Interview with Julia Breithor on the Occasion of Her Donation to the Britta and Ulrich Findeisen Foundation for Art and Architecture
In an interview with Nikolaus Zumbusch, Head of the Board and Spokesperson of the Findeisen Foundation, Julia Breithor talks about her donation of around 330 carefully curated books to the Britta and Ulrich Findeisen Foundation for Art and Architecture.
The books and picture books come from the estate of her parents Helma and Rolf Ristau, who collected picture books, catalogs, and specialized books from all over the world for many years. Julia Breithor emphasizes her joy that the collection is now located in one central place and can be used by the international guests of the Foundation. In the interview, she describes her personal connection to Cologne, the city where her father studied and earned his degree in graphic design. She hopes that the Foundation’s guests will discover and enjoy the books, and she highlights the special value of the tactile experience of a book in the digital age.
»I hope that guests will stroll along the bookshelf, pick out a book, and take the time to leaf through one work or another.«
VIDEO: Interview with Julia Breithor on the Occasion of Her Donation to the Foundation
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Transcription of the Interview
The interview was conducted and recorded on Friday, May 24, 2024, in the PENTHOUSE of the Britta and Ulrich Findeisen Foundation for Art and Architecture.
Nikolaus Zumbusch:
Dear Julia Breithor, it’s wonderful that you accepted our invitation. We are here in the Penthouse of the Britta and Ulrich Findeisen Foundation for Art and Architecture. Thanks to your commitment, our Foundation and our Penthouse here in the center of Cologne have a carefully curated collection of around 330 books. What was your motivation, your idea? Why did you donate these books, which I believe come from the estate of your parents (Helma and Rolf Ristau), to the Foundation?
Julia Breithor:
It’s nice to know that the collection stays together. It has been built over many, many years. My parents often brought back catalogs from their travels or exhibition visits, so it’s just nice to know that this collection and these memories are preserved. I think the collection fits perfectly with the Foundation, as these are works from all over the world. Here in the Foundation’s Penthouse, there are guests from all over the world, and if they take a little time to sit down with one of the books and enjoy it, that makes me very happy. In fact, I had the pleasure of meeting Ulrich Findeisen’s brother (Rüdiger Findeisen, 10.6.1941 – 10.9.2019) in Cuba. I took a trip with my husband organized by the Chamber of Architects, and in that context, I got to know him. That led to the connection with the Foundation.
Nikolaus Zumbusch:
How small the world is! Was there also a connection to the city of Cologne from your parents or yourself?
Julia Breithor:
Yes, from my father’s side. Starting in 1963, he studied at the School of Arts and Crafts in Wuppertal, the Kassel Art Academy, and the Cologne School of Arts and Crafts. He always spoke very highly of his time studying here in Cologne. They must have had quite some adventures.
Nikolaus Zumbusch:
Of course, there are very different memories associated with that compared to simply traveling to a destination and having spent part of one’s life’s journey here.
Julia Breithor:
That’s true, my father also earned his degree in graphic design here in Cologne in 1967 with Professor Werner Schriefers.
Nikolaus Zumbusch:
Now we have this great treasure – a very, very carefully curated selection of books for our guests. The guests of the Foundation, who come here to Cologne to do their research work, can thus access the library. What do you personally hope to achieve by passing on the books?
Julia Breithor:
I hope that guests will stroll along the bookshelf, pick out a book, discover something, and perhaps take something new with them. I hope they take the time to leaf through one work or another.
Nikolaus Zumbusch:
A good transition – on one side, we have the analog book, and on the other, we live in a digital world. Wouldn’t it be easier to just look at everything digitally on the internet?
Julia Breithor:
I believe digitalization is important. We can’t avoid it, but the tactile experience of a book or a picture book, sitting down with it in peace, is something special, and we should be careful not to lose that.
Nikolaus Zumbusch:
That’s also a question of sustainability. Is a book that lasts 100 years, or perhaps even longer, more sustainable than a digital work?
Julia Breithor:
I also see the donation as very sustainable.
Nikolaus Zumbusch:
Indeed, it is.
Julia Breithor:
Because it doesn’t end up in the trash.
Nikolaus Zumbusch:
I’d like to come back to this – we have quite a few books here, and we were at the shelf earlier and brought back some memories. Are there specific books that you associate with particular experiences you’ve had?
Julia Breithor:
Yes, you can find something special in almost every book you open. There are notes from my mother, Helma Ristau, because she always collected the corresponding newspaper articles for exhibitions and put the admission tickets into the books as well. That’s what I find beautiful about it, and it makes it very personal. I am very fortunate that my parents took me along on their travels and to exhibitions from a young age. I grew up with it. A book or a catalog from each exhibition was always brought home, and we would talk about it again at home. When I was three or four years old, I pushed my buggy around the Documenta in Kassel. I am very, very grateful that my parents gave me these experiences and instilled in me an interest and a sense for art, cultures, and design.
Rolf Ristau
New York – 1978
Helma Ristau
New York – 1978
Nikolaus Zumbusch:
Mrs. Breithor, I have one last question for you. We have received a special selection of books from you, from a large collection. How did you go about selecting the books? Were there any special considerations in your selection? Did you keep any works for yourself, and would your parents, from whose estate the book donation comes to us, have been satisfied with the selection?
Julia Breithor:
Satisfied with my selection?
Nikolaus Zumbusch:
Yes, with your selection!
Julia Breithor:
I think so. My husband and I strolled along the bookshelf and picked out our treasures, and those are at our home. Some books were duplicates because I had also bought the catalog. I am very sure that my parents are celebrating up there and are very, very happy that their books have found such a wonderful place.
Nikolaus Zumbusch:
Now I have one more last question for you. When I think back to my childhood, my parents had a book by Robert Högfeldt, who was a great illustrator and poet. I loved that book as a child and looked at it over and over again. I’ve heard you also had such a book, I believe it was an illustration?
Julia Breithor:
That’s right, it’s “Birds.” It’s a collection of bird illustrations, quite extensive and heavy …
Nikolaus Zumbusch:
A thick tome?
Julia Breithor:
… exactly, a tome, a heavy volume, and it’s also here. That makes me very happy.
Nikolaus Zumbusch:
And you were able to part with it, despite this close connection?
Julia Breithor:
Yes, I did. I have the images in my memory, and perhaps that’s also a good reason to come to the Penthouse in Cologne and browse through the collection myself.
Nikolaus Zumbusch:
Thank you very much for the conversation, and a special thanks from the Findeisen Foundation for this wonderful selection of books!
Julia Breithor:
I also have to thank you. Thank you very much!
*Editor’s Note: For improved readability, the transcript of the interview has been partially edited. The statements remain unchanged in their content.
Biography of Julia Breithor, born Ristau
June 1975: Born in Haan, raised in Wuppertal
1995 – 1998: Studied Communications and Media Economics at WAM in Dortmund
1998 – 2001: Production Assistant at Grey Worldwide in Düsseldorf
2001 – 2015: Executive Producer at the advertising agencies Ogilvy & Mather, BBDO und BBDO Proximity in Düsseldorf
2015 – 2023: Executive Producer and Head of Production at congaz visual media company in Düsseldorf
2024 – present: Responsible for Marketing and Office Management at Vertiko in Wuppertal
Image: Oliver und Julia Breithor
»Books are, for me, a silent source of inspiration, encouraging us to look beyond the visible.«