Talented sculptor and stonemason
Born on 6 March 1931, Georg Bentele-Ücker grew up on his parents’ farm in Obermaiselstein, one of the Hörner villages in the Allgäu. He learnt wood carving from his father at an early age and showed a talent that was quite common in his family. He initially received his artistic training in the workshop of the sculptor and painter Theo Bechteler from Immenstadt, who later moved to Augsburg. He then completed an apprenticeship with master stonemason Emmerich Tapheimer in Weiler.

Symbiotic collaboration with Fidelis Bentele, his later adoptive father
In 1949, Georg Ücker became a pupil of Fidelis Bentele, his future adoptive father, in Oberstaufen. An intensive, symbiotic collaboration began that lasted 38 years. Until the end, the two often worked together on works of art: Fidelis Bentele designs, Georg Bentele-Ücker executes. They use different materials: wood, wax, clay, plaster and bronze. When it comes to the physically demanding processing of stone, only Georg Bentele-Ücker’s craftsmanship is required. The result is a comprehensive and unified oeuvre characterised by a clear and uniform style, in which it is often difficult to clearly identify the author, even in view of the abundance of works.