'No place being honoured': Manitoba revokes honour to former art gallery director for alleged Nazi ties

Manitoba’s premier is revoking a provincial honour given to a former director of the Winnipeg Art Gallery due to his alleged ties to the Nazi party.

Premier Wab Kinew announced Wednesday he revoked Ferdinand Eckhardt’s appointment to the Order of the Buffalo Hunt. The Order was at one point the top honour Manitobans could receive, and was given to Eckhardt in 1982, according to the Manitoba Historical Society.

It comes following recent reports and allegations that Eckhardt, who was the director of the Winnipeg Art Gallery from 1953 to 1974, was associated with the Nazi party in the 1930s while living in Germany and wrote several articles published in Nazi publications.

“This is a person who, to speak very frankly, pledged an oath of allegiance to Hitler,” Kinew said. “He has no place being honoured in the public sphere here in Manitoba.”

Kinew said he struck Eckhardt’s name out of the book that contains the names and signatures of all recipients of the Order of the Buffalo Hunt.

“In a situation like this, I think we have to show the utmost respect and reverence for Holocaust survivors, and everyone who was impacted by this terrible human tragedy,” he said. “Part of the way that we commemorate the impacts and ensure the continuation of the living memory of what happened in the Holocaust is we have to let the stain remain.”

WAG-Qaumajuq has removed Eckhardt’s name from the entrance hall, the gallery’s website and all other gallery materials. It's also reviewing the provenance of Eckhardt and the art donations made to the gallery during his time as director.

The University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba both have buildings named after Eckhardt’s wife, composer and musician Sophie-Carmen Eckhardt-Gramatté.

Both universities are currently reviewing the names.

“We take the recent information regarding Ferdinand Eckhardt very seriously and are currently reviewing all names associated with the family,” a spokesperson from the University of Winnipeg said in a statement. “The lecture hall will soon be undergoing renovations, and its name will be reviewed as part of that process.”

“The U of M is conducting a full review into the naming of the space and all other associations with the name to determine next steps,” the University of Manitoba said in a statement.

“In the meantime, any painting or plaque that bears the name will be covered until after the review.”

A Brandon University spokesperson said discussions have taken place regarding the possible renaming of the Eckhardt-Gramatte Conservatory of Music, but no decision has been made.