolled in painting at the academy in the winter of 1922/23 at the same time as Eugen Croissant. He was awarded the Max Slevogt Medal by the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
  • Fritz Zolnhofer from Saarbrücken, who also enrolled in painting at the academy in the winter of 1922/23 at the same time as Eugen Croissant and Otto Ditscher. He became known for industrial and portrait painting and as a painter of landscapes. In the last period of his life, he devoted himself to Expressionism and Surrealism. In 1937, two of his paintings were confiscated from public collections by the National Socialists as "degenerate art".
  • Eugen Keller from Kirchheim an der Weinstraße, who enrolled in sculpture at the Academy in the winter semester of 1925/26. He was a well-known sculptor in the early 1930s who created many war memorials to commemorate the First World War. He fell in the Second World War in 1942.

It would be extremely surprising if at least some of the artists had not met in Munich. Daniel Wolgemuth, who attended the Realanstalt on the Donnersberg and was also a pupil of Gabriel von Hackl before Alfons Zeileis, is particularly striking. Professor Carl Johann Becker-Gundahl was also a Palatine. It seems reasonable to assume that Alfons Zeileis, who was injured in the war, was recommended to the Realanstalt am Donnersberg through such contacts. So Alfons Zeileis started working at the Realanstalt am Donnersberg on 16.06.1916. Just one year later, the Bavarian State Ministry informed him, that he could be taken on in the civil service after completing an internship. Alfons Zeileis completed the internship while working.

In his new home on the Donnersberg, Alfons Zeileis met a woman who became his wife, friend, partner and companion: Elisabeth Fleischmann. Elisabeth must have been an extraordinary woman. Even many years after her death, she was spoken of with the highest respect in the family and her drive, empathy and optimistic cheerfulness were praised in the most beautiful colours. However, one topic was never discussed: Alfons Zeileis was Catholic, Elisabeth Fleischmann was Protestant. Their daughter Anneliese, born in 1922, was also baptised Protestant. For Alfons Zeileis, this must have resulted in exclusion from the sacraments and possibly even expulsion from the church. Years later he wrote that he had only remained in the church for the love of his mother. After her death, he left the church. While the First World War was still raging, Alfons Zeileis and Elisabeth Fleischmann married on 31.7.1918.


The November Revolution of 1918 ended the Empire. The Weimar Republic began. With the end of World War I approaching, the Allies began to occupy the territories on the left bank of the Rhine, including what is now the Palatinate. With the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on 28 June 1919, parts of the Bavarian Palatinate were declared the neutral Saar region, which was to be occupied by France until 1935.
The war economy needed time to switch to peacetime production. The customs border between the occupied territories on the left bank of the Rhine and the rest of Germany, which was reestablished for varying periods of time until 1924, made exports and imports difficult. The German state printed money to pay reparations. In these uncertain times, Alfons Zeileis was appointed grammar school sign teacher at the humanistic grammar school in Neustadt on 01.04.1920 with an annual salary of 3000 marks.
In a time of high unemployment without the existence of social security, this steady job was very valuable for an artist. However, the amount of the salary is put into perspective in view of the onset of hyperinflation. At the end of 1922, a loaf of rye bread already cost 300 marks.
In the middle of this difficult time, on 22.01.1922, Elisabeth Zeileis gave birth to their daughter Anneliese in Marnheim. The estate contains two paintings from 1921, none from 1922 and 1923 and two from 1924. Only then did Alfons Zeileis start painting again on a larger scale.
In order to promote art and strengthen its economic position, the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Pfälzer Kunst (APK) was founded on 16 January 1922. August Croissant, the father of Eugen Croissant, who is already known to us, and Hermann Sauter from Landau, who is also known to us from the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, became the first and second chairmen, Hermann Graf the secretary. From 1924 onwards, the APK became active in publishing and exhibitions.
It is not known when Alfons Zeileis became a member of the APK. In any case, he demonstrably participated as a member in the following group exhibitions of the APK from 1926 to 1930:
  • 1926 Pfälzer Kunst im Coburger Kunstverein, Fränkischer Kurier 23.04.1926 and 22.04.1926 Coburger Tageblatt both in reviews of artists: newspaper clippings compiled by Karl Graf, Pfälzer Landesbibliothek Speyer.
  • 1926 May exhibition in Speyer, watercolour exhibition of Palatine artists in the Freiburgerhaus. Speierer Zeitung 6.5.1926, Pfälzische Rundschau 6.5.1926, both in reviews of artists: newspaper clippings compiled by Karl Graf, Pfälzer Landesbibliothek Speyer.
  • 1926 Arbeitsgemeinschaft Pfälzer Künstler "Pfälzische Malerei von heute" Friedrich-Ebert-Park Ludwigshafen. General-Anzeiger Ludwigshafen, Wednesday, 12 May 1926.
  • 1926 Palatine Art Exhibition in the Saalbau. City and Village Gazette Monday, 9 August 1926.
  • 1926 The art exhibition in the Winter School on the occasion of the South Palatinate Autumn Days in Landau. Der Rheinpfälzer 15.10.1926, critiques of artists: newspaper clippings compiled by Karl Graf, Pfälzer Landesbibliothek Speyer.
  • 1926 Pfälzischer Kunstverein Speier, collective exhibition of Palatinate artists. Speierer Zeitung 18.11.1926, both in reviews of artists: newspaper clippings compiled by Karl Graf, Pfälzer Landesbibliothek Speyer.
  • 1927 The Palatinate Art Exhibition in Zweibrücken. Pfälzischer Merkur 23 June 1927 in Kritiken über Künstler: Zeitungsausschnitte compiled von Karl Graf, Pfälzer Landesbibliothek Speyer.
  • 1927 Art exhibition of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Pfälzer Künstler in Landau. Der Rheinpfälzer 18.10.1927 and Landauer Anzeiger 21.10.27 both in reviews of artists: newspaper clippings compiled by Karl Graf, Pfälzer Landesbibliothek Speyer.
  • 1927 Travelling exhibition of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Pfälzer Künstler in Pirmasens. Pirmasenser Zeitung 15.11.1927 and Pfälzer Tageblatt Pirmasens 16.11.1927 both in reviews of artists: newspaper clippings compiled by Karl Graf, Pfälzer Landesbibliothek Speyer.
  • 1928 Augsburg Art Association, Artists from the Palatinate. Schwäbische Volkszeitung of 22.02.1928 in Criticisms of Artists: Newspaper Clippings compiled by Karl Graf, Palatinate State Library Speyer.
  • 1928 Arbeitsgemeinschaft Pfälzer Kunst Exhibition in the Saalbau. General-Anzeiger for Neustadt, Landau and the Vorderpfalz, Tuesday, 17 April 1928.
  • 1929 Art exhibition in the Kaisersaal. General-Anzeiger for Neustadt, Landau and the Vorderpfalz, Tuesday, 9 December 1929.
  • 1930 Exhibition as part of the event 1000 Years of Fashion and Literature. General-Anzeiger für Neustadt a.d. Haardt und Umgebung, Friday, 5 December 1929.

The years from 1925 to 1929 were very productive years for Alfons Zeileis. The photo albums document many trips with his wife Elisabeth and daughter Anneliese. Trips to the Karwendel, the Baltic Sea and Switzerland inspired him to take many pictures. In 1927, industrial production in Germany had finally returned to the level of 1913. Things were looking up. 24 October 1929 brought the most momentous stock market crash in history with the ensuing Great Depression. Industrial production fell by 40 percent from 1929 to 1932, dropping to the level of 1904. Sales at the APK exhibitions collapsed. The APK decided that only professional painters should take part in exhibitions, as they were dependent on the earnings. Alfons Zeileis no longer took part in exhibitions from this time until 1948. How did Alfons Zeileis fare after the National Socialists seized power? How did he get through the Second World War? Continue reading at Biography 1930-1945.

Biografie 1930-1945