Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach

Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach
Diefenbach around 1885 with his son Helios (born 1880), taken by German photographer Georg Pettendorfer [de]
Born(1851-02-21)21 February 1851
Died15 December 1913(1913-12-15) (aged 62)
NationalityGerman
Occupation(s)artist and social reformer
Known forreform movement
MovementLebensreform (life-reform), Freikörperkultur (FKK, naturism) and peace movement

Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach (21 February 1851 in Hadamar – 15 December 1913 in Capri) was a German painter and social reformer.[1]

Diefenbach is regarded as the "forefather of alternative movements" and one of the most important champions of the Lebensreform (life-reform), the Freikörperkultur (naturism) and the peace movement. His rural commune Himmelhof, in Ober Sankt Veit near Vienna (1897–1899) was the model for the reform settlement Monte Verità near Ascona,[2] founded by his student Gustav Gräser, who is also known as the "Grail of Modernity". As a painter, Diefenbach was an independent representative of symbolism.[3]

  1. ^ Opitz, Manuel (2018). "Künstler, Kulturrebell, Kommunarde:Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach" [Artist, cultural rebel, communard: Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach] (in German). Hamburg: Der Spiegel Geschichte. Retrieved 15 January 2022.
  2. ^ Müller, Hermann (2011). Himmelhof. Urzelle der Alternativbewegung, 1897-1899. Recklinghausen: Umbruch-Verlag. p. 210. ISBN 978-3-937-72608-3.
  3. ^ Zäuner, Günther (2018). "Der Kohlrabi-Apostel und seine Jünger (1899)". Halbseidenes kaiserliches Wien: 12 Krimis aus dem Fin de Siècle [Semi-silk imperial Vienna: 12 thrillers from the end of the century] (in German). Marchtrenk: Verlag federfrei. ISBN 9783990740163. Retrieved 16 January 2022.