Harold Bengen

[1][2] Harold Tronson Bengen was born in Hanover, one of his parents' four children, during the early years of the German empire.

Harold Bengen attended the Humanities Gymnasium (secondary school) in Hanover, where he received instruction in drawing from Ernst Jordan while still a schoolboy.

[7] In 1928 he undertook an extensive tour of South America which gave rise to a succession of water colours and pastel drawings.

This and similar works such as the ceiling painting at the National Bank in Berlin and a proposal (never built) for the Tannenberg Memorial stand in crass contrast to his earlier artistic approach.

After 1945 the reputation which Harold Bengen had built up before 1933 was forgotten, and he was for many purposes airbrushed out of history because of the extent to which he had been willing to compromise with the dictatorship.

Most of the earlier works, however, including many from the 1920s, survived undisturbed in a cellar until after the death of Bengen's widow, at which point, through the efforts of his three daughters, they again saw the light of day.