Karl Hoff

Karl Heinrich Hoff (8 September 1838, Mannheim – 13 May 1890, Karlsruhe) was a German genre painter, best known for his 18th century period scenes.

He was an active member of the Malkasten, a progressive artists' association and, from 1870 to 1872, served as President of the Allgemeinen Vereins der Karnevalsfreunde zu Düsseldorf [de], the organization that planned the annual carnival.

In 1874, he became involved with a private group planning the proposed Zoologischer Garten Düsseldorf [de], which opened in 1876, and the animal welfare society "Fauna", which was seeking to ensure that the park was properly cared for.

[1] The following year, he wrote a comic epic called Schein (appearance), billed as a "sketchbook in verse".In 1878, he was appointed a Professor at the Karlsruhe Academy, succeeding Wilhelm Riefstahl [de], who had moved to Munich.

In 1886, he made use of his experience with the carnival in Düsseldorf to help organize a large historical pageant, celebrating the 500th anniversary of the University of Heidelberg.