Simplicissimus (1896)
Thomas Theodor Heine was a German art painter and (satirical) artist. Although raised in a Jewish family, Heine eventually chose the Protestant religion. He studied at the Düsseldorf Art Academy from 1884 to 1889, then settled in Munich, where he took on painting and did contributions to the magazines Fliegende Blätter and Die Jugend. He was also involved in design and typography, and has designed several posters for the Berliner Sezession around the turn of the century.
Simplicissimus covers of issues 34 and 36 of volume 2
He was one of the founding artists of the satirical magazine Simplicissimus, together with Albert Langen, in 1896. Heine and his team critisized everything, from everyday life to the emperor and the church, for which they were pressed charges against on several occasions. In 1899 Heine even served prison time for a couple of months on the accusation of lese-majesty.
Simplicissimus #2, 1897
With the rise of antisemitism in Germany, Heine encountered difficulties to maintain his position on the editorial board of the magazine. Heine wanted to continue and criticize the national-socialists, but the other editors saw him as a risk, because of his Jewish background.
Simplicissimus covers of 11/5/1914 and 6/7/1931
The editorial offices of Simplicissimus were raided by the Sturm Abteilung in 1933, but thanks to the intervention of sculptor Karl Loesche and writer Hans Kiener of the Ministry of Internal Affairs the magazine could continue its publication. However, Heine was removed from his function, an act he has later blamed fellow editors like Olaf Gulbransson for.
Simplicissimus #6, 1927
Heine had to go into hiding, and fled from Hamburg and Berlin to Prague. In Prague, he tried to launch an alternative version of Simplicissimus, but the magazine lasted for only a couple of months. Heine then moved to Oslo and eventually Stockholm, while his wife and daughter were living in a pension in Munich, because of the confiscation of all of the family's possessions.
Simplicissimus #37, 1932
Simplicissimus 27/4/1931