Rudolf Belling (1896 - 1972)

Among the specialist books in the estate of Katharina Otto-Dorn (1908-1999) were two catalogs and three newspaper clippings by Rudolf Belling, one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century, who – ostracized by the Nazis – emigrated to Istanbul in 1937. A dedication in the catalog for a 1956 exhibition at the Ernst Osthaus Museum in Hagen suggested that Katharina Otto-Dorn and Rudolf Belling knew each other and presumably even met.

This was confirmed by Elisabeth Weber-Belling, Rudolf Belling's daughter. She still vividly remembers Katharina Otto-Dorn's numerous visits to her father's apartment in Istanbul between 1935 and 1944, when K. Otto-Dorn was working and researching at the DAI in Istanbul. Rudolf Belling established a "Jour Fix" there every Wednesday, where colleagues and friends met for conversation, informal lectures, and discussions. K. Otto-Dorn was a welcome guest and frequently reported on her current research. Later, when she taught Islamic Art History at the University of Ankara from 1954 to 1966/67, there were also meetings (albeit less frequently).

Relatively little is known or published about Rudolf Belling's Turkish period. Elizabeth Weber-Belling is currently preparing a comprehensive biography of her father, which also covers the "Turkish period" in more detail.