The three acrylic paintings titled “blau-gelb-schwarz” (blue-yellow-black), “Rote Lava” (red lava) and “Stadt am Meer” (city by the sea) can be seen in the Fuchs-Petrolub-Festsaal on the first floor of the Ostflügel. They will be on display until at least 2025. When the paintings were officially handed over in the Schloss, President Prof. Dr. Thomas Puhl thanked the longterm sponsor and painter of the works, Dr. Manfred Fuchs, for the generous loan. He pointed out that engaging with art is very important to the University of Mannheim. The university will really benefit from the paintings: “They add new colors and vehemence to the Fuchs-Petrolub-Festsaal. The style of the painting harmonizes wonderfully with the wall paintings at the front and in the back”, says Puhl.
Dr. Manfred Fuchs
From 1958 to 1962, Dr. Manfred Fuchs studied Business Administration at the Wirtschaftshochschule Mannheim, the precursor of today’s university. In 1964, he was awarded the doctoral degree Dr. rer. pol. He took over the management of Rudolph Fuchs Mineralölwerk KG in 1962. He then became personally liable partner of the family-owned company. After the company became a GmbH & Co. KG in 1972, Dr. Fuchs became managing director. In 1984, he was appointed chairman of the executive board of Fuchs Petrolub AG and from 2003 to 2017, he was deputy chairman of the supervisory board of Fuchs Petrolub SE.
Since the 1990s, Dr. Fuchs is one of the most important sponsors of the University of Mannheim. As a thank you for his great support of the university, he was awarded the title of Honorary Senator in 2000 and received the honorary doctorate in 2011. In 2014, he became a honorary citizen of the City of Mannheim.
Since his teenage years, Dr. Fuchs has been a passionate painter. Selected works of Dr. Fuchs have already been displayed on the ground floor of the University in 2006.
