Fritz Maenicke

Fritz Maenicke (23 October 1892 – 16 March 1970) was a German sculptor and restorer.

Life Fritz Maenicke was born in Halle, Germany. Karl Maenicke, his father, was a skilled mechanical engineer ("Maschinenbaumeister"). During his childhood and youth he lived successively in Halle, Cottbus, Falkenberg, Torgau and Leipzig. Between 1907 and 1915 he undertook an apprenticeship at Bruno Wollstädter's sculpture workshop in Leipzig. After receiving his qualification ("Gesellenbrief") he worked as a sculptural assistant between 1911 and 1915, while at the same time attending the Royal Arts Academy ("Königliche Kunstakademie und Kunstgewerbeschule"), as it was known at that time, in Leipzig. At the academy he was a pupil of Adolf Lehnert. During 1913 and 1914 he also studied in Berlin, attending the Arts Academy and the "School for Graphic and Book Art" at the Decorative Arts Museum. His teachers in Berlin included Emil Orlik and Josef Wackerle. In addition, he was accepted into the master classes given by Walther Schmarje. He is also credited by at least one source with having produced the "Magdeburger Maiden" ("Magdeburger Jungfrau") that adorned the corner of the "Lookout Tower" ("Aussichtsturm Rotehornpark"), again using a draft design by Albin Müller.

British "carpet bombing" on 16 January 1945 destroyed most of the old centre of Magdeburg, including Maenicke's studio. Much of his life's work was destroyed in a single night. War ended, formally in May 1945, leaving the central portion of Germany, including Magdeburg, Leipzig and much of Berlin, administered as the Soviet occupation zone. For the next few years Maenicke stayed away from his art, working till 1949 for a winery at Roßbach (Naumburg). Over the ensuing years he was also closely involved in a succession of other restoration projects in churches, abbeys and castles in the region now known as Sachsen-Anhalt.