Hannes Neuner

Hans Ferdinand “Hannes” Neuner submitted a design for the lifestyle magazine Die Neue Linie (The New Line) for the 1936 Berlin Olympics in the Art Competitions, in the paintings category. Subsequently, his brother Hein (1910-1984) was also involved in the design of the magazine. This was the first German lifestyle magazine, published from 1929-43, and at that time a unique project. It contained articles about lifestyle, fashion, and literature, as well as trends in travel, art, and architecture, especially from the Bauhaus point of view. It was mainly produced for the fashion-conscious and intellectual elite, especially women. The Nazis used this magazine for propaganda to influence the population. The cover of issue 12 from August 1936 shows a hand with a laurel wreath, an antique Hoplitodromos runner, and Doric columns. According to the imprint, the color offset print in the format 36.8 x 26.7 cm was made by Hans Ferdinand and Hein Neuner.

Neuner studied at the Städelschule in Frankfurt and later at the Frankfurt Academy. In 1943 he had to leave Berlin, as his home was bombed out, and returned to his parents in Aschaffenburg. In 1946 he turned back to free artistic creations in the old mill stream near the village of Obernaus. In 1949 Neuner joined the faculty of the National School of Arts and Crafts in Saarbrücken, where he and his wife Eve (1914-1979) became members of the “New Saar Group.” In 1953, Neuner was named professor at the Stuttgart Academy of Fine Arts and was a successful teacher until his retirement in 1969. His son Burkard became a visual artist specializing in concrete and glass work.