Herbert Zeitner

Herbert Zeitner completed his training at the State Drawing Academy in Hanau, supported by a scholarship. In 1924 he passed his master’s exam as a goldsmith. He then went to teach artistic metal design at the United State Schools for Applied Arts in Berlin-Charlottenburg. In the 1920s he made a long necklace of coral and porcelain, worn by the actress Brigitte Helm in Fritz Lang’s silent movie classic “Metropolis”. During the Third Reich, Zeitner also created jewelry for Nazi celebrities and was appointed associate professor in 1935. In 1939 he became head of a master studio for goldsmiths at the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin. After 1945, he distanced himself from National Socialism; however, he had clearly benefited from commissions from the regime.

After the end of World War II, Zeitner went to Lüneburg and initially lived and worked on a houseboat. From 1954 to 1959 he ran a workshop in the “Altes Kaufhaus” (Old Department Store). In the 1960s he created, among other things, the chain of office of the mayor of Lüneburg. Zeitner designed silverware, jewelry and works for public clients. He was also awarded the Lower Saxony and Bavarian State Prizes for his work. While his early works are influenced by Art Nouveau, Art Deco and Bauhaus, his late work shows a development towards abstraction. In 2010, two exhibitions honored his life’s work.

His Lauf (Run), exhibited in 1952, is sometimes referred to as a “sports gift of honor (Olympic medal)”. It was a box made of walnut wood, turned by the Lüneburg master turner Rothardt. In the lid there is a silver plaque with a relief figure of a runner with an olive branch and the five rings.