Collection of Gustava and Alois Landerer
The art collections of the Landerer couple in pre-war Breslau are among the most impressive achievements of that time. However, there is still a lack of systematic research and scholarly publications on the Landerers’ art collection. The available information is selective and fragmentary. We know that Alois Landerer was born in 1876, and his wife Augusta, also known as Gustava or Gucia, was likely born in 1893. Various sources provide different information about their birthplaces. From the existing records, we know that Alois Landerer operated a wholesale business for woodworking tools, such as saws and planers, from 1911 onwards. In 1923, their daughter Lilly was born in their home of Breslau. Additionally, from 1927 onwards, Alois served as the consul of Lithuania in Breslau.
Researchers are aware that in the twenties, the family lived in a villa at Kaiser-Wilhelm-Str. 182 (now Powstańców Śląskich), they also owned a villa in Prague on Na Piavě Street (today’s Charles de Gaulle Street). The interior design of both homes was commissioned to Brunon Paul, one of the most renowned architects of that time. In 1924, Bruno Paul, assumed the position of director at the United State Schools of Fine and Applied Arts in Berlin. In his portfolio, he already had many urban residences, which he designed in every detail, including the furniture.
The villas designed by Paul reflect the artistic tastes of the Landerer’s. In archival photographs of the interiors, one can see modernist decor, and complimentary decor integrated with works of art. These photos showcase landscapes, portraits, sculptures, as well as a substantial library. This domestic collection of the Landerers included canvases by German Impressionists such as Max Slevogt, Max Liebermann, Lovis Corinth, and the French painter preceding Impressionism – Adolphe Monticelli. The walls also featured works by Otto Mueller, a lecturer at the State Academy of Fine Arts and Crafts in Breslau.
The family’s pro-artistic and cultural activities came to an end due to the political rise of the Nazi’s. In 1938, because of the escalating Nazi persecutions of the Jewish population, the family moved to Prague and later emigrated to the USA. After the death of Lilly Landerer in 2008, artworks from the family collection, as well as the furniture furnishing the Breslau and Prague residences, were placed on the antique market.
