Stefan
Jäger
Short
Bio & childhood photos
from the book by Karl-Hans
Gross,
Stefan Jäger,
Maler seiner heimatlichen Gefilde, @ 1991.
Contributed
by Rosina Schmidt.
Stefan Jäger was born in 1877 to
barber Franz Jäger and Magdalena nee Schuller in Tschene, Torontal. At the age of 12 in 1889 he was sent
to Wieszners a private boy's school in Temesvar. Four
years later he attended the middle school in Szegedin,
(1893-95) where he discovered that he liked drawing best.
At 18 he attended the art school in Budapest, where he
was influenced by the famous painters Professor Ballo,
Greguss and Szekely.
Around that time his father became seriously ill and
could not support Stefan financially any longer, he died
in 1901. Stefan found a tutoring position with a wealthy
family, which enabled him to continue his studies.
His first commissions were for the Budapest private
gallery Almasy, where Jäger's religious motives, still
life and landscapes were sought after. The city of Arad, Jazowa, etc. commissioned Stefan the paintings for
their altars.
At the beginning of the 20th century Jäger was already
well known and lucky for the Donauschwaben he settled
down in Hatzfeld. He returned to Hatzfeld after the war
years of 1914-1918 where he participated as a
Landsturmann on the Isonsfront and in Dalmatia.
In 1930 Grossbetschkerek went out of its way to help
Jäger with his first exhibition. By then he was already
known as the "Schwabenmaler" (Danube Swabian
artist). For his famous Triptych Jäger visited the
diverse localities in Germany to see the original folk
costumes from where his beloved Danube Swabians
originated from.
Stefan Jäger died in 1962 and is buried in Hatzfeld,
besides his mother Magdalena, who passed away in 1927.
The
"Stefan Jäger" Memorial House
- is located in Jimbolia /
Hatzfeld.
Theiszmann Pitzer, Sister Mary
Agnes. Es war einmal. The Yesteryears of the Danube Swabians. The book
is in English. 269 pp. including 24 black/white photos by renowned
Danube Swabian painter Stefan Jäger.
Heimat
Publishers
