Gustav Klemperer von Klemenau
Encyclopedia
Gustav Klemperer von Klemenau (Gustav von Klemperer) was a prominent German banker. Under his leadership, the Dresdner Bank
, where he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors, developed into a major international financial institution.
Klemperer was born in 1852 in Prague to Adolph Klemperer and Henrietta Meyer Klemperer. He apprenticed in 1866 at age 14 with the banking house of Julius Hirsch. In 1871 he joined the Bank Robert Thode & Co, which was acquired by Dresdner Bank in 1890. There, he became a member of the Board of Directors, and from 1890 to 1913 headed the Saxon branch of the bank. From 1914 to 1924, he was Deputy Chairman, and in 1925, he was named as Chairman of the Board of Directors. He died in Dresden in 1926.
In addition to his banking positions, he was an exemplary public servant. From 1899, he served as the Austro-Hungarian honorary Vice Consul, and from 1905 the Vice Consul for Saxony. He also served as the honorary US consul in Dresden. In 1910, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria thanked him for his services to the empire by elevation to the nobility with the hereditary title of Edler von Klemenau.
Klemperer's cultural interests included his active involvement in the Dresden University of Technology
, yet it is perhaps the story of his extensive collection of Meissen porcelain
, which was eventually confiscated by the Nazis and sent to Dresden's porcelain museum, that has received the most attention in this area of Klemperer's life. Considered by some to be the most impressive of its time it was removed and hidden in the hills east of the city in the early 1940s to avoid any damage from the WWII fighting that was raging at that time. When the approach of Soviet troops threatened the valuable collection, the treasures were removed and transported to the west of the city by truck. Orders were given for the trucks not to stop in Dresden en route, yet the exhausted driver of one truck disobeyed, and parked in Dresden the night of February 13, 1945. By morning the truck, along with its precious crates of cargo, was reduced to rubble, and this uncatalogued portion of the collection was thought to be irretrievably lost. In 1951 a workman found a piece of porcelain in the still uncleared courtyard while performing a routine excavation. Curators were called and more was unearthed, all of it found to be from von Klemperer's collection. These pieces were eventually restored to the degree possible and later displayed.
In 1991, after German reunification, 83 pieces were returned to von Klemperer's descendants.
Much of this was subsequently donated to the Zwinger
museum in Dresden. More recently, additional pieces were found in the Zwinger storerooms and once again donated to von Klemperer's descendants. Out of this second group of porcelain pieces, 43 lots were auctioned at a significant sale at Bonhams
in London. A unique sale, many items sold for considerably more than their original estimates.
--Notes--
-- References --
Dresdner Bank
Dresdner Bank AG was one of Germany's largest banking corporations and was based in Frankfurt. It was acquired by competitor Commerzbank in December 2009.- 19th century :...
, where he served as Chairman of the Board of Directors, developed into a major international financial institution.
Klemperer was born in 1852 in Prague to Adolph Klemperer and Henrietta Meyer Klemperer. He apprenticed in 1866 at age 14 with the banking house of Julius Hirsch. In 1871 he joined the Bank Robert Thode & Co, which was acquired by Dresdner Bank in 1890. There, he became a member of the Board of Directors, and from 1890 to 1913 headed the Saxon branch of the bank. From 1914 to 1924, he was Deputy Chairman, and in 1925, he was named as Chairman of the Board of Directors. He died in Dresden in 1926.
In addition to his banking positions, he was an exemplary public servant. From 1899, he served as the Austro-Hungarian honorary Vice Consul, and from 1905 the Vice Consul for Saxony. He also served as the honorary US consul in Dresden. In 1910, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria thanked him for his services to the empire by elevation to the nobility with the hereditary title of Edler von Klemenau.
Klemperer's cultural interests included his active involvement in the Dresden University of Technology
Dresden University of Technology
The Technische Universität Dresden is the largest institute of higher education in the city of Dresden, the largest university in Saxony and one of the 10 largest universities in Germany with 36,066 students...
, yet it is perhaps the story of his extensive collection of Meissen porcelain
Meissen porcelain
Meissen porcelain or Meissen china is the first European hard-paste porcelain that was developed from 1708 by Ehrenfried Walther von Tschirnhaus. After his death that October, Johann Friedrich Böttger, continued his work and brought porcelain to the market...
, which was eventually confiscated by the Nazis and sent to Dresden's porcelain museum, that has received the most attention in this area of Klemperer's life. Considered by some to be the most impressive of its time it was removed and hidden in the hills east of the city in the early 1940s to avoid any damage from the WWII fighting that was raging at that time. When the approach of Soviet troops threatened the valuable collection, the treasures were removed and transported to the west of the city by truck. Orders were given for the trucks not to stop in Dresden en route, yet the exhausted driver of one truck disobeyed, and parked in Dresden the night of February 13, 1945. By morning the truck, along with its precious crates of cargo, was reduced to rubble, and this uncatalogued portion of the collection was thought to be irretrievably lost. In 1951 a workman found a piece of porcelain in the still uncleared courtyard while performing a routine excavation. Curators were called and more was unearthed, all of it found to be from von Klemperer's collection. These pieces were eventually restored to the degree possible and later displayed.
In 1991, after German reunification, 83 pieces were returned to von Klemperer's descendants.
Much of this was subsequently donated to the Zwinger
Zwinger
The Zwinger is a palace in Dresden, eastern Germany, built in Baroque style. It served as the orangery, exhibition gallery and festival arena of the Dresden Court....
museum in Dresden. More recently, additional pieces were found in the Zwinger storerooms and once again donated to von Klemperer's descendants. Out of this second group of porcelain pieces, 43 lots were auctioned at a significant sale at Bonhams
Bonhams
Bonhams is a privately owned British auction house founded in 1793. It is the third largest auctioneer after Sotheby's and Christie's, and conducts around 700 auctions per year. It has 700 employees....
in London. A unique sale, many items sold for considerably more than their original estimates.
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-- References --
- Graul, A (2004) . ' ' Gustav und Victor von Klemperer, Eine biographishe Skizze ' ' , Eugen-Gutmann-Gesellschaft