Theophil Hansen and the library of the Academy of fine Arts Vienna

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Theophil Hansen's artistic estate, including his drawings, plans, and historical photographs, is primarily housed in the Graphic Collection of the Academy of Fine Arts Vienna. After his death on February 17, 1891, his estate was found in his studio at the Reichsrat building. In his 1879 will, he named his sister Marie as the sole heir and appointed Ludwig Lobmeyer as curator. The estate, comprising thousands of watercolors, drawings, photographs, and books, was donated to the academy in early 1892, excluding the plans for the parliament building. The Board of Professors accepted this donation on July 22, 1892, contingent on reviewing the materials and removing less relevant items. Drawings and plans from Denmark, along with personal documents from Marie, were sent to the Royal Library in Copenhagen and only reached the Academy in 1896. During World War II, much of the estate experienced a tumultuous journey. In December 1941, many drawings were sent to Berlin at Hitler's request for scholarly study in anticipation of a publication commemorating Hansen's 50th death anniversary. However, disagreements arose about the safety of the materials during the war, leading to their return to the Academy by the end of August, where they were stored in a safety depot. Monika Knofler is the current Director of the Graphic Collection.