Von Trier uncovers hidden mural above front door

It seems like Von Trier, 2235 N. Farwell Ave., uncovers an old-school mural every decade or so, doesn’t it? Back in 2017, when the beloved East Side German tavern was owned by John Sidoff, it uncovered a mid-century mural above the bar that pre-dated its German theming. And now, in 2026, the now-John Dye-owned Von Trier has done it again.

During some recent exterior restoration, Von Trier uncovered a vintage mural above its front door. A social media post from Tuesday explains:

We always suspected something was hidden above the front door, the brown tongue and groove panel just didn’t make a lot of sense. Last week, with some exploratory cuts, our carpenter found the glimpse of a mural underneath. Carefully removing the covering, we found that the large 3×5 mural was very well intact, though worn with age. It features the Von Trier logo, but it is definitely more of an old time look than our current logo. We suspect this mural was painted by Mike March, an artist who is responsible for all the early murals at Von Trier.

Here’s the uncovered mural:

And here’s what that section of the building looked like in recent years:

And there’s more! Beneath the old-school mural, Von Trier uncovered the “original art deco corrugated glass that used to cover the entire corner of the building.” You can read more about that HERE.

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The history of the Von Trier building stretches back to 1949, when owner Frank Rieder razed the previous two-story structure and constructed the single-story Rieder’s. In 1978, German-born Karl Lotharius purchased Rieder’s—described as a “high-end, East Side institution which made North Avenue a Milwaukee drinking destination”—and, in honor of his hometown of Trier, transformed it into the German-tastic Von Trier. According to Michael Horne at Urban Milwaukee:

Lotharius operated Von Trier and Oliver’s, another tavern-nightclub downtown. He loaded it up with antiques and other finds, which were readily available in Milwaukee at a time when many of the old mansions of the German families and other buildings were being bulldozed or looted by scavengers. Some of the items, like two iron plaques outside, date to the late 18th century and are German in origin.

Lotharius’ run as the proprietor of Von Trier came to an infamous end on December 20, 1981, when, again according to Horne, “the 47-year old closeted tavern owner was found dying, fatally wounded by a 30-inch, double-barbed, razor-tipped wooden arrow, outside his nearby home on N. Murray Ave.” Per a must-read Milwaukee Magazine feature, Lotharius’ murder remains unsolved.

Von Trier was then owned and operated by a former Lotharius employee, Mark Eckhart, who held on to the business until 2009. John and Cindy Sidoff took over that year. In 2017, the Sidoffs announced the East Side staple would be rebranding as an “upscale midcentury cocktail lounge.” Milwaukee was not amused, and the Sidoffs soon announced they were backtracking on the whole rebranding thing, and would instead be “retaining the iconic Von Trier name and concept.” John Dye, also the owner of Bryant’s and At Random (and formerly the Jazz Estate), took over Von Trier in 2025.

The old-school door mural is currently on display, so check it out! Long live Von Trier! And long live the East Side!

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