Courage and altruism in difficult times
The artist, the poet and the businessman
Anton Mayer
academic painter
(* 1886 † 1967 Munich)
Karl Mayer
poet and merchant
(* 1889 † 1971 Munich)
Adalbert Mayer
businessman and strategist
(* 1894 † 1987 Munich)
After the First World War and the end of the German monarchy, Franz Borgias passes the company on to his three sons and thus to the third generation. As the oldest son, academy graduate Anton takes over the artistic direction, while his younger brothers Karl and Adalbert take care of the global business affairs. 1919 Mayer'sche becomes a workshop for free artists (example Karl Knappe) 1922/23 Purchase of the neighboring properties on the Seidlstraße 25/27. New building by the city architect Prof. Theodor Fischer, today's company headquarters. 1922-1936 Adalbert Mayer, the driving force behind the family business, lives and works in New York. In 1934 he marries Marianne Lacher (a librarian). From 1965 to 1985 she creates seven meticulously researched company and family chronicles (Munich Stadtmuseum).
1933 The Mayer brothers successfully remain untangled with affairs of the NSDAP. The international contracts ensure the survival of the company for the time being. 1939 Mayer/ Zettler union 1941 the production of Mayer/ Zettler grinds to a halt 1944 the staff decreases from an original 500 to less than 20 Employees.
"The apocalyptic silver birds kept coming from Italy, always flying across the Tegernsee: divinely beautiful."
K.M.
1944 Stiglmaierplatz: "From the roof we observed, in horror, the swirls of fire and smoke over a tortured city ... a vision like Nero´s." K.M. 1945 "The front building burned down to the ground floor, exposing the exhibition hall in ruins and the workshop building without a roof ... the entire cellar full of glass material was destroyed, along with the carpenter's workshop in the courtyard, and photographic workshop along with all the equipment and most importantly almost all boxes and sketches burned ... including business books, old correspondence, and all the advertising material and documents, not to mention the office artworks and furnishings ... “ K.M.
1946 rapid post-war renovations / revitalization of the US market. 1948 - 1965 restoration of the medieval windows from Munich´s cathedral, which A.M. saved from the destruction during the war. Reconstructions and production of modern windows by Karl Knappe and Max Lacher and mosaics by Sepp Frank in the crypt. Inventions of thermal protective glazing for lead glass restoration and the "positive setting technique" in the mosaic (canvas network). A.M. receives the “St. Gregorius Medal” from Pope Pius XII. and the award of his hometown "Munich Shines". 1961 the World Peace Church Hiroshima receives a monumental apse mosaic by Prof. Karl Knappe. Well-known artists find their “Workshop Home”, including F.X.W. Braunmiller, Hubert Distler, Sepp Frank, Prof. Josef Oberberger and H.G. from Stockhausen among others.
„The essential work (of Mayer) is achieving a unity between manual and artistic work, where teamwork and real friendship are the substances that guarantee a productive solidarity.“
Karl Knappe
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