Alis Guggenheim

Alis Guggenheim (* 8th March 1896 in Lengnau; † 2nd September 1958 in Zürich) was a Swiss painter, and Sculptor born in Lengnau and died in Zürich. Daughter of Moses Guggenheim and Fanny Guggenheim-Weil. Sister of: Hilda, Bona, Martha, Hermann, Jacques and Daniel. Mother of Ruth Guggenheim Heussler (born in Moscow 1920, died in Zürich, 2009). Grandmother of Olivia Heussler (born 1957 in Zürich) and Delia Heussler, (born 1955 in Zürich and died 1987 in Manhattan, New York)

In 1916 she opened a fashion house in Zürich, called the Salon des Modes. She met a Russian student and communist named Mischa Berson with whom she travelled to the Former Soviet Union at the beginning of 1919. There she worked as a seamstress and became a member of the Communist Party. In 1920 she gave birth to her daughter Ruth (Ruth Guggenheim Heussler 1920-2009). Following the failure of her relationship with Berson, Alis returned to Switzerland. She re-opened her salon and joined the Swiss Communist Party. The following well known artists, sculptors and architects; amongst others, could be counted as her acquaintances in Zurich – Richard Paul Lohse, Karl Geiser, Max Bill, Albert Ehrismann und Max Raphael. In 1924 her fashion house became a studio as she began to work as a sculptress. The same year she participated in her first exhibition. In 1942 she moved to Muzzano in the Swiss canton of Ticino. There she cultivated her friendship with authors Lisa Tetzner and Kurt Held. In 1954 Alis Guggenheim received the Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities Art Prize. There after she held her first solo exhibition in Zurich, which was a financial success. Her work has been purchased by city, state and federal government. She was best known for her paintings. Alis Guggenheim died in 1958, following a brief illness. Some of her works are on display at the Aargauer Kunsthaus, Switzerland and in the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. Her inventory is to see on www.alisguggenheim.com