Berta Hummel
Berta Hummel
Berta Hummel: The extraordinary woman behind the Hummel porcelain figurines
Discovering Hummels: One day at the flea market..
As I walked through the flea market, I noticed two adorable, rosy-cheeked children looking at me from afar. My heart instantly warmed at the sight of the little girl and little boy sitting in apple trees smiling sweetly.
As I made my way over to the two antique platters, I gently picked them up and squealed to my husband “look at these!”
Between the colorful depiction of joyous children, the look of appealing fruit, and the whimsical chirping expounded by the songbirds, the piece of artwork sprung into life before my eyes.
I noticed that the name Hummel was on the bottom corner of each picture. I was intrigued.
Dark brown rim accents
Learning about Hummels
As I turned the metal platters around to assess the condition I was met with a charming story about the artist, Berta Hummel. In the past, I’ve briefly heard about Hummel porcelain figurines. Other than that, I knew very little about them. For example, what they looked like, who created them, where they came from or how much they cost was a complete mystery. As I continued to read the text I was fascinated and quickly learned that the famous “Hummel” was the last name of a very talented young girl named Berta, born in Bavaria in the month of May, 1909.
By the time I finished the story, not only did I know I was holding a valuable piece of historic art but also a treasured story of the life of a brave, gifted and selfless girl from Germany.
Needless to say, I walked, or more like pranced to the register to purchase my find. By the time I made it back home I had a huge urge to do more research on Berta Hummel, I wanted to know everything! So, I started researching. In truth, the more I read about her, the more I gained affection for this exceptional woman.
Simply put, I am writing this to share what I learned about this gifted woman in hopes of sharing the pure joy and inspiration I received while learning the story behind the famous “Hummel” and its creator.
Berta Hummel: Childhood years
Berta was one of six children in a large Christian German family. She grew up in southern Bavaria in the town of Massing, which was known at that time for being a deeply Catholic part of the country. Her father was a successful merchant and also served as a mayor.
Berta’s parents recognized their daughter’s artistic abilities and encouraged the development of her drawings. In 1915, at age five, Berta started her schooling with Catholic Nuns at the Poor School Sisters.
As a young pupil, Berta would use anything she could get her hands on to practice her craft. She would utilize slates, blackboards, letter margins, magazines, calendars, etc. Anything that had extra space, Berta would use! The simplicity and practicality demonstrated in order to express her profound talent sets an example for all aspiring artisans.
Academy of Applied Arts: Berta Hummels Education
Around Berta’s 12th birthday in 1921 her father enrolled her into Sisters of Loretto. This then led her to the prestigious Academy of Applied Arts in Munich in April of 1927 at the age of 17 where she scored second best despite her being one of the youngest participants. She focused on art history, oil painting, fabric weaving, watercolor, clothing design and much more. When finals arrived, Berta had the number one score.
Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel
In 1933, the 24-year-old Berta entered the Catholic congregation as a postulant and her name soon thereafter became “Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel” Order of Saint Francis. She devoted herself to God and His calling for her life.
It was the same year that Sister Maria’s fellow nuns sent her work to religious publishing companies which lead to the creation of postcards, souvenirs and pictures. This artwork caught the eye of an admirer, Franz Goebel, the owner of a German porcelain shop.
Let’s Get to Business Making Hummels
Mr. Goebel proposed a business idea to Sister Maria. He believed the drawings could be transferred to bells, plates and porcelain figurines.
In fact, a business partnership was born! Sister Maria made an agreement with Mr. Goebel on the condition that she would be closely involved with internal details.
Popular Hummel Figurines: A Smashing Success!
Sister Maria Hummel and the artisans at Goebel’s workshop held meetings to discuss important topics. Such as quality standards and production methods. They made a great team. Each Hummel took hours to complete, artisans dedicated a lot of time producing each Hummel. These were high-quality pieces. Due to all the hard work from both parties the business partnership was working out swimmingly.
It’s no surprise that the Hummel’s were a smashing success and adored by the public.
Consequently, the figurines and transferred art served as a worthy income source. Mr. Goebel shared the profits with the convent. The convent used the income to cover the cost of food.
It was a trying time for many people, especially people in Germany.
“I Want to Bring Joy”
“I want to bring joy”. This was Sister Maria Hummel’s motto.
Great Depression
During this time in Sister Maria’s country, there was tremendous turmoil due to a worldwide depression, stemming from the world war that Germany initiated a decade before in 1914. Germany lost the war and quite frankly, it crushed their country and leveled their economy.
The country had collapsed. Many people were lacking basic necessities and suffering from poverty as a result of what transpired during WW1.
Dark Times
This is the time when The National Socialist Party lead by Adolf Hitler climbed to power. Hitler and the Nazi’s made promises for employment opportunities. They enticed the German people with manipulative platitudes for economic revival. Propaganda was used to brainwash citizens into believing lies.
Furthermore, a key part of this political platform was overturning the Treaty of Versailles, which many Germans believed to be the ultimate reason their country was in shambles.
By the time Hitler was appointed as chancellor in 1933, the Nazi party was making moves within the government to make him “supreme leader”. They wanted and strived for a one-party rule dictatorship. The more power Hitler and the Nazis gained the more horrible things became for the world.
Hummel vs. Hitler: Public Showdown
Hitler was filled with hatred, evil thoughts and ideas. He deeply hated the Jews even more than he hated the Christians. He also hated Sister Maria Hummel and her depictions of German children. Hitler publicly disparaged her work and banned a painting of hers called “The Volunteers”.
Nazi’s even accused Sister Maria of depicting German children as “brainless sissies”.
Nazi order forced Franz Goebel to stop the sale of Hummel figurines in Germany. As one would expect, it wasn’t enough for the Third Reich to ban the distribution of Sister Maria’s work in the fatherland. In addition, they stole a large percent of profits made from sales abroad.
At this point, the Nazi’s forcefully closed down religious schools and houses of worship. In addition to this, the Nazi’s banished Clergy from their dioceses and forced them into hiding.
Never Back Down:
Sister Maria Hummel continued her work despite the smears, false accusations and attacks. She created a series of pieces that portrayed the Bible and also happily added the star of David onto artwork that included angelic beings. All things considered, a brave thing to do in a dangerous time.
Displacement
In 1940, the Nazi’s seized the convent where Sister Maria Hummel and her fellow sisters were living. They turned the space into living quarters for refugees and whatever else the Nazis found its use for. This left only a small section for the nuns to share.
As a result, many were forced to leave the occupied convent. This caused the displacement of a large number of nuns.
The Nazi declaration gave them 10 days to evacuate! As a result, 250 of the sisters were kicked out. The remaining 40 stayed in a designated area within the convent enduring unspeakable hardships.
In the beginning of this Nazi manufactured chaos, Sister Maria Hummel was among those forced to leave. Against all odds, she came back to the confiscated convent to continue her calling and to be in communion with her fellow sisters. The conditions were bad. Not only was it very cold without heat but there was a lack of food. Despite all the tribulations they continued onward and kept the faith.
Declining Health
At this point, Sister Hummel’s health was steadily degrading. It’s not surprising that health was a challenge at the Nazi occupied convent.
In 1944 she became ill with respiratory issues and a variety of other ailments. Shortly after that, she was diagnosed with Tuberculosis. In hopes for a restoration in health, Sister Maria went to sanatoriums on a number of different occasions. She spent months upon months trying to get well.
Sadly, there was not much improvement. Her exhausted body did not have the ability to recover. As a result of this, on November 6th, 1946, Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel died from Tuberculosis at the young age of 37. She is buried at the convent cemetery.
Sister Hummel Always Shined the Bright Light
In the midst of chaos Sister Maria chose to Shine the Bright Light. She navigated the narrow path despite being surrounded by darkness. Her faith in God was solid, and she always worked hard to deliver on her motto “I want to bring joy”.
Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel left a mark on the world with her beloved Hummel’s, not just because they are pleasant to the eye but because of what they represent in the heart. She died at a young age, but she certainly filled her short time on earth with a lot of love for her fellow man.
She led by example. Anyone willing to publicly feud with Hitler deserves a certain amount of respect, maybe even more so if that willing person is a nun!
Hummels gain huge popularity in America
This small village girl inspired millions with her delightful illustrations of children. After the war, American service members sent and brought Hummel figurines back home to their loved ones in the United States. After all that, they exploded in popularity!
Surprise Hummel Figurine
In Loving Memory of Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel
I cherish my two “new” pieces of historic artwork, fittingly named “Apple Tree Boy” and “Apple Tree Girl”.
In 1982, ARS Edition Publishers, Inc. produced these specific Hummel platters in the United States of America. They are the sweetest addition to the home. Above all, they serve as the important reminder that no amount of darkness can extinguish the bright light of God.
In conclusion, we write this in honor of Sister Maria Hummel’s memory. We also love and respect her very much.
Please share and Shine the Bright Light on this remarkable life story. May the pieces of her historic artwork teach future generations the profound lessons of a life well lived.
God bless Sister Maria Innocentia Hummel.
Resources:
Holy Bible KJV
Wonder Bible KJV
Places to Visit:
Donald E. Stephens Museum of Hummels
My grandma had pieces of artwork just like this around her house! So fun learning the history of the artist and the art. Thanks for sharing!
I love this, but never knew anything about it, thank you for the information!!
I recognized the porcelain figures but never knew the story behind them, fascinating!
Wow, I’m pretty sure I’ve seen these and had no idea!