Kurt Röschl was born in 1923 in Schönlinde, Krasná Lipa, which is in the Northern Bohemian area of the Czech Republic, bordering on Germany. His father, Otto Röschl, was born in 1882 in the same town. His mother, Gertrude Röschl, was born in 1896 in Schönlinde, Krasná Lipa. The parents had three children, two daughters and a son, Kurt Röschl, who was the youngest.
In 1936, at the age of thirteen, Kurt Röschl began to attend high school in Warnsdorf, which is ten kilometers east of Krasná Lipa.
In October of 1937, at the age of fourteen, while traveling home from school on the local train, Kurt Röschl was attacked by a school bully and thrown from the train as it passed through Teichstatt, which resulted in the amputation of both of his legs.
In November of 1937 the Röschl family left their home in Krasná Lipa and moved to Vienna, Austria, for medical treatment. While bedridden and recuperating from his traumatic injuries, Kurt Röschl became interested in art.
In 1938 Austrian-born Adolf Hitler triumphantly invaded Austria and claimed it as a part of Nazi Germany.
In 1939 Kurt Röschl began to attend the Vienna School of Applied Arts.
In June of 1942 Kurt Röschl, age nineteen, completed his training at the Vienna School of Applied Arts and received a diploma. As a double-amputee, he did not serve in the military during WWII.
In 1943 he studied Master Classes at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna.
In April of 1945 Vienna was besieged by the Soviet army, supported by British and American air force bombardments. Control of Austria was wrested from Germany, but Vienna remained under Soviet occupation. In September of 1945 the city was divided into four sectors, each one of which was separately governed by U.S., U.K., French and Soviet occupation forces.
In 1947 Kurt Röschl worked in Soviet-controlled Austria as a freelance graphic artist. He eventually illustrated over sixty children's books, and over fifty school text books. He illustrated many popular books about rocket ships, astronauts and the exploration of space.
In 1955 Austria finally regained full sovereignty from both German, as well as Soviet occupation.
In 1975 the artist left Austria and returned to his hometown, Schönlinde, Krasná Lipa, in the Northern Bohemian area of the Czech Republic.
The artist became an amateur historian of Northern Bohemian culture. He painted historic murals for local schools, documented traditional costumes, and for a centennial celebration in 1980, he painted "The 1880 Corpus Christi Festival of Schönlinde."
According to an acquaintance, "Kurt Röschl was a strange but extremely sensitive artist."
Kurt Röschl died in his art studio in Schönlinde, Krasná Lipa, Czech Republic, at age of sixty-three in November of 1986.
According to the artist's biggest fan, Michael William Kaluta, "Herr Röschl is a Master of the Craft. His incredibly evocative and informed Sci-Fi Fantasy works have continued to delight and amaze and intrigue me. His artistic achievements have rightfully earned a place in The Pantheon of Fantastic Painters."
© David Saunders 2018 |
