Ludwig Fahrenkrog
Ludwig Carl Wilhelm Fahrenkrog (b. 20 October 1867 in Rendsburg, Province of Schleswig-Holstein, Kingdom of Prussia, North German Confederation; d. 27 October 1952 in Biberach an der Riß, Baden-Württemberg, West Germany) was a German painter, graphic artist, poet and promoter of a faith-based spirituality (neo-paganism). He founded the Germanische Glaubens-Gemeinschaft in 1913.
Life
After an apprenticeship as a decorative painter, Fahrenkrog first attended the Altona School of Applied Arts and from 1887 studied at the Academy of Arts in Berlin, where he was a student of Woldemar Friedrich and Hugo Vogel, and a master student of Anton von Werner. In 1898, Fahrenkrog was appointed to the Trade School in Barmen as a teacher of figure painting and composition, and in 1913 he was made a Royal Prussian Professor. Also in 1913, the Germanic Faith Community was founded, and Fahrenkrog served as its "High Warden" from 1914 to 1952. Finally, in 1925, he was appointed External Professor of Art by the University of Dakota in the USA. After his retirement in 1931, Professor Fahrenkrog moved to Biberach an der Riß, where the Honorary Master Craftsman of the Hamburg Painters' Guild (1937), Honorary Citizen of the City of Hamburg (1938) and father of five died in 1952. He was survived by his wife Charlotte "Lotte" Lüdecke (1874–1960).
Ludwig Dessel (1905–1992) from Annen (Witten), once a Wandervogel, then a typesetter, author and critic, became chairman of the GGG after Fahrenkrog's death.[3] In a private letter to Charlotte Fahrenkrog dated February 16, 1958, he wrote:
- “It must be possible for us to declare: ‘The GGG has nothing to do with the crimes of Hitler and his circle! Preserving one’s own kind is not racial mania! Germanic racial belief is not a ‘will to power,’ and has nothing to do with the persecution of those who are different because of their race! Justice must be the highest principle of our actions. Anyone who steals or cheats, for example, is subject to the judge, be they white, black, or yellow, German, English, Jew, or Chinese!’ It goes without saying that those not mentioned are also included. […] In this context, I mention the fact that Mr. Erhard Bruder told me in Biberach. When he wanted to report the news of the master’s death by telephone to a Stuttgart office (the editorial office of a newspaper or news agency), he received the following reply: ‘We are aware of the role Fahrenkrog played in the Third Reich.’ "He played the part of the rich; we refrain from acknowledging his death!" If we don't counter this with the truth, F. will eventually be made into the decorator of the Propaganda Ministry by such a press hack, etc. – there are no limits to the imagination."
Writings (excerpt)
- Das geistige Deutschland am Ende des 19. Jahrhunderts , I, 1898
- Geschichte meines Glaubens, Buchschmuck vom Verfasser, 1906
- Germanentempel, in: „Der Volkserzieher“ 11 (1907) 6 H., 42s.; 12 (1908) 6 H., 41s.
- Baldur (Drama), 1908
- Das frühe Geläut, 1910
- Lucifer. Dichtung in Bild und Wort, 1913
- Wölund (Drama), 1914
- already performed in 1913 at the Harz Mountain Theatre
- Sturm über Land, 1916
- Deutsche Gedanken, 1920
- Gott im Wandel der Zeiten. Ein Buch in sieben Büchern, 1922–1931
- Nornegast (Drama), 1922
- Ludwig Fahrenkrog. Seine Schöpfungen und ihre Bedeutung für unser Volkstum, 1922
- Die Godentochter (Drama), 1923
- Der deutsche Dom, in: „Der Weihwart“ 3 (1924) H. 2, 9-12; 4 (1925) H. 1, 1s.
- Pantheismus und Dualismus, 1929
- Sinn des Hakenkreuzes und die germanische Glaubens-Gemeinschaft, 1933
- Germanisches Glaubensgut, 1934
- Germanische Glaubens-Gemeinschaft …, 1935
- Wie sagst du es deinem Kinde?, 1935
- Jung-deutsche Religion, 1935
- Held oder Händler?, 1936
- Aufsätze zum Germanenglauben, 1937
- Kunst (Mein künstlerisches Glaubensbekenntnis), 1949
- Vom rechten Tun und Lieben, 1952
