Geiger, Benno

ART HISTORIAN, AUTHOR, TRANSLATOR (AUSTRIAN EMPIRE)
BORN 21 Feb 1882, Wien: Rodaun - DIED 26 Jul 1965, Venezia, Veneto
GRAVE LOCATION Venezia, Veneto: Cimetero di San Michele, Isola San Michele

Son of the painter Pauline Geiger (1851-1934). His first years were spent with his mother and her sister Ella Adaïewsky in Venice. He studied art history in Venice and continued his studies in Leipzig and Berlin, where he was promoted in 1910 with a study on Maffeo Verona. From 1910 to 1914 he worked as an assitant at the Kaiser Friedrich-Museum in Berlin.

After this he spent most of his time in Venice, where he worked as an author and as an art dealer. He was in contact with Rainer Maria Rilke, Stefan Zweig and Hugo von Hofmannsthal. In 1931 he was forced to leave Venice because of his art dealing practises, but he was able to return in 1935. He was a member of the NSDAP and during the nazi era he sold Jewish art that was confiscated by the nazis.

After the war he received the Johann-Heinrich-Voß prize for his work as a translator. He used the pseudonym Egon E. Nerbig.

Related persons
• translated work by Dante Alighieri

Images

The grave of Benno Geiger at the Cimitero di San Michele, Venice.
Picture by Androom (13 Feb 2016)

 

Sources
Benno Geiger – Wikipedia


Geiger, Constance, princess of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha

Published: 26 Dec 2017
Last update: 19 Apr 2022