Gerhard Skrobek was born in Leobschutz, Upper Silesia on May 22, 1922. His parents, Günther and Edith Kornblum Skrobek, who had an interest in music and the arts, moved to Berlin when Gerhard was still young. Berlin provided Gerhard with an excellent environment in which to appreciate the arts and with his mother’s encouragement he quickly became enthralled with sculpture.

Gerhard Skrobek’s decision to study sculpture led him to the Reimannschule school of arts and crafts, where he studied under renowned artist Moritz Melzer. From there he moved to Coburg in 1946, where he studied under the prestigious sculptor Otto Poertzel. Poertzel created many porcelain items for W. Goebel Porzellanfabrik and it was through this connection that Skrobek joined Goebel in 1951.

Skrobek remained with Goebel for the remainder of his career, retiring in 2002. It is his work with Goebel for which he is known and loved by collectors around the world. Skrobek quickly became one of Goebel’s leading sculptors and has been responsible for many items across Goebel’s range of popular product lines.

He held the prestigious role of chief sculptor for the M.I.Hummel collection from 1955 to 1987. Today’s Children and the Co-Boy figurines are Skrobek’s creations and he has also been a key sculptor for the Charlot Byj, Huldah, Rockwell, Nasha and Wildlife collections.

Toward the latter part of his career, Skrobek served as an ambassador for Goebel, traveling the world to attend collector club events and other special demonstration and signing events. His impact on the quality of Goebel wares is not lost on collectors and his signature on a figurine makes it all the more sought-after and valuable.

Skrobek publish an autobiography in 1996 titled Hummels and Me: Life Stories, where he discusses not only Hummel figurines but also the impact of Hitler, Nazi Germany and World War II on the German art scene.

Unfortunately Gerhard Skrobek passed away at the age of 85 on July 1, 2007 in Coburg, Germany.

©2009 Woolvey LLC