Help [to] the Prisoners of War
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Object numberM2006/061
TitleHelp [to] the Prisoners of War
Creator Maximilian Feuerring (artist)
DescriptionWatercolour painting by Maximillian Feuerring, painted while imprisoned as a prisoner of war in a German army POW camp for captured Polish army officers during World War II, located in Murnau, Germany, district VII. The still life, signed and dated "942" (1942), features a mildewy bread, a golden-brown onion (a luxury) and a pocket knife that served Maximillian in both world wars.
The inscription on the reverse: 'Oflag V11 A 18 Gepruft' (checked or examined by a censor). The word Oflag derives from the German word Offizierslager and translates to Officers’ Camp.
Maximillian Feuerring (1896-1985) was born and educated in Poland. He headed the Jewish Academy of Art in Warsaw. He was held in a Germany army POW camp for captured Polish army officers during World War II – captured after 16 days of active duty, until the end of the war. After the war, he became a professor of art in Munich and taught painting. In Australia, where he arrived in March 1950, he became known for mastering the monotype technique - painting directly onto an engraver's copper plate and transferring the image to paper.
Feuerring was moved through a number of prisoner-of-war camps before he was finally sent to Oflag VII in Murnau. The captured soldiers were housed in the vacant barracks of an armoured German regimen fighting in Europe, consisting of 200 square metre’s enclosure surrounded by barbed-wire fencing and guard towers with machine guns. Immediately after the German invasion of Poland, some 1,000 prisoners were imprisoned there; by early 1945 the number had risen to over 5,000. Detainees were protected under the 1929 Geneva Convention, requiring that prisoners be treated humanely at all times. Nevertheless, the amount of food provided was poor and prisoners were close to starvation. The living quarters were dark, crowded and cold. Feuerring developed lifelong health issues from this period. The inmates were permitted to organize a variety of activities to occupy their time; there were discussion groups, lectures, literary circles, art classes and theatre groups. Feuerring conducted the art classes. He was permitted to paint during the day in the Invalid/Sick Block beside a window overlooking the Swiss Alps. He also drew about 2,000 portraits of his fellow prisoners to send home to their families.
The inscription on the reverse: 'Oflag V11 A 18 Gepruft' (checked or examined by a censor). The word Oflag derives from the German word Offizierslager and translates to Officers’ Camp.
Maximillian Feuerring (1896-1985) was born and educated in Poland. He headed the Jewish Academy of Art in Warsaw. He was held in a Germany army POW camp for captured Polish army officers during World War II – captured after 16 days of active duty, until the end of the war. After the war, he became a professor of art in Munich and taught painting. In Australia, where he arrived in March 1950, he became known for mastering the monotype technique - painting directly onto an engraver's copper plate and transferring the image to paper.
Feuerring was moved through a number of prisoner-of-war camps before he was finally sent to Oflag VII in Murnau. The captured soldiers were housed in the vacant barracks of an armoured German regimen fighting in Europe, consisting of 200 square metre’s enclosure surrounded by barbed-wire fencing and guard towers with machine guns. Immediately after the German invasion of Poland, some 1,000 prisoners were imprisoned there; by early 1945 the number had risen to over 5,000. Detainees were protected under the 1929 Geneva Convention, requiring that prisoners be treated humanely at all times. Nevertheless, the amount of food provided was poor and prisoners were close to starvation. The living quarters were dark, crowded and cold. Feuerring developed lifelong health issues from this period. The inmates were permitted to organize a variety of activities to occupy their time; there were discussion groups, lectures, literary circles, art classes and theatre groups. Feuerring conducted the art classes. He was permitted to paint during the day in the Invalid/Sick Block beside a window overlooking the Swiss Alps. He also drew about 2,000 portraits of his fellow prisoners to send home to their families.
Production placeGermany
Production date circa 1942
Object namepaintings
Materialpaper, watercolour
Techniquepainted
Dimensions
- width: 450.00 mm
height: 370.00 mm
Language
- French
Credit lineSydney Jewish Museum Collection, Bequeed by Ms Sharon Donohoe