Hans Fischerkoesen

Hans Fischerkoesen was a German commercial animator regarded as a pioneer of animation technique, particularly for his early use of three dimensional elements and layered depth effects within otherwise flat animated scenes. Working mainly in advertising film from the 1920s through the 1950s, he built a reputation as one of Germany's leading animators, sometimes described as Germany's Walt Disney alongside fellow animator Rolf Kauka. His advertising films won prizes at a Dutch sponsored international competition in 1937, beating entries from animators including George Pal and Alexander Alexeieff, and by the mid 1950s he had collected major awards at commercial film festivals in Rome, Milan, Venice, Monte Carlo and Cannes. His film Blick ins Paradies won the Bronze Medal for advertising film at the first Berlin International Film Festival in 1951, cementing his standing as one of the most honored commercial animators of postwar Germany.