Walter Womacka (22 December 1925 – 18 September 2010) was a German Socialist Realist artist. His work was pioneering early German Democratic Republic (GDR) aesthetics.

Biography

Walter Womacka was born on 22 December 1925 in Horní Jiřetín, Czechoslovakia. He lived in East Berlin for most of his life. During World War II he did military service. Between 1946 and 1951, he studied art in Braunschweig, Weimar, and Dresden in Germany. In 1954, he moved back to Berlin. Womacka was the head of the Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin (former German name: Hochschule für Bildende und Angewandte Kunst Berlin-Weißensee), from 1968 until 1988. He had many notable students, including Georg Baselitz. In 1962, he created his most famous work, the oil painting "Am Strand", in which his daughter and younger brother were models. This work was a best selling reproduction, it was also used for German postage stamps. In the post-war rebuilding of Berlin, he designed many large public artworks, including stained glass windows using the gemmail technique and large external murals in mosaic. These artworks showing the socialist ideal of "ordinary people" contributing to society are found decorating the buildings of government departments and factories. The Haus des Lehrers ("House of Teachers"- Education Department) on Alexanderplatz in the centre of East Berlin is decorated with a frieze showing the benefits of education. This work was fully restored between 2002 and 2004 after many years of neglect. Womacka died in Berlin, Germany on 18 September 2010. He is buried in Zentralfriedhof Friedrichsfelde in Berlin.

Works

Architecture-related mural work

Awards