“Zero Hour” (1945-1949) in German art and the work of Werner Tübke

This study aims to identify the connection between German “Zero Hour” painting (the painting of the post-war period of 1945-1949) and the work of Werner Tübke (1929-2004), a key GDR artist. Tübke’s direct contact with the “Zero Hour” period is virtually unknown, although it was during 1945-1949 that he began to develop as an artist. This lacuna in the understanding of the roots of his work is due to the general absence of a concept of the German “Zero Hour” in culture. This article considers the art of this period as a visual series of works from 1945-1949, executed in various forms, genres, and styles. The objects of study were works by F. Radziwill, K. Hofer, H. Strempel, G. Grundig, as well as W. Tübke’s self-portraits from 1947-1948 and his painting “Hiroshima I” (1958). The scientific novelty of the study lies in the fact that it is the first to present a selection of works by German artists of the period under consideration in the context of the evolution of W. Tübke’s artistic method. The study concludes that “Zero Hour” is a concept designed to emphasize the absolute break in German culture that occurred as a result of socio-political circumstances. The painting of Werner Tübke can serve as an example of defending artistic originality in the new world. It is closely linked to the deep-seated problems of German “Zero Hour” art, inherits the fragmentation of its theoretical and stylistic trends, the truth about denazification, and the search for identity in the post-war era.