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Protest out-of-control German nationalism
- As World War I decimated a generation, a young Berlin artist born Helmut Herzfeld changed his name to John Heartfield to protest out-of-control German nationalism.
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Changing his German birth name to an English name foretold his life choices of dangerous political protest. Helmut Herzfeld, as a protest against the rampant anti-British and nationalistic sentiment in Berlin, wanted all of Berlin’s citizen to know he does not agree with their war fervor.
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Helmut Herzfeld, who changed his name in 1916 to John Heartfield, was a rebellious child. He was sent to a Catholic home for unruly children, where he was brutalized by the nuns. Helmut prayed each night for his Protestant God to forgive him for being forced to say their Catholic prayers.
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Heartfield’s anti-fascist anti-Nazi art became famous on both sides of the Atlantic before and during WW2. Heartfield used fascists’ own words and images against them. His message was clear: “You must oppose this madness, escape, or do both.”
A John Heartfield biography must highlight the years when Heartfield’s genius reached its zenith. His famous political art, which he labeled “photomontages” expressed his hatred of fascists, especially Adolf Hitler and The Third Reich. From 1930 to 1938, Heartfield designed 240 pieces of anti-Nazi art for the AIZ [Arbeiter Illustrierte Zeitung], a ...
Heartfield was born into poverty on June 19, 1891, in Berlin-Schmargendorf. He was named “Helmut Franz Josef Herzfeld.” The photo above of a young Helmut Herzfeld with a moustache was taken in 1912. Under the photo at the top of this page is a scan of what Herzfeld wrote on its back [Credit: John J Heartfield Collection]. When he was eight, Heartfi...
The work of Weimar Republic artists, writers, composers, and playwrights had a profound effect on Heartfield. He, in turn, profoundly influenced their work. His theater sets were vital elements in the early works of Bertolt Brecht and Erwin Piscator.
Heartfield played a profoundly role in helping Brecht to realize the concept of the “Alienation Effect” [Verfremdungs-effekt]. The playwright used Heartfield’s simple props and stark stage sets. Heartfield’s streetcar broke down one night on the way to the theater. He had to carry his screens for an Erwin Piscator play through the streets. He arriv...
Heartfield preferred reality to artistic pretension. While he referred to himself as a “monteur,” he preferred the title “engineer.” A George Grosz painting The Engineer Heartfieldhangs in MOMA, The Museum of Modern Art in New York. Although he did not wish to be labeled an artist, Heartfield had a full measure of an artist’s passion. His Dada cont...
One of Heartfield’s most famous montages, The Meaning of Geneva, Where Capital Lives, There Can Be No Peace!, shows a dove of peace impaled on a blood-soaked bayonet in front of the League of Nations, where the cross of the Swiss flag has morphed into a swastika. John Heartfield loved animals and nature. This image can be considered an intensely de...
In 1941, Heartfield made it clear that he wished to remain in England and did not wish to return to East Germany [see John Heartfield Letter, 1941]. He and his third wife, Gertrud, found themselves with limited options. Humboldt University in East Berlin offered Heartfield the position of “Professorship of Satirical Graphics” in 1947. His response ...
Mar 26, 2021 · As World War I decimated a generation, a young Berlin artist born Helmut Herzfeld changed his name to John Heartfield to protest out-of-control German nationalism.
John Heartfield (born Helmut Herzfeld; 19 June 1891 – 26 April 1968) was a 20th-century German visual artist who pioneered the use of art as a political weapon. Some of his most famous photomontages were anti- Nazi and anti-fascist statements.
Jun 15, 2024 · In response to the rampant German nationalism, which engendered extreme anti-British sentiments, in 1916 Helmut Herzfeld Anglicized his name to John Heartfield, a new persona that he inhabited fully through his artistic and political expression.
Nov 21, 2022 · In 1916 Helmut Herzfeld decided to change his name, as an act of protest against the war, and against German patriotism. By becoming John Heartfield he dissociates himself from German hatred of the British and publicly expresses his support for the British in his new identity.
