Alexander Eckener (21 August 1870, Flensburg – 26 May 1944, Aalen) was a German painter and graphic artist.
Biography
His father, Johann Christoph Eckener (1824–1880) was a cigar manufacturer, and his mother, Anna Maria Elisabeth Lange (1832–1893), was the daughter of a shoemaker. He was their youngest child. His older brother, Hugo Eckener, commanded the airship Graf Zeppelin on its first flight around the world.
He received his initial artistic training and inspiration from Jacob Nöbbe [de], a local artist in Flensburg. With his support, Eckener was able to study at the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, from 1888 to 1892. After graduating, he returned to his home town and became part of the Ekensund Artists' Colony.
After 1908, he taught at that Academy himself and was named a Professor in 1912. He took on the position of Professor of lithography and woodcuts in 1925. He resigned that position in 1928, but continued to teach at the Academy until his retirement in 1936.
The Eckener-Schule RBZ [de] (regional vocational training center) in Flensburg is named after him and his brother, Hugo.
Sources
Heinrich Rummel: Alex Eckener. Ein Malerleben zwischen Flensburg und Stuttgart. 2nd ed., Nord-Verlag, Flensburg 1975, ISBN978-3-88042-289-6
