Portrait “Johannes Fitz, gen. d. red”

Presentation: Johannes Fitz Inscribed in an oval the portrait of an old man in front view. The facial expression shows no emotions. The view is directed towards the observer. The smooth gray hair covers the ears; it is exposed on the head. Short cut in the neck. The face is shaved. John Fitz is dressed with a shirt with a neck band, vest and jacket or coat. The portrait shows: "Johannes Fitz Gen. d. Red 1796 - 1868 Winery owner SchaumweinKellett-owner Pfeffingen Organizer of the Winzertrauerzug zum Hambacher Fest 1832 The author of the festivities of the wine songs and the German Maienliedes. Behind glass, with white passepartout; thin brown wooden frame Johannes Fitz (born July 4, 1796 in Dürkheim, † May 16, 1868 in Pfeffingen) was a German merchant, vineyard owner and Dürkheim city council. As a member of the German Prussian and Fatherland Association, he campaigned for the preservation of freedom of the press and freedom of expression in the Palatinate under the Bavarian rule and was one of the co-organisers of the Hambach festival of 1832. From 1832 Johannes Fitz maintained a winery in Pfeffingen near Dürkheim. Together with his cousin Georg Peter Fitz, who himself ran a winery, he dealt with sparkling wine production, stimulated by his stays in France. In 1840 the first Moussirende Haardt-Gebirgswein was launched. In 1842 Georg Peter Fitz and his compagnons received a Order of Merit from the Bavarian King for their production. John Fitz was denied this because of his political connotation. Nevertheless, he too was economically successful. In the 1860s, the Fitz wine estate exported sparkling wine to the United States, including Cleveland and New York. In 1842 Johannes Fitz had the Dürkheimer Vigilienturm built as a vineyard stamp for representative purposes. The drawing was probably made around 1930 after a photograph showing Johannes Fitz at the age of about 70 years.