A statue by a German sculptor celebrated by the Nazi party during World War II has been removed from display at St. Mary’s College in Moraga after three students circulated a petition demanding its ouster.
The metal statue of a boy and a falcon by sculptor Fritz von Graevenitz, who also sculpted Nazi-era works in the 1930s and 1940s, was taken down from the courtyard of the campus art museum and placed in storage at the order of college administrators.
”We have removed it temporarily to give us an opportunity to learn more,” said college interim executive vice president Margaret Kasimatis, in a letter on Friday to the campus community.
The online petition, posted on Tuesday by students Sara Mameesh, Melanie Moyer and Venessa Ramirez, called the sculpture “Nazi art” and demanded the college get rid of it and apologize . It maintained that von Graevenitz “comes into direct contradiction with the college’s core values.”
As of Saturday, the petition had gathered over 900 signatures.
The sculpture, titled “Falcon Boy,” was bought for the college half a century ago by a former art professor, Kasimatis said.
”We intend to use this moment as an opportunity to hold community conversations about the artist and the historical and political context in which he lived, as well as broader ethical questions about public art, including those of context, intent, and impact,” Kasimatis said.
Von Graevenitz, who created Falcon Boy in 1953 and died in 1959, sculpted images of animals and people but his works included busts of Hitler and a large eagle with a Nazi insignia. He was among the artists listed on the Nazis’ so-called “God-favored list” of artists whose works were approved by the party and who were exempted from military service.
Signers of the online petition expressed outrage over the presence of the sculpture at the 158-year-old Catholic college.
Among the comments were: “Saint Mary’s should be ashamed” and “Antisemitism has no place at St. Mary’s.”
Steve Rubenstein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: srubenstein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @SteveRubeSF
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February 28, 2021 at 01:33AM
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Sculpture by Nazi-era artist removed from St. Mary’s College in Moraga - San Francisco Chronicle
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