Biography of Gunter Sachs

Gunter Sachs (born 14 November 1932 at Schloss Mainberg near Schweinfurt; died 7 May 2011 in Gstaad) was a German-Swiss industrial heir, photographer, documentary filmmaker, art collector and author. His public image was long shaped by wealth, travel and celebrity; his life also included photography, a Pop Art collection, film projects and sport.

Family and early years

Sachs came from an industrial family: his father Willy Sachs headed Fichtel & Sachs, and his mother Elinor was a daughter of Wilhelm von Opel. After school and training he moved between business, winter sport and the social places of the postwar period. In St Moritz he competed in bobsleigh and skeleton; on the Côte d'Azur he became part of the international scene later associated with Saint-Tropez and Gstaad.

Brigitte Bardot and public image

In 1966 Sachs married French actress Brigitte Bardot in Las Vegas. The marriage lasted until 1969 and made him even more visible in popular media. At the same time, Sachs collected art, supported exhibitions and developed his own interest in photographic series, staging and visual effect.

Photography and art

From the 1970s Sachs worked as a photographer. He published photo books, was shown at photokina and received the Leica Prize. His collection included Pop Art, Nouveau Réalisme, Surrealism and design; Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Yves Klein, Salvador Dalí and other artists belonged to his milieu or to his collecting interests. In 2012, part of the collection was sold at Sotheby's.

Author and astrology

Sachs also wrote about astrology and tried to apply statistical methods to popular questions about zodiac signs and behaviour. These works were received in different ways, but they show another side of his life: a wish to connect public effect, play and numbers. He also made documentary films and projects situated between fashion, society and art.

Gstaad

Gunter Sachs died in Gstaad on 7 May 2011. He took his own life. His family released a letter in which he wrote about health concerns and fear of mental decline. He was 78 years old. His work as a collector, photographer and maker of his own visual worlds remains part of his story.