It was only more than twenty years after its construction that the spacious hall of the villa was magnificently decorated with polychrome by the then young painter (and later also writer) Johannes Maximilian Avenarius. Previously, the room was white, and then ‘aqua blue’.

In 1922, on the occasion of the writer’s 60th birthday, the hall, already fabulously colourful, became the pride of the villa. The work on the frescoes, with Avenarius assisted by Ernst Weise, lasted from February to the end of September. The costs of painting the frescoes were mostly covered by Gerhart’s friend, the Silesian collector and wealthy manufacturer from Neustadt O. S. (Prudnik), Max Pinkus.

The hall, which is the central room of the villa, leads up a wide staircase to the first floor, surrounded by a wooden gallery supported by several columns. It is two storeys high (approximately 9 metres).

For several years, Hauptmann had been planning to repaint the room and even held talks with several well-known painters, such as Max Liebermann, Max Slevogt, Ludwig von Hofmann and Emil Orlik, but their proposals did not meet with the writer’s approval. It was only the imaginative vision of a Silesian artist from Greiffenberg (Gryfów), whom he had known for years, that met his expectations.

In his polychrome painting, Johannes Maximilian Avenarius depicted a fabulous world of exotic animals, birds, butterflies and flowers, painting happy scenes from paradise, such as laughing angels playing musical instruments or Adam and Eve eating fruit from the tree of life. He also evoked the colourful world of the surrounding Silesian countryside, full of joy, festivals and even a bowl filled with dumplings. Finally, he also referred to Hauptmann’s work, showing, for example, the ascension of Hannele (Hanusia), the heroine of one of his most famous plays. To honour the main occupants of the villa, he incorporated the heads of Margareta playing the violin and Benvenuto into the paintings. He also did not forget to include quotations from the immortal creator of Faust, whom the writer held in high esteem.

The whole work dazzles with an orgy of colours and captivates with its diversity of themes. According to Ave-narius himself, the polychrome gave the impression of ‘noble wallpaper’. The work, painted on a large surface area of 485 square metres, met with the complete approval of Gerhart Hauptmann, who said to the artist: ‘I am extremely happy and I only wish that I could live long enough to discover and enjoy everything you have painted here for me.’ The hall was soon (probably by Gerhart Hauptmann himself) named the Paradise Hall (Paradieshalle), and this name is still used today.

Over time, the hall, lit by a huge bronze chandelier and the flames from the fireplace, became a favourite place for the household to relax. It was here, near the fireplace, in comfortable armchairs, that Gerhart and Margareta enjoyed their afternoon tea. Over the years, the enormous hall was filled with antique furniture, sculptures from various periods (including works of sacred art), paintings and kilims. Various countries and eras were represented, with Gothic and Renaissance styles predominating, such as an oak wardrobe from southern Germany from the second half of the 16th century or a walnut sideboard from the end of the same century. Sculptures such as the Pietà group, the figure of St. Margaret and an angel brought from Florence are also worth mentioning. Also noteworthy were plaster casts of statues of Gepa (wife of Wilhelm von Camburg, a collateral descendant of the Wettin dynasty, the original of which is in Naumburg Cathedral) and the Charioteer of Delphi, purchased in Greece in 1908. The writer was particularly fond of the cast of the bust of Johann Wolfgang Goethe, sculpted by the renowned artist David D’Angers, which he received as a gift from Margaret.

The frescoes in the hall have undergone renovation throughout their more than 100-year history, which was caused, among other things, by water stains resulting from a roof that had become leaky over time, as Margareta Hauptmann pointed out when she left Silesia in 1946. The first renovation took place during the ‘Warszawianka’ era in 1956. However, a thorough renovation of the ‘Hala Rajska’ did not take place until 1993–1994, under the supervision of an experienced conservator from Bonn, Prof. Ferdynand Just. The work was carried out by Tadeusz Stopka’s conservation team from Krakow. In accordance with the recommendations of the Provincial Conservator of Monuments in Jelenia Góra, the conservation of the polychrome decoration was preceded by the necessary renovation of the roof.

It is worth noting that for several years now, the villa’s lobby has been hosting interesting theatre performances (often with multiple editions) attended by large audiences, such as the 2018 production entitled ‘The Island, or Paradise Hall according to Avenarius’, based on the artist’s memoirs from 1936, describing the tense and difficult work on the frescoes, which still delight visitors to the Museum today.

Bibliography (selection):

Avenarius Johannes Maximilian, Die Malereien in der Paradieshalle auf dem Wiesenstein, Gerhart-Hauptmann-Jahrbuch, vol. 1, Breslau 1936

Avenarius Johannes Maximilian, Paintings in the Paradise Hall of the Łąkowy Kamień Villa / Die Male-reien in der Paradieshalle auf dem Wiesenstein, ed. Janusz Skowroński, Jelenia Góra-Jagniątków 2018 [Publication series of the Municipal Museum “Gerhart Hauptmann House” ‘Gerhart Hauptmann and Friends’]

Bremer Jörg, In der Villa von Gerhart Hauptmann, [in:] ibid., Polen. Alltag, Stolz und Hoffnung, Braunschweig 1987

Compiled by Krzysztof A. Kuczyński