Werner Laux

Werner Laux (15 April 1902 – 14 May 1975) was a German painter, university teacher and arts official. He was something of a party stalwart: between 1952 and 1956 he served as rector (head) of the Arts Academy at Berlin-Weissensee.

Life Werner Laux was born in Berlin. His father was a postal official. He received a professorship in 1953. Between 1956 and 1959 he was in charge of the Main Visual Arts Departments at the East German Culture Ministry. Then, during 1959/60, he worked as the ministry's specialist in East German Arts and Culture for (north) Viet Nam.

Between 1960 and 1965 Werner Laux held a teaching chair as professor and Institute Director at the Academy for Industrial Design at Giebichenstein Castle. From 1965 till 1968 he was in charge of the National Design Institute ("Zentralinstitut für Gestaltung") and was Design Council Secretary at the (East) German Office for Materials and Goods Testing. In 1968 Laux became an academic researcher with the regional board of the "Sports and Technology Society" ("Gesellschaft für Sport und Technik" / GST). He served briefly as a member of its central committee and was also a member of its water sports commission.

Award and celebration 1967 Patriotic Order of Merit in bronze.

Obituary reports for members of the East German party establishment were generally highly formulaic. Nevertheless, even by the standards of the time and place, the one published in respect of Werner Laux by the party newspaper, Neues Deutschland, was exceptionally fulsome:

"In him the party has lost a battle-hardened, tried and tested comrade, who placed all his strength, his wisdom and his experiences at the service of the working class, and [who was] steeped in love for the Soviet Union ..." "Mit Ihm verliert die Partei einen kampferprobten, bewährten Genossen, der seine ganze Kraft, sein Wissen und seine Erfahrungen in den Dienst der Arbeiterklasse stellte und von tiefer Liebe zur Sowjetunion durchdrungen war ..."