Ludwig Gies
| Ludwig Gies | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
September 3, 1887 Munich, Germany |
| Died | January 27, 1966 (aged 78) Cologne, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Known for | Sculpture, Medal engraving |
Ludwig Gies (3 September 1887 – 27 January 1966) was a German sculptor, medallist and professor of art. He is best known for his crucifix in Lübeck Cathedral, vandalized in March 1922 and later considered a typical work of degenerate art, and his famous Federal Eagle (also known as the "Gies Eagle", or "Fat Hen") (1953), which is hung at the front of the Plenary Hall of the Reichstag in Berlin.
Gies was born in Munich, the older of the two sons of Philip Gies and his wife Johanna (née Grieb). A third child died young, and the father died in 1915. Gies's education is poorly documented: it is uncertain whether he attended secondary school (Realschule) or just eight years of primary school. It is definite, however. that he did not attend a grammar school. Gies attended the Municipal Trade School (Städtische Gewerbeschule) in Munich from 1902 to 1904. Besides school, Ludwig was an apprentice at the business of Winhart & Co., where he learned chasing under Johann Vierthaler. At the same time, he attended evening and Sunday classes in modelling and wood carving, which brought Gies into early contact with Richard Riemerschmid and Bruno Paul.
After Ludwig Gies finished at the Municipal Trade School halfway through his training at Winhart's, he attended, up until July 1907, the Royal School of Applied Arts (Königliche Kunstgewerbeschule) in Munich, where he learned chasing, enamelling, carving and ornamental modelling and figurative modelling with Fritz von Miller, Anton Pruska, Maximilian Dasio and Heinrich Waderé. The influence of Waderé, who introduced Gies to medal making, was particularly significant.
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