Max G. Bollag
Max G. Bollag and his twin sister Mary were born on December 6, 1913, the first children of Léon and Betty Bollag-Moos. Together with their younger sisters Suzanne and Amélie, they grew up in Zurich, in a cosmopolitan atmosphere, surrounded by exquisite fine art.

Max G. Bollag's first independent experience in dealing with art was in 1935: His father Léon sent the 23–old Max on a selling trip to his customers in smaller Swiss towns.

In 1936 he left for London to meet his uncle, Gustave Bollag, where he bought his first pictures with a limited budget of 60 £, partly donated by a generous aunt. Back in Zurich, he sold them faster than expected and in 1937 returned to London to buy more. Thus encouraged by his first success, he rented a gallery space in the heart of Zurich.

In 1940, Max G. Bollag moved to Lausanne where he opened «Galerie Bollag, Lausanne». He showed Swiss artists such as Auberjonois, the Barraud brothers, Fusely, Giacometti and Hodler, as well as works by Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky and many others. He became well known for his auctions, where collectors could find excellent works of art at interesting prices.

In 1947 he returned to Zurich, and opened a gallery at Storchengasse 9. Besides paintings by famous artists such as Paul Cézanne, André Derain, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, Joan Mirò, Pablo Picasso and others he continued doing auctions in the Kongresshaus. His expertise and personal charm soon attracted many customers.

In 1949, he married Susi Aeppli, daughter of Ernst Aeppli (>)and Gertrud Zschokke. They had four children, Arlette, David, Guy and Noemi. Still today, his children share vivid memories of lively evening with guests of all kinds of origins and social positions in a bohème style atmosphere.

In the early fifties, auctions in Zurich were still permitted only twice a year, and one had to get a peddlar's permit issued by the police (!). So, in 1950, Max G. Bollag founded the «Swiss Society of the Friends of Art Auctioneering», which allowed him to organize auctions every other other month. You had to be a member at a rate of Sfrs. 5.– per year.

In the years to follow, Max G. Bollag moved from Storchengasse 9 to Oberdorfstrasse, Predigerplatz and finally to Werdmühlestrasse 5 in 1963. This place soon became a meeting point for all kinds of visitors: The very young, collectors, artists, eccentrics, the very wealthy as well as art lovers with small funds. They were all equally welcome. His gallantry with women is still legendary. He generously shared his great knowledge of art with the genuinely interested and only lost his patience when he felt someone was not willing to take his life in his own hands.

Max G. Bollag did not only show important artists from the first half of the twentieth century, but also promoted young gifted artists. We'll name just a few: Karl Jacob Wegmann, Dan Rubinstein, Steffen,Walter Wegmüller, Bert Schmidmeister, Hansruedi Imhof and Soshana.

As he was convinced that wonderful art should not be confined to a safe, blue period Picassos, Cézannes, Derains and other wonderful paintings were shown in the gallery to be admired by all. Unfortunately, this led to spectacular thefts. Nowadays, these important works of art are safely stored. We regret not to be able to live up to his deeply democratic philosophy any more, but do not have a choice.

In the eighties the Galerie Bollag or Modern Art Center looked like a classical gallery of the Twenties in Paris. Books and catalogues were stacked on tables and shelves. Hundreds of pictures were hung on the high walls, others stacked on the floor – all in all a paradise for collectors with a hunter's heart and for genuinely interested aficionados. To other visitors it may have looked like a chaos, for the owner it was an open book. Still today his old friends will come in and remember in awe how he could pick out of a big stack a paper he was looking for. There was hardly an artist one would ask him about and not get a competent
answer.

Max G. Bollag kept going to his gallery until his 85th birthday. He then retired, enjoyed staying at home with his wife and his two cats but still came to visit us every Thursday. He then used to sit in his favourite chair, like an old lion would lie under his favourite tree, and enjoy the respect his old friends and customers would pay him.

On September 13, 2005 he passed away peacefully in his sleep, just 8 days after the death of his wife Susi. They rest in peace.

There was not a single day that passed without someone coming in, missing him, and remembering old times, telling us tales typical for him we did never hear about yet.

There is no way to replace Max G. Bollag and his specific way of being a knowledgeable and passionate art dealer. The gallery continued until the end under the name Bollag Galleries until the end of 2012 but then has stopped all activities.