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Eduard von der Heydt
File:Vonderheydt 312px.jpg
Born	(1882-09-26)September 26, 1882 Elberfeld, Germany
Died	April 3, 1964(1964-04-03) (aged 81) Ascona, Switzerland
Nationality	German, Swiss
Occupation(s)	Banker, art collector, patron
Known for	Museum Rietberg, "ars una"
Title	Freiherr

Eduard Freiherr von der Heydt (September 26, 1882 - April 3, 1964) was a German and Swiss banker, art collector and patron. He was born in Elberfeld, Germany and died in Ascona Switzerland. His collections were the basis for the creation of the Museum Rietberg in Zürich, Switzerland. He was also the former owner of the Monte Verità, a well known site of many different Utopian and cultural events and communities, which upon his death became the property of the Swiss Canton of Ticino. He was also a member of the NSDAP until he became a Swiss citizen in 1937 and left the party in 1939. After the Second World War, he was accused of treason in 1946, but later in 1948 declared innocent. He described art using the term "ars una", an all encompassing art that appreciates diversity as it is found throughout the world.

Life

Youth, education, and military service (1882-1905)

Born on September 26, 1882, Eduard von der Heydt was the second son of August von der Heydt (1825-67) and Johanna Selma Haarhaus (1862-1944). Together with his one year older brother August, he was initially home schooled. Together the two brothers attended the Gymnasium, where they graduated in 1900. Eduard began his studies in Law and Political Sciences in Geneva in 1900, and continued the studies in Freiburg im Breisgau a year later.

He interrupted his studies in 1902 to volunteer for the Third Uhlan Guards in Potsdam. It was common for someone of his background to volunteer like he did, as the social benefits outweighed the risks. By the age of 24, von der Heydt graduated from the political science faculty at the University of Freiburg. He received the title Dr. rer. pol. (Doctorate in Political Science) following his dissertation about the Supervisory Board of the German Stock Company.

Family

The family owned the bank Von der Heydt-Kersten & Söhne since its foundation in 1754. His great grandfather August von der Heydt (1801-1874) had been the Prussian Minister of Trade and Finance from 1848-1862 and 1866-1869. With that came great pride, but also responsibility and pressure for the name von der Heydt. In 1863 the Prussian King awarded August von der Heydt the hereditary title “Freiherr” after his initial term as the Prussian Minister of Trade and Finance. With this title many possibilities offered themselves for the family von der Heydt, and a time followed in which their banking business grew. Eduard's father August Karl von der Heydt (1851-1929) profited from this as a banker and financier not only in their home region of the Wuppertal, but also in the capitol. For Eduard the life of his father served as an example, and there were many similarities in the early years of their lives.

Going to America & England

A post card of the SS Kronprinz Wilhelm.

Eduard von der Heydt left Germany on August 15, 1905 aboard the German passenger liner SS Kronprinz Wilhelm towards New York. On this trip he met Perry Belmont (1851-1947) who was the twin brother of August Belmont, Jr. (1851-1924). It was through this connection that upon his arrival in New York, von der Heydt gathered his first job experiences in the August Belmont & Co. bank that had German roots. Eduard von der Heydt entered the banking business in New York at the very top, following the banks success in purchasing the public transportation network in 1906. During his time in New York, von der Heydt also came into contact with the richest families of the east coast, and was often on the guest list of exclusive dinner dances. Also during his second journey to the United States in 1909, von der Heydt was interacting with the high society of America.

After the United States, von der Heydt moved to England for some time. Together with his school friend Waldemar von Boettinger (1886-1945), von der Heydt rented a house in London's Green Street in 1909. He was able to quickly integrate himself due to his proficient English skills and because of the connections he had made in the previous years. Just like in the United States, he was a welcome guest at formal events such as dinners and charity balls. He was also in touch with the German Embassy in London during his time there.

E. von der Heydt & Co.

While his family expected him to remain in Elberfeld and work for the Von der Heydt-Kersten & Söhne bank that his family owned, Eduard chose to establish himself in London in 1909. While the family had a secure business in Elberfeld, London offered the 26 year old ambitious Eduard more possibilities, especially with the connections he made during his time in the United States. In 1910 he founded the bank E. von der Heydt & Co together with Waldemar von Böttinger, Franz Haniel (1883-1965), and the English Phillip Frederik Rann. The new bank had its address in the heart of London at 6 Austin Friars, London, E. C. While the E. von der Heydt & Co. flourished due to the ties Eduard had to the high society of London and through being a member of the Chamber of Commerce, he was met with more resistance by his father and his bank. It was only after some initial reluctancy that Eduard managed to persuade his father to invest into his bank. His father August did this by investing 50,000 pounds or equal to one million German Mark.

However, with the outbreak of the First World War E. von der Heydt & Co. was seized and liquidated by the English authorities in 1917 under the Trading with the Enemy Act. These events, and especially the loss of his capital and the money lent to him by his father among other investors would prove to be crucial in the young barons future safeguarding behavior, both in the banking and art collecting business.

First World War & diplomatic engagement

Von der Heydt was back in Germany just before the war broke out and was mobilized on August 1st, 1914 with the Third Uhlan Guards. Initially, von der Heydt served as a Quartermaster Lieutenant in the Ardennes. After six weeks, the regiment had marched 1500km and also saw action in the Battle of the Marne among the 23 engagements at this early stage of the war. The regiment went through the north of France and were stopped at the small river Petit Morin close to Chateau Thierry east of Paris. After falling back to the Aisne and defending the right wing of the western front, the regiment saw action in Lens and Lille. Eduard von der Heydt was awarded the Iron Cross Second Class for "courageous and brave behavior on November 7th", while the circumstances under which he earned the Iron Cross remain unclear. The regiment was stationed behind the front between December 1914 and March 1915. After being regrouped, First Lieutenant von der Heydt was sent to Bad Neuheim and then Arensdorf on March 23, 1915 following a heart condition. He would always suffer from a heart condition for the rest of his life, but if the condition really originated in this time during the war is not clear.

His connections served him well as his friend Ostertag, who was the German envoy in The Hague, got the Head of the Military Cabinet of the Prussian Kaiser to put von der Heydt, who was now unsuitable for active field duty, under the authority of the German Legation in The Hague. There von der Heydt began to use his English skills and set up the "Englische Hilfestelle" where he reported on English and American politics. The Prussian Department of State grew increasingly fond of his reports and stated that "everything interesting is always elaborated well with great clarity and illumined in the framework of global politics". Von der Heydt's reports grew increasingly important as the war stagnated and diplomatic solutions were being sought by the Axis, so far that even the Kaiser began to regularly read von der Heydt's reports. However, with the last phase of the war and the apparent ineffectiveness of the U-Boot marine strategies in 1918, von der Heydt angered the Head of the Admirality Admiral Scheer. Due to this it became impossible for von der Heydt to work in the diplomatic sector. Nevertheless, the end of the war also brought the end of the "Englische Hilfestelle" in The Hague, and von der Heydt left the diplomatic service on February 1st, 1919.

Marriage and settling in Holland

Having lost everything that he had worked for in the years during the First World War, Eduard von der Heydt married Vera von Schwabach (1899-1996) on November 12, 1918. Vera was the daughter of Paul von Schwabach (1867-1938), who was the owner and director of the bank S. Bleichröder & Co., and also had important ties internationally and to the Prussian court while S. Bleichröder & Co. counted to Prussia's elite in the banking business. The newlyweds moved to Amsterdam immediately after the marriage. There von der Heydt opened his second bank, the Von der Heydt's-Kersten's Bank N. V. in June 1920. The most likely reason for the quick marriage, was to financially secure his new existence in Amsterdam. It was not long before it became clear that the marriage was going to be a staged marriage, as both partners differed to much from each other. The main reason for the distancing between the two may have been that von der Heydt, even though never openly acknowledged it, may have been homophilic according to close friends.

Holland was a popular target for German banks after the end of the war, because of the strength of the Dutch Gould but also because German banks were forbidden to do business in England as a result of losing the war. Following some initial success, the bank was dissolved in 1924 following disagreements with his father-in-law but also after the Allgemeinen Deutschen Credit Anstalt (ADCA) decided to buy up Von der Heydt's-Kersten Bank and reintegrate it as a subsidiary called Amsterdamsche Crediet - Maatschappij.

Eduard von der Heydt did not let all of these throwbacks get to him. He founded his third bank in 1924 called N. V. Von der Heydt's Bank, Amsterdam. During the 1920's von der Heydt was either invested as a director or member of supervisory boards in over 30 institutions. However, with the increase of regulatory measures the majority of those institutions dissolved during the early 1930's. While Kaiser Wilhelm II lived in exile in Doorn, Eduard von der Heydt was often referred to as the "Kaiser's Banker". Von der Heydt only dealt with a small amount of the Kaiser's wealth, but the reputation of being the "Kaiser's Banker" must have certainly been beneficial for him economically.

Collecting art

The Dancing Shiva on display at Museum Rietberg.

Eduard von der Heydt was exposed to art since his childhood. He grew up in a home were art by Gustave Courbet, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, George Braque, Pablo Picasso, Kees van Dongen, Paula Modersohn-Becker, Oskar Kokoschka, and Ferdinand Hodler was absolutely normal. Von der Heydt's collection is an exception, because it includes such a wide variety of art pieces. He began to collect art in a large scale beginning in 1920, and collected until his death in 1964. At one point, he was in the possesion of more than 3,000 objects. Following the difficult times for his banking enterprises, he became calculating and always tried to minimize any risks. By 1938, he had dispersed his collection to over 70 different locations within Europe. Apart from losing some small parts of his collection due to the Second World War. Von der Heydt was able to appreciate almost the entirety of his collection at the Museum Rietberg following the donation of his collection to the city of Zürich due to the lack of an heir.

He collected mainly non-European art, but did not appear to have any preference regarding their culture, religion, or media. Thus, he categorized his collection as "ars una". An all encompassing art that appreciated diversity as it is found throughout the world.

Zandvoort

For von der Heydt it was essential to have art omnipresent in his houses. In every house he lived in, he wanted to be surrounded by art. It began in Amsterdam where he lived with his wife Vera von Schwabach by the Keizersgracht. However, in 1924/25 he purchased three houses in Zandvoort by the beach and renovated all of them to make them into one large building. There he had the Museum Lunch Room (MULURU), where visitor would be able to enjoy a meal surrounded by art. Alfred Salmony, who had written several articles about von der Heydt's collection described the MULURU as:

“There’s nothing new about enjoying cake and coffee by the sea side accompanied by classical music. But in Zandvoort you also get to enjoy a large variety of art from around the globe, including a collection by Miss Boissevain called Frutta di mare. Everything is casually arranged in the house. The Japanese demon stares into your beer jug, while the bread is served in front of art from the Southern Seas.”

In the MULURU figurines stood on shelves while pictures and masks were hanging from the walls. Art was not limited to the MULURU itself, and von der Heydt exhibited art throughout his house in the other rooms. Zandvoort remained the center of his attention from 1925 until the early 1930's, but this gradually shifted to the Monte Verità in Ascona, Switzerland. Von der Heydt still used to visit Zandvoort until the mid-1930's, but usually only in the summers. On December 5th. 1936 he wrote the director of an art museum in Copenhagen that planned to "gradually empty the house in Zandvoort". The last objects left Zandvoort in 1942 to either go to Ascona or other museums. Just in time before the demolition of the house in 1943/43.

Monte Verità

With the purchase of the Monte Verità in 1926, von der Heydt had purchased a plot of land that would become his main residence until his death in 1964. Beginning in 1926 he started to live there sporadically, and from 1939 on permanently. In the late 20's and early 30's the Monte Verità was a desired destination for the high society of Berlin. Every year in the spring, guests started to arrive. They were usually friends or acquaintances of von der Heydt, and many guest books show that the Monte Verità started to accommodate the high society from Berlin, Paris, Vienna, England, and America. Even though the purchase of the plot of land is often ascribed to have been spontaneous, quite the opposite was true. The purchase and development of the site was well planned and spread across several years. In the early 20th century, naturalists and anarchists settled on the idyllic mountain. In 1923 the mountain was bought up by Hugo Wilkens, William Werner, and Werner Ackermann. Von der Heydt purchased the first and most significant plot of land from William Werner in 1926.

The Monte Verità Hotel today

With the construction of the hotel on the Monte Verità in 1927-1929, von der Heydt wrote about the Monte Verità as a location that:

"the objects have the opportunity to exercise a strong influence, perhaps more than is possible in a museum."

Art was also omnipresent on the Monte Verità. Alfred Salmony who had previously described the unique atmosphere in Zandvoort, was equally fascinated by the combination of hotel and museum on the Monte Verità. He wrote:

“A large patio serves not only the view. Here, an archaic Greek woman strides across the view. The unparalleled scenery serves as a background to the naked female bodies from Cambodia. Many drawings by Seurat, Gauguin, van Gogh and Munch are located within the house. Masks from Africa and sculptures from all corners of India are spread throughout the gallery. Every guest has the chance to see them all. The treasures have also been placed in the hotel and chalets. There is no space without art."

The Monte Verità was well staged, and von der Heydt intentionally placed art around the house, especially sculptures on the terraces, and created a calm and relaxing atmosphere in this idyllic location. However, during the war the international guests were unable to visit, and von der Heydt turned to attract the local Ticino population more. In 1939 he built a Locanda Ticinese extension in the old traditional style where Swiss carneval masks and figurines depicting saints from the Middle Ages.

Museum Rietberg

The Wesendonck Villa, the main building of the Rietberg Museum

The entrance to one of the newer parts of the Rietberg Museum

During the 1930's, the Nazi's policies regarding art started to drive von der Heydt to move more of his art pieces to Switzerland. Switzerland became the increasing focus of von der Heydt, following the purchase of the Monte Verità and the foundation of the Neuen Kunsthandelvereiningung AG. During the summer of 1941, von der Heydt had 35 of his objects in an exhibit in the Zürcher Kunstgewerbemuseum. For von der Heydt this exhibit was crucial because it is the beginning of considering Zürich as the main location for his collection. He agreed to move the majority of the collection to Zürich, but under the condition that his collection be displayed and not stored away. In December of 1943, von der Heydt contacted the mayor of Zurich, Ernst Nobs, and declared that he would like to bring his art together at one location because it was spread out among various Swiss museums. Therefore, the city of Zurich began the search for a location of a museum. By 1945 the city determined that the recently acquired Villa Wesendonck would be an ideal location for the von der Heydt collection.

In 1943 von der Heydt became the target of American interest, because he had transferred money for Nazi Germany during the war. He was questioned in 1946 and remained in investigative custody for three weeks. Also his Swiss citizenship was suspended in 1947 until he was declared innocent in 1948. However, the fact that von der Heydt had signed an inheritance contract with the city of Zurich in early 1946 is likely to have played a key role in being declared innocent. Without the support of the city council of Zurich and many other politically engaged persons, von der Heydt may not have been declared innocent in May 1948.

On July 3, 1949 the people of Zurich voted on financing the new Museum Rietberg with 400,000CHF. Aside from the Swiss Party of Labour all parties supported the grant and proposal to renovate the Villa Wesendonck, and was therefore accepted with 63% of the vote. Alfred Gradmann (1893-1962) was chosen as the architect and Johannes Itten, who previously led the Kunstgewerbemuseum, was in charge of the interior design. After it's completion Johannes Itten would also become the museum's inaugural director after developing the exhibition concept with von der Heydt.

Death

Eduard von der Heydt died on April 3, 1964 in Ascona after a long period of illness. After the funeral service, his corpse was cremated in Ascona and then transferred to the protestant cemetery in Wuppertal, where he was buried in his family grave on May 6, 1964.

Pedigree

Pedigree of Eduard Freiherr von der Heydt
Great-Great Grandparents	Daniel Heinrich von der Heydt (1767–1832) ∞ 1794 Wilhelmine Kersten (1771–1854)	Johann Wilhelm Blank (1773–1846) ∞ 1796 Sibilla Helene Simons (1776–1839)	Johann Peter Boeddinghaus (1751–1826) ∞ 1778 Maria Helene Funcke (1760–1824)	Johann Abraham Siebel (1773–1830) ∞ 1796 Isabella Margaretha Siebel (1775–1844)	Johann Kaspar Haarhaus (1749–1828) ∞ 1784 Anna Christina Bargmann (1760–1802)	Johann Peter Bargmann (1774-1852) ∞ 1798 Ida Baltz (1780–1863)	Johann Jakob Aders (1768–1825) ∞ 1793 Anna Helene Brink (1770–1844)	Johann Peter Boeddinghaus (1788-1837) ∞ 1813 Amalia Middendorf (1793–1823)
Great Grandparents	August Freiherr von der Heydt (1801–1874) ∞ 1824 Julie Blank (1804–1865)		Karl Heinrich Boeddinghaus (1797–1872) ∞ 1823 Sophie Siebel (1802–1885)		Jacob Wilhelm Haarhaus (1798–1881) ∞ 1830 Johanna Sophie Bargmann (1803–1872)		Alfred Aders (1809–1880) ∞ 1835 Bertha Boeddinghaus (1814–1891)
Grandparents	August von der Heydt (1825–1867) ∞ 1849 Maria Helene Boeddinghaus (1828–1899)				Gustav Haarhaus (1831–1911) ∞ 1860 Ida Auguste Aders (1838–1876)
Parents	August von der Heydt (1851–1929) ∞ 1880 Selma Haarhaus (1862–1944)
Eduard Freiherr von der Heydt (1882–1964)

Works

• Eduard von der Heydt/Werner von Rheinbaben: Auf dem Monte Verità. Erinnerungen und Gedanken über Menschen, Kunst und Politik, Atlantis, Zürich 1958.

Further Reading

• Karl With: Bildwerke Ost-und Südasiens aus der Sammlung Yi Yuan [d.i. Eduard von der Heydt]. Mit begleitendem Text von K. With. Einband u. Vorsatzpapier nach Entwurf von Georg Baus. Schwabe, Basel 1924
• Robert Landmann (d.i. Werner Ackermann): Monte Verità. Die Geschichte eines Berges, Berlin: Adalbert Schultz Verlag 1930.
• Stefan Balazs: Die Inschriften der Sammlung Baron Eduard von der Heydt, Sonderdruck aus der Ostasiatischen Zeitschrift. 20. Jahrgang. De Gruyter & Co Verlag, Berlin 1934.
• Curt Riess: Ascona. Geschichte des seltsamsten Dorfes der Welt. Zürich: Europa Verlag 1964 (1. Aufl.), 1977 (3. Aufl.) - In this book Eduard von der Heydt is referred to as "Mr. X" beginning on page 194
• Sabine Fehlemann und Stamm, Rainer (Hrsg.): Die Von der Heydts. Bankiers, Christen und Mäzene. Müller + Busmann, Wuppertal 2001, 184 S., ISBN 3-928766-49-X
• Francesco Welti: „Der Baron, die Kunst und das Nazigold“, Verlag Huber Frauenfeld, 2008, ISBN 978-3-7193-1475-0
• Eberhard Mros: Phänomen Monte Verità. Neun Bände, im Selbstverlag des Verfassers, Ascona 2008/2011
• Karl Schem: Wuppertal untersuchte Nazi-Verquickungen seines Ehrenbürgers / NSDAP-Baron ein moderner Till Eulenspiegel? auf der Seite Neue Rheinische Zeitung, Online-Flyer Nr. 94 vom 9. Mai 2007
• Eberhard Illner (Hrsg.): Eduard von der Heydt. Kunstsammler – Bankier – Mäzen. Prestel, München/London/New York 2013, ISBN 978-3-7913-4204-7. (Accompanies the exhibit Von Buddha bis Picasso. Der Sammler Eduard von der Heydt at the Museum Rietberg Zürich, April 20th – August 18th 2013 and also accompanies another exhibit at the Von der Heydt-Museum, Wuppertal, from October 13, 2015 - February 28, 2016.)

External Links

• Searchable online database of the Museum Rietberg, including von der Heydt's collection
• Section in German about provenance research happening at the Museum Rietberg regarding von der Heydt's collection
• Link to von der Heydt exhibition at the Museum Rietberg

[[Category:1882 births]] [[Category:1964 deaths]]