A Life of Artistic Pursuit and Displacement
Hans Troschel was a German painter and graphic artist born in Berlin. His formal training included studies at the Bauhaus in Weimar, the Deutsche Hochschule für Leibesübungen, and the Kunstakademie Breslau. His early work was marked by intense themes; in 1925, he produced six woodcuts titled Inferno, which depicted his experiences during the war, often focusing on death and decay in a drastic manner.
His life took a dramatic turn in 1937 when three of his works—an oil painting titled Kartoffeln schälende Frau, a woodcut titled Hexe, and a woodcut titled Pferd—were confiscated and destroyed by the Nazi regime as part of the "Entartete Kunst" action. Following this, he fled to Albania, where he lived illegally, traveling on foot and creating numerous sketches, drawings, and oil paintings. During his time in Albania, he documented traditional crafts, tools, and architecture, and created a large-scale painting for a church in Shkodra that was later lost when the building was converted into a warehouse.
Later Years and Legacy
After returning to Germany in 1940, Troschel faced imprisonment and later served in the Luftwaffe. Following the end of the war and the rise of communist power, he endured further imprisonment and labor camps. He eventually returned to West Germany in 1954, settling in Lethe near Ahlhorn. From 1956 until 1970, he worked as an art teacher at the Gymnasium in Ahlhorn and the Clemens-August-Gymnasium in Cloppenburg.
