During the first world war on the German Western Front, Mattheus Koelz found a man in a shell crater who was very badly hurt and Matheus, a devout Catholic and a lifelong pacifist helped the man. In the years between the wars Koelz became the foremost portrait painter in Germany and Hitler wanted him to paint his portrait to be used as a propaganda tool, Koelz refused and Hitler ordered his arrest and execution. The arresting officer in the Secret State Police was the same man who Koelz had helped in the shell crater and said he was putting the arrest order in his office drawer until the day after and then he would carry out his orders. In the next 24 hours Koelz had time to flee Germany and went to England and Australia.

During 1949/1950 Johannes Mattheus Koelz was the art master at New Mills Grammar School, he never told his story but after his death in 1971 his daughter, who was a pupil at New Mills School at the same time set up an exhibition which I went to see at Leicester Art Gallery and Museum.

Did he teach anyone on the forum?

Edited by user 22 January 2011 11:05:37(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified