Hans Päpke

(American/German b. 1937)

Biography

Hans Joachim Päpke was born August 4th, 1937 in Neubrandenburg, Germany, about 100 miles northeast of Berlin. Immediately following World War II, in 1946 he fled at the age of nine with his mother and his three-year-old sister Sabine, because of the Russian occupation of his hometown. His Father, Walter, was being released from a POW Camp in Oklahoma and the Americans pointed out that it would be best to live in the English or American Zone of Germany. Fleeing from the East was illegal and could only be done on foot and at night.

His terrified mother with her two children, among thousands of other refugees leaving East Germany, made their way to Herne, where they were soon joined by his father. Hans continued his schooling in Herne and later enrolled in the prestigious art school, Folkwang Akademie in Essen where he received an Advanced Diploma in Art.

As a struggling artist, he worked for the Brugger Advertising Studio, creating designs for BMW, Volkswagen and Coca-Cola as well as designing convention displays and spaces for their offices. However, in 1962, he met the love of his life, Ute Bell, a German-born tour guide from Michigan who was visiting Germany.

Subsequently, Hans and Ute, moved to Cincinnati, Ohio in August 1963, and soon married. In March of 1964, Hans began his long career with the Cincinnati Gas and Electric Company (CG&E), now Duke Energy. Though having limited English skills but an impressive art portfolio, he was soon promoted to manager of Public Affairs at CG&E. Because of his love of electric trains and artistic background, he was placed in charge of the Holiday Train Display, a traditional Cincinnati holiday activity attended by thousands each year over its annual five-week display at their company headquarters. He held this position for 49 years.

Soon after accepting his CG&E position, he improved his English through attending classes offered by the YWCA. Continuing his artistic education, Hans also enrolled in night school at the University of Cincinnati and studied under the noted professor, Reginald Grooms (1900 - 1986) for four years. This was followed by his enrollment at the Cincinnati Art Academy for ten years, studying under Paul Wilhelm (1886 - 1965) who also had German roots. While at the Art Academy, Hans designed the scenery and decorations for two Beaux Arts Balls, an annual tradition at the Art Academy and held at the Art Museum.

A person of many artistic talents, Hans designed furniture and a personal garden that featured many of his intriguing sculptures. The residence in which he and Ute lived began to be a repository for his many works of art on canvas and wood, filling the house with vivid colorful scenes and shapes. He was chosen by two corporations and a business group to design three pigs for Cincinnati's Big Pig Gig, a pig-centric public art installation in 2000. His oeuvre extends from realism to abstraction incorporating vivid colors and shapes showing the prominent art influences of his nearly sixty-year career. Hans is a member of the MacDowell Society.