Background
Hellgrewe was born in Hammerstein in the Province of Prussia.
Hellgrewe was born in Hammerstein in the Province of Prussia.
He attended the Königstädtische Realschule and later the Andreas Realschule in Berlin before studying under Eugen Bracht and Christian Wilberg at the Berliner Kunstakademie (Berlin Art Academy).
He taught for a long time at the Kunstgewerbemuseum (Museum of Decorative Arts) in Berlin. He is the most famous painter of Germany"s colonies. He was drawn to landscape painting, and became known as the "painter of Brandenburg"s lakes and sunsets" (Maler märkischer Seen und Sonnenuntergänge).
In 1885-1886 Hellgrewe travelled to East Africa, where he made numerous paintings.
He later illustrated the books of the African explorers Carl Peters and Hermann von Wissmann, and produced dioramas of life in Germany"s tropical colonies for use in schools. He also joined the Berliner Schriftsteller-Klub (Berlin Writers" Club).
In 1903 the great Deutsche Kolonialhaus (German Colonial House) was constructed based on the native architecture of the colonies. Hellgrewe provided the ceiling paintings.
He died at Berlin in 1935.
Joachim followed in his father"s footsteps, becoming a landscape painter and art restorer. Joachim died 30 March 1956.
He took part in the colonial exhibitions of 1896 and 1907, and was one of the founding members of the Deutsches Kolonialmuseum (German Colonial Museum) in 1899.