Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach
Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach | |
|---|---|
Diefenbach around 1885 with his son Helios (born 1880), taken by German photographer Georg Pettendorfer | |
| Born | 21 February 1851 |
| Died | 15 December 1913 (aged 62) |
| Nationality | German |
| Occupation(s) | artist and social reformer |
| Known for | reform movement |
| Movement | Lebensreform (life-reform), Freikörperkultur (FKK, naturism) and peace movement |
Karl Wilhelm Diefenbach (21 February 1851 – 15 December 1913) was a German painter and social reformer.
Diefenbach is regarded as the "forefather of alternative movements" and one of the most important champions of the Lebensreform (life-reform), the Freikörperkultur (naturism), and the peace movement. His rural commune Himmelhof, in Ober Sankt Veit near Vienna (1897–1899), was the model for the reform settlement Monte Verità near Ascona, founded by his student Gustav Gräser, who is also known as the "Grail of Modernity." As a painter, Diefenbach was an independent representative of symbolism.