Michael Drobil
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Michael Drobil

Michael Drobil (1877-1958) is representative of many artists who were able to successfully realise great works under both fascist and democratic systems.

Drobil was a professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna from 1930 and was involved with prestigious projects under Austro-fascism, such as the proposed monument to Emperor Franz-Joseph on Heldenplatz which was never realised. He represented Austria at the Biennale in Venice in 1936 despite his already being an illegal Nazi Party member.

Under National Socialism he created a nearly 2-m-tall bust of Hitler for Vienna City Hall, a large-scale sculpture of Europa for the Gauhaus (the former Parliament building) and soldier figures for the war school in Wiener Neustadt. In 1942, he won Vienna’s Raphael Donner Prize and was commissioned to produce the statue of Billroth.

In the arcade courtyard at the University he erected three monuments to great scientists: Josef Maria Pernter in 1935, Eduard von Hoffmann in 1947 and Max Hussarek von Heinlein in 1953. 

After 1945 the sculptor continued on with his career, for instance with a memorial alter for the victims of the war at Brigittenau Church 1948, a memorial in St. Pölten in 1949, the fountain figure “Mutterglück” (“Mother’s Love”) in 1951 and with architectural sculptures for Vienna’s council housing in 1953 and 1954.

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