Oil painting, 1967
In 1933, Adriana Ruja was born in the Transylvanian city of Cluj, known in German as Klausenberg, in Transylvania. Her maternal family originates from Lower Saxony and Baden-Württemberg; the family moved to Cluj in Transylvania several hundred years ago. Her father is Romanian and the director of the city’s university. Adriana Olsson experiences difficult times with the outbreak of World War II, as the borders often change and Romania switches sides in the war. Adriana Olsson’s mother narrowly escapes deportation to the Soviet Union. In 1973, Adriana Olsson manages to come to Germany. She flees. For the German minority, this is anything but easy. Adriana Olsson has to fight for help. However, in 1986, things take a turn for her. She marries the graduate engineer Olof Olsson and together they rise into Munich’s high society. The couple travels the world and enjoys their time together. Olof Olsson passes away in 2012 after a serious illness. Adriana Olsson establishes the “Adriana and Dr. Olof Olsson Foundation” based at the German Emigration Center to promote culture and education. She passes away in 2016. Adriana and Olof Olsson collect many artworks during their travels, often featuring landscapes that are meant to remind them of their journeys. The oil portrait from 1967 shows Adriana Olsson as a young woman before her entry into Germany. The painting was created by a friend of her father. Like many of her family’s furnishings, Adriana Olsson also takes this painting with her and keeps it in good care.
