CULTURE IN TRANSITION

THE CONFERENCE OF NATIONAL CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS: 25 YEARS OF GERMAN REUNIFICATION

By Conference of National Cultural Institutions

Conference of National Cultural Institutions

"Seil von der englischen Marine" (Goethe Nachlass, Weimar) (1814/1814) by Foto: Klassik Stiftung Weimar FotothekConference of National Cultural Institutions

PRESERVATION

Culture requires care, research and a lively interest to preserve and unlock it for future generations. The fall of the Berlin Wall and the ensuing reunification brought with it many more opportunities for collaboration and assistance. These events also attracted a great deal of international interest in Germany’s rich cultural landscape – and very often resulted in the rescue of significant materials.

Schloss Rheinsberg: Kolonnadenblick nach der Restaurierung (2013) (2013/2013) by Leo SeidelConference of National Cultural Institutions

PRUSSIAN PALACES AND GARDENS FOUNDATION BERLIN-BRANDENBURG (STIFTUNG PREUSSISCHE SCHLÖSSER UND GÄRTEN BERLIN-BRANDENBURG)

The castle and gardens created between the 17th and early 20th centuries in the Prussian residences of Berlin and Potsdam are key testaments to German culture and history. After 1918, the complexes belonging to the Hohenzollern dynasty were nationalized, and most were opened up to the public as museums.

After 1945, the partition of Germany meant that the ensemble was no longer recognizable as a single unit. Varying ideas as to how each site should be used resulted in considerable material losses, predominantly at castles situated in the GDR region.

After 1990, the stewardships in charge of the West Berlin properties and those in Potsdam and Brandenburg were able to start working together. This resulted in the establishment of the Prussian Palaces and Gardens Foundation Berlin-Brandenburg in 1995.

Schloss Rheinsberg (SPSG) (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

PRUSSIAN PALACES AND GARDENS FOUNDATION BERLIN-BRANDENBURG

Interview with Dr. Detlef Fuchs
Custodian and Director of Rheinsberg Palace and Park
Summer 2015.

Schloss Rheinsberg: Kolonnadenblick vor der Restaurierung (DDR) (1970er Jahre) by Stiftung Preußische Schlösser und Gärten Berlin-Brandenburg (Foto)Conference of National Cultural Institutions

PRUSSIAN PALACES AND GARDENS FOUNDATION BERLIN-BRANDENBURG

For decades, Rheinsberg Palace was used as a sanatorium and its original rooms were remodeled to serve a functional purpose.

After the reunification of Germany, the Palace was soon released from the fittings and fixtures of the sanatorium. It opened as a museum on May 6, 1991.

After 25 years of intensive restoration and refurbishment, Rheinsberg Palace and Park has finally been resurrected.

PRUSSIAN PALACES AND GARDENS FOUNDATION BERLIN-BRANDENBURG

The pilot project of this collaboration involved restoration and refurbishment works at Rheinsberg Palace and Park. For the young Friedrich II, Rheinsberg was a place to test out and develop his design ideas, which he later brought to fruition in Sanssouci.

His younger brother, Prince Henry of Prussia, subsequently created a significant Musenhof (Court of the Muses) and enduringly shaped the castle and garden in the style of early classicism.

Theodor Fontane bestowed the town with a literary monument in the form of his travelogue Wanderungen durch die Mark Brandenburg (“Rambles in Brandenburg”), and shortly afterwards author Kurt Tucholsky turned Rheinsberg into the captivating embodiment of carefree love.

Adam und Eva (um 1510/15) by Conrad MeitConference of National Cultural Institutions

FRIEDENSTEIN GOTHA CASTLE FOUNDATION / GOTHA DUCAL MUSEUM
(STIFTUNG SCHLOSS FRIEDENSTEIN GOTHA/HERZOGLICHES MUSEUM)

Ernst I, Duke of Saxe-Gotha, known as “Ernst the Pious,” wished for peace in the turmoil and destruction of the Thirty Years War (1618–1648). He laid the foundation for this in 1643 by starting construction of a three-wing palace complex in Gotha, known as Friedenstein (“peace stone”).

The complex is the biggest palace construction in 17th century Germany. At the same time, Duke Ernst founded an art chamber and library, to which he and his successors contributed many significant works. In the late 19th century, a new art museum was opened to exhibit the art history collections.

Highlights of the art history collections at the Friedenstein Gotha Castle Foundation include a pair of figures representing Adam and Eve before the Fall of Man. The work was carved from limewood by Conrad Meit and dates back to 1510–15.

This work formed part of the exhibition designed in 1993, “The Word of God and the Image of Man: Works by Cranach and his contemporaries,” featuring 16th century works, and signifies the high status of the Gotha collection.

Conrad Meit
“Adam and Eve,” circa 1510–15
Boxwood, glazed in brown, various colors applied in places
Photo: Friedenstein Gotha Castle Foundation/Gotha Ducal Museum

Gesetz und Gnade (1529/1529) by Lucas Cranach d. Ä.Conference of National Cultural Institutions

FRIEDENSTEIN GOTHA CASTLE FOUNDATION / GOTHA DUCAL MUSEUM

Following the Second World War, part of the art collection and library was transported to the Soviet Union, returning to Friedenstein Castle only in 1956. Only a small part of the extensive collections (including 17th century Dutch and Flemish paintings, significant art and natural collections, antiquities and East Asian collections) could be exhibited during the GDR times for conservation reasons.

After many years of restoration and renovation, the Gotha Ducal Museum was reopened in 2013 with generous support from the Federal Republic of Germany – a true treasure chest of the unique former Gotha art collections.

Lucas Cranach the Elder
“Gesetz und Gnade,” 1529 (“Law and Grace”)
Mixed media on limewood, 82.2 x 118 cm
Photo: Friedenstein Gotha Castle Foundation/Gotha Ducal Museum

Lindenau Museum Altenburg (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

LINDENAU MUSEUM IN ALTENBURG

Interview with Dr. Jutta Penndorf
Director of the Lindenau Museum in Altenburg (1981–2012)
Summer 2015

Heilige Margarethe von Antiochien (1505 – 07) by Pietro PeruginoConference of National Cultural Institutions

LINDENAU MUSEUM IN ALTENBURG

The 180 early Italian panel paintings at the Lindenau Museum in Altenburg make up the largest collection of this type of art outside of Italy. Bernhard von Lindenau (1779–1854), a statesman, natural scientist and art collector in Saxony-Thuringia, created this collection. In 1876 he opened a museum and an art school with a collection of casts, ancient ceramics, and European and German painting from the 17th to 19th century. To this day, the collection has been maintained in line with the original founder’s philosophy, and now also includes 20th and 21st century works.

Despite every effort, Lindenau Museum’s difficult staffing, financial and architectural situation means that it is challenging to meet the museum’s requirements for maintenance and research. With the aid of external institutions and foundations, in 2011 it succeeded in restoring a “grotesque” panel, a predella panel by Luca Signorelli and two panels by Pietro Perugino from the high altar in Florence (originally furnishing a room) over the course of three sub-projects.

Pietro Perugino (1452–1523)
“St. Margaret of Antioch,” 1505-07
Tempera on poplar wood, 158 x 65cm
Photo: Bernd Sinterhauf

Seliger Franziskus von Siena (1505 – 07) by Pietro PeruginoConference of National Cultural Institutions

LINDENAU MUSEUM IN ALTENBURG

The two altar panels of St. Margaret of Antioch and St. Francis of Siena are among the most prominent paintings by Umbrian artist Pietro Perugino (circa 1446/1450–1523). Both paintings are thought to have come from the high altar (crafted between 1500 and 1507) of the church Santissima Annunziata.

Today, eight panels are known to come from the fully dismantled altar in 1655. The two main panels remain in Florence. The six side panels are now found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, at the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica in Rome, at the Lindenau-Museum in Altenburg, and in private ownership.

After conducting some intensive art history research, the original altar was successfully reconstructed in 2011 as part of the KUR project.

Pietro Perugino (1452–1523)
“St. Francis of Siena,” 1505–07
Tempera on poplar wood, 158 x 65cm
Photo: Bernd Sinterhauf

SCHWERIN STATE MUSEUM / LUDWIGSLUST / GÜSTROW – ART COLLECTIONS, CASTLES AND GARDENS (STAATLICHES MUSEUM SCHWERIN / LUDWIGSLUST / GÜSTROW - KUNSTSAMMLUNGEN, SCHLÖSSER UND GÄRTEN)

In the palaces and gardens of the cities of Schwerin, Güstrow, Ludwigslust and in the Schwerin State Museum, architecture, garden design, art and handcrafted objects enter into an extensive dialog across the ages. These collections were assembled with great connoisseurship by several generations of the Dukes of Mecklenburg. Today, the collections of Dutch and Flemish paintings from the 16th and 17th century are some of the most comprehensive in Europe. Particularly remarkable is the graphic collection treasured “like paintings, so to speak” by Duke Christian Ludwig.

Staatliches Museum Schwerin (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

SCHWERIN STATE MUSEUM / LUDWIGSLUST / GÜSTROW – ART COLLECTIONS, CASTLES AND GARDENS

Interview with Dr. Dirk Blübaum
Director of the Schwerin State Museum – Art Collections, Castles and Gardens
Summer 2015

SCHWERIN STATE MUSEUM / LUDWIGSLUST / GÜSTROW – ART COLLECTIONS, CASTLES AND GARDENS

SCHWERIN CASTLE (SCHLOSS SCHWERIN)

The architecture of Schwerin Castle features a wide range of different periods and styles, and is one of the most significant examples of historicism.

Existing historic sections were incorporated by Schwerin architects, including Gottfried Semper and Friedrich August Stüler. After the abdication of the last Mecklenburg duke, Schwerin Castle was opened to the public as a museum in 1921.

SCHWERIN STATE MUSEUM / LUDWIGSLUST / GÜSTROW – ART COLLECTIONS, CASTLES AND GARDENS

GÜSTROW CASTLE (SCHLOSS GÜSTROW)

The architects and craftsmen for Güstrow Castle flocked to the court of the Ulrich, Duke of Mecklenburg (1527–1603) from Italy, erecting one of the most significant Renaissance buildings in northern Germany. Despite its splendor and sheer singularity, the castle threatened to collapse in the 18th century. The rooms were repeatedly rebuilt to serve various practical purposes — becoming a military hospital for the war-wounded and even an old people’s home.

Extensive restoration and refurbishment works commenced in the 1960s, thus laying the foundation for the castle’s revival. Today, parts of the art collections, works from the art chamber and ducal hunting and ceremonial weapons are exhibited in the rooms. The former dining, living and reception rooms accommodate paintings, sculptures and furniture from the Renaissance and Baroque eras, bringing the grandeur of the former prince’s residence back to life.

Porträt des Gartenreichschöpfers Leopold III. Friedrich Franz von Anhalt-Dessau (1740-1817) (keine Angabe) by Bildarchiv der Kulturstiftung DessauWörlitzConference of National Cultural Institutions

DESSAU WÖRLITZ CULTURAL FOUNDATION (KULTURSTIFTUNG DESSAU WÖRLITZ)

Wörlitz Castle, the summer residence of Prince Leopold III Frederick Franz of Anhalt-Dessau, was completed in 1773 and is today considered the earliest neoclassical building in Germany.

Designed by architect Friedrich Wilhelm von Erdmannsdorff, it is a beautiful reflection of the mindsets and cultural interests of the late 18th century. The Castle is situated in a vast Garden Kingdom, inspired by the Prince’s travels.

It is the responsibility of today’s Dessau Wörlitz Cultural Foundation to restore, preserve and research the historical Garden Kingdom with its five castles, individual buildings and landscapes, striking a balance between monument preservation and the protection of nature.

Kulturstiftung Dessau Wörlitz (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

DESSAU WÖRLITZ CULTURAL FOUNDATION

Interview with Uwe Quilitzsch
Research assistant and Dr. Wolfgang Savelsberg
Head of the Castles and Collections Department
Summer 2015

DESSAU WÖRLITZ CULTURAL FOUNDATION

Villa Hamilton with wall decorations in Pompeian style, Wedgwood reliefs, paintings and copperplate engravings.

DESSAU WÖRLITZ CULTURAL FOUNDATION

The artificial Stein (“Stone”) Island was constructed at Lake Wörlitz between 1788 and 1794 — a way for Prince Franz to physically embody the impressions he had attained during his Grand Tour of Italy. The memorable experience of climbing up Mount Vesuvius volcano is echoed here in walls lined with erratic boulders, intended to replicate the craggy cliffs and grottoes of the Neapolitan coast.

Annexed to the artificial volcano is the Villa Hamilton: its walls are decorated in the Pompeian style, along with Wedgwood reliefs, paintings and copperplate engravings.

In the 19th century, things grew quiet around the “miraculous” cliffs. In 1983 the island had to be closed down due to acute danger of collapse. It was only in 1999 that costly safety and reconstruction measures commenced; Stein Island finally reopened in September 2005 with a staged volcanic “eruption.”

Pfeilerhalle (vor 1925) by Architekten Zweck und VoigtConference of National Cultural Institutions

GRASSI MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS (GRASSI MUSEUM FÜR ANGEWANDTE KUNST)

The present-day Grassi Museum of Applied Arts was founded as the Kunstgewerbemuseum Leipzig (Museum of Arts and Crafts) in 1874. Today it is one of the most important museums in the field of applied art, with around 90,000 exhibits.

The Museum of Applied Arts moved into the Grassi Museum building complex in 1926: the complex was constructed according to plans by architects Zweck and Voigt from 1925 to 1929 and is itself one of the most important architectural testaments to the Art Deco style.

In 1943, the building was severely damaged by bombs: a lack of funds during the postwar period meant that restoration and redesign could only begin in 2001. Today, the Museum for Applied Art is once again open to the public with a permanent exhibition launched in three phases between 2007 and 2012 and many special exhibitions. It is growing constantly thanks to donations, new purchases and further restoration and reconstruction works.

Grassi Museum für Angewandte Kunst (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

GRASSI MUSEUM OF APPLIED ARTS

Interview with Dr. Olaf Thormann
Director of the Grassi Museum of Applied Arts Leipzig.
Summer 2015

Ausstellungsansicht Gemäldesammlung der Stiftung Moritzburg Halle (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

MORITZBURG HALLE FOUNDATION (STIFTUNG MORITZBURG HALLE)

Since the early 20th century, the Civic Museum of Art and Applied Art at the Moritzburg has been a site for contemporary art in Halle (Saale). In 1937, deep cuts had to be made to the significant stock of classic-modern art as a result of the Nazi “degenerate art” campaign.

After 1945, there was sporadic success in filling gaps and replacing losses. In the mid-1950s, the museum once again became a key exhibition site for contemporary art. In addition to the painting collection, today’s Moritzburg Foundation owns a significant collection of plastic art ranging from the Middle Ages to the present day, a “graphic cabinet,” a photographic collection and prominent craft objects.

Exhibition view, painting collection of the Moritzburg Halle Foundation
View of the Feininger Gallery
Photo: Christian Seeling

Der Rote Turm I (1930/1930) by Lyonel FeiningerConference of National Cultural Institutions

MORITZBURG HALLE FOUNDATION

Since the mid 1980s, the history of the classic Modern Art collection and its fate during the Nazi era has been a key focus of research. The central focus is a series of Halle motifs by Bauhaus artist Lyonel Feininger, who produced his paintings in 1930 and 1931 at the invitation of the city. All of the works were lost to the Museum in 1937, apart from a few drawings.

Following the end of the Second World War, the two paintings, “Marienkirche mit dem Pfeil” (1930; “Church of St. Mary’s with the Arrow”) and “Der Dom zu Halle” (1930; “Halle Cathedral”) were bought back, in 1948 and 1957 respectively.

In the 1990s, external funding enabled the purchase of a mixed collection of Naturnotizen (nature notes), as well as the purchase of the painting “Rote Turm I” (1930; “Red Tower I”), previously believed missing, in 2009.

Stiftung Moritzburg Halle (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

MORITZBURG HALLE FOUNDATION

Interview with Wolfgang Büche Deputy Director and Dr. Thomas Bauer-Friedrich Director of the Moritzburg Halle Foundation
Summer 2015

Pretiosensaal, Historisches Grünes Gewölbe (2015/2015) by Hans Christian Krass (Foto)Conference of National Cultural Institutions

DRESDEN STATE ART COLLECTIONS (STAATLICHE KUNSTSAMMLUNGEN DRESDEN)

The Dresden State Art Collections are the most comprehensive in Germany today, alongside collections in Berlin and Munich. They are based on the collections of the Elector of Saxony and are continually being expanded.

Elector of Saxony Augustus the Strong (1670–1733) pursued a novel concept: he separated the collections, exhibiting them in museum rooms and thus dissolving the principle of the Wunderkammer (“Cabinet of Curiosities”). One of his biggest projects began with the Grünes Gewölbe (Green Vault) in 1723. Artists and architects designed the west wing of the royal palace as exhibition rooms for the extensive collection of jewelry and valuables, which was accessible only to a selected audience. With the Grünes Gewölbe, Augustus the Strong founded one of the oldest museums in Europe.

The bombing of Dresden in the Second World War caused severe damage to the historic collection rooms. The relocation of the collection since the start of the war protected the pieces from destruction, but they were transported to the Soviet Union directly after the war ended. Only in 1958 did they return to Dresden and were exhibited in part at the Albertinum. The reconstruction of the royal palace, begun in 1986, continued after German reunification in 1990 and aimed to present all the artwork as faithfully as possible. In 2004, the first part of the Baroque treasure chamber returned to the New Grünes Gewölbe; since 2006 the historic Grünes Gewölbe has been restored to the original splendor of 1733.

DRESDEN STATE ART COLLECTIONS

In no other place in the royal palace is the former glory of Baroque Dresden as tangible and authentic as in the Grünes Gewölbe. Although the Pretiosenssal (Hall of Precious Objects) was one of the areas to survive the attack in February 1945 relatively unscathed, comprehensive restoration works were still necessary. In particular, the addition of missing mirrors that had to be effected using historical methods presented a great challenge.

Hall of Precious Objects, historic Grünes Gewölbe (Pretiosensaal, Historische Grüne Gewölbe)
Dresden State Art Collections
Photo: Hans Christian Krass

Neues Schloss, Bad Muskau (2012/2012) by Reinhard Grandke, Cottbus (Foto)Conference of National Cultural Institutions

FÜRST PÜCKLER PARK BAD MUSKAU FOUNDATION (STIFTUNG FÜRST-PÜCKLER-PARK BAD MUSKAU)

The border demarcation drawn up at the end of the Second World War means that the English landscape-style gardens, built by Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau between 1815 and 1845 in today’s Bad Muskau bei Görlitz, are situated equally on German and Polish territory.

The landscape park and its buildings, such as the Alten und Neuen Schloss (Old and New Castle), Kavaliershaus (Cavalier house) and Orangerie, underwent great changes shortly after the sale of the complex. First and foremost among them is the reconstruction of the New Castle in the neo-Renaissance style between 1863 and 1866 on orders of William, Prince of Orange.

Prince Pückler’s ambitious visions for the castle’s reconstruction by Karl Friedrich Schinkel and the expansion of the landscape park remained unfulfilled for Muskau.

FÜRST PÜCKLER PARK BAD MUSKAU FOUNDATION

Just before the end of the Second World War, the New Castle burned down. Its last owner, Count Arnim, had removed several objects, meaning that no more objets d’art went to Muskau.

The German section of the landscape park was placed under preservation order in 1955; in the mid 1980s, cooperation between German and Polish conservationists was established to protect the park complex and architecture.

The creation of the Fürst-Pückler-Park Bad Muskau Foundation in 1993 laid the foundation for fundamental renovation and reconstruction works that were to take place. After an 18-year construction period, the final part of the castle was finally opened to the public in 2013.

“A park must be like a painting gallery; every couple of steps one should see a new image.” Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau

Film: kocmoc.net
/ Stiftung Fürst Pückler Park Bad Muskau

"Seil von der englischen Marine" (Goethe Nachlass, Weimar) (1814/1814) by Foto: Klassik Stiftung Weimar FotothekConference of National Cultural Institutions

DEVELOPMENT

Every era has its own perspective on testimonies of art and natural history. Our interpretations, modifications and reformulations of cultural artifacts left behind by layers of time embody the perspectives and mentalities of past societies as well as their origin and development. Since the German reunification on October 3, 1990, many new possibilities have opened up to cultural institutions for German and international collaboration.

Der Gläserne Mensch - Ausstellungsansicht der Dauerausstellung „Abenteuer Mensch“ (2008/2008) by Jörg GläscherConference of National Cultural Institutions

GERMAN HYGIENE MUSEUM IN DRESDEN (DEUTSCHES HYGIENE-MUSEUM DRESDEN)

For decades, the German Hygiene Museum in the GDR answered – with wagging finger – the question: “How should we live?” and did so exactly as you would expect of a socialist state institute for health education.

However, after 1990 and the reinvention of this venerable establishment as the Museum von Menschen (Museum of Humans), “How do we want to live?” became the key question for the institution, originally founded in Dresden in 1912.

The result of 25 years of research is a challenging and popular program of exhibitions and events that attract great attention both nationally and internationally.

View of the permanent exhibition “Human Adventure,” with its famous model “The Transparent Man.”

Deutsches Hygiene Museum Dresden (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

GERMAN HYGIENE MUSEUM IN DRESDEN

In addition to the “Human Adventure” permanent exhibition and the Children’s Museum’s “Our Five Senses,” a number of special interdisciplinary exhibitions explore a broad spectrum of current issues in science, culture and society against the backdrop of complex historical dimensions.

Interview with Prof. Dr. Klaus Vogel
Director of the German Hygiene Museum in Dresden
Summer 2015

Riesenkrake, Ausstellungen Meeresmuseum (2015/2015) by Johannes-Maria SchlorkeConference of National Cultural Institutions

GERMAN MARITIME MUSEUM (DEUTSCHES MEERESMUSEUM)
One museum – four sites

The present-day German Maritime Museum sprang from the city’s Natural Museum, founded in 1951, which then began to specialize in oceanography and fishery in the 1960s. It took great personal commitment to build this comprehensive collection of various species of marine flora and fauna. The collection was enhanced with the addition of preserved specimens and other artifacts from the marine world, acquired through exchange with other museums in the former GDR and additional means.

As far back as the 1980s, the Maritime Museum was one of the busiest in the GDR and continued to draw on this success after 1990.

Meeresmuseum / Ozeaneum (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

GERMAN MARITIME MUSEUM
One museum – four sites

The current structure is managed by the German Maritime Museum Foundation. The foundation encompasses the Maritime Museum, situated within historic St. Catherine’s Monastery, and the Ozeaneum aquarium, redesigned and rebuilt in 2008, which presents two key areas: “Tropical Underwater World” and “Cold Water World.”

There are also two more components to the foundation: the Darßer Ort Natureum (natural world museum) and the Nautineum at Dänholm, Stralsund (fishery museum). The facilities are successfully managed and further developed by a team of curators, marine biologists, taxidermists and educators.

GERMAN MARITIME MUSEUM
One museum – four sites

GERMAN MARITIME MUSEUM
One museum – four sites

The Ozeaneum aquarium houses Europe’s biggest exhibition on the sea just outside our front door: the Baltic.
In addition to the aquaria, the Giants of the Sea hall is a major attraction for visitors to the Ozeaneum aquarium.

Here they can encounter life-sized models of the humpback whale, sperm whale, blue whale and orca.

The 2.6-million-liter North Atlantic pool in the Ozeaneum can only be cleaned and maintained by divers. At feeding times, the staff also gives talks on schooling fish, sharks and rays.

The model of a siphonophore, a deep-sea dweller, was faithfully reproduced using around 12kg of fluorescent glass and more than 2,600 individual parts.

65 specimens of crustaceans, echinoderms, fish and even bacteria demonstrate just a small section of marine biodiversity.

»Bach digital« (2015/2015) by Bach-ArchivConference of National Cultural Institutions

BACH MUSEUM / BACH ARCHIVE

Since its establishment in 1950, the Bach Archive has served as a center for the research, preservation and celebration of the life and works of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) and his family. The key focus of the archive is to edit musical works and to index documents and manuscripts in cooperation with international institutions.

In addition to the interactive permanent exhibition housed in the historic Bosehaus at Thomaskirchhof, which includes rare original items from the Bach family’s life, the musical and cultural life of the city is enriched by regular concerts and the annual Bach Festival.

The Bach Archive aims to accumulate, catalogue and exhibit a complete collection of writings on Johann Sebastian Bach and his circle. As a research institute, the Bach Archive is both a site for scientific work and a site of information for the public.

Bacharchiv Leipzig (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

BACH MUSEUM / BACH ARCHIVE

BACH DIGITAL

The Bach Digital database portal was set up in 1990, making the most of technological advances. It offers academically sound information on the works of Johann Sebastian Bach and other composers in the Bach family to Bach researchers, practicing musicians and generally interested parties all over the world.

As far as possible, information is supplied as a digital copy of the source material. 90% of Johann Sebastian Bach’s personal written records have already been scanned and saved in the database.

Interview with Prof. Dr. Peter Wollny
Director of the Bach Archive Leipzig
Summer 2015.

Museum der bildenden Künste Leipzig (2013/2013) by Zoe Nada WagnerConference of National Cultural Institutions

LEIPZIG MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS (MUSEUM DER BILDENDEN KÜNSTE LEIPZIG)

The Museum of Fine Arts in Leipzig looks back over 150 years of civil engagement as well as at an eventful history. Thanks to considerable donations in the late 19th century and first half of the 20th century, one of Germany’s most significant city museums flourished in this wealthy trade-fair city. An air attack on Leipzig in 1943, however, destroyed the museum building on Augustplatz.

After 1945, the collection was re-housed in various different buildings. The museum left its final temporary home at the Handelshof in Leipzig city center in 2004 and moved into the newly-built edifice on Sachsenplatz – the first comprehensive construction of an art museum in East Germany since the end of the Second World War.

Museum der Bildenden Künste Leipzig (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

LEIPZIG MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS

Interview with Dr. Hans-Werner Schmidt
Director of the Leipzig Museum of Fine Arts
Summer 2015.

Beethoven (1902/1902) by Max KlingerConference of National Cultural Institutions

LEIPZIG MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS

Statues, sculptures, paintings and graphics by Max Klinger make up a significant part of the collection. In 1903, after several site changes, one of his most famous pieces, “Beethoven,” found a permanent home at the Leipzig Museum in an annex designed by Klinger himself.

Immured, the work survived the bombing of Leipzig largely unscathed. From 1982, the work went on display in a foyer at the Leipzig Gewandhaus concert hall. Only when the museum was rebuilt did the eventful journey of Klinger’s “Beethoven” finally come to an end when it was placed in its very own exhibition room.

Max Klinger
“Beethoven,” 1902
Variously colored stone and bronze with glass, metal, ivory and precious gem inserts
H: 310 cm
Photo: PUNCTUM/Bertram Kober

Hammerflügel von Bartolomeo Cristofori (Florenz, 1726) by Bartolomeo CristoforiConference of National Cultural Institutions

Klangbeispiel: Hammerflügel von Cristofori - Sonata IV. e-Moll (Presto)
00:00

GRASSI MUSEUM OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS (GRASSI MUSEUM FÜR MUSIKINSTRUMENTE)

Among the most valuable items in the Museum of Musical Instruments at the University of Leipzig are one of only three fortepianos in the world to remain preserved in its original form and an associated cembalo (both built in 1726) from the workshop of Florentine instrument builder Bartolomeo Cristofori.

Of the ten Cristofori instruments still in existence, six are found in the Leipzig Collection, which is once again open to the public in a permanent exhibition following the reconstruction of the Grassi Museum.

Sound sample: fortepiano by Cristofori – Sonata IV. in E minor (Presto)

Hammerflügel von Bartolomeo Cristofori (2015/2015) by Bartolomeo CristoforiConference of National Cultural Institutions

GRASSI MUSEUM OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Cristofori is considered to be the father of the fortepiano technique, which to this day determines the basic principles of modern instruments.

Each instrument is distinguished by the characteristics of its casework; they were mounted in bright cinnabar, lacquered and richly decorated with chinoiserie motifs. Inside, the cases are painted pale blue. Both instruments were presumably part of a palazzo, now untraceable.

An exact copy of the 1726 fortepiano was completed by restorer Kerstin Schwarz-Damm as part of a research project, and a second copy was commissioned by the Leipzig Museum of Musical Instruments.

This copy is regularly played at concerts to give listeners an insight into the sound of the historical piano, thus supporting the museum’s exhibition of the original.

Grassi Musikinstrumentemuseum (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

GRASSI MUSEUM OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

Interview with Kerstin Schwarz-Damm
Independent restorer of musical instruments, on the copy of the Leipzig Cristofori piano
Summer 2015

Die Landpyramide im Branitzer Park (2009/2009) by Thomas KläberConference of National Cultural Institutions

FÜRST PÜCKLER-MUSEUM PARK AND BRANITZ CASTLE

After selling his ancestral estate of Muskau in 1845, Prince Hermann Ludwig Heinrich von Pückler-Muskau (1785–1871) constructed a castle in Branitz, complete with vast parklands in the style of English landscaped gardens. It is today one of the most notable examples of garden design. It was here that he transformed his aesthetic vision into reality, a vision inspired by long sojourns through Europe, particularly England.

The current Fürst-Pückler-Museum Park and Branitz Castle Foundation at Cottbus focuses on restoring and maintaining the complex, on Pückler’s literary and creative work, as well as on developing the scientific and cultural center in the field of garden design, travel literature and landscape painting in the 19th century.

Pückler-Callenberg-Bibliothek im Schloss Branitz (2009/2009) by Thomas KläberConference of National Cultural Institutions

FÜRST PÜCKLER-MUSEUM PARK AND BRANITZ CASTLE

Between 1850 and 1870, Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau undertook significant reconstruction work inside the castle. The library was also created during this time: a book collection that expanded under the efforts of Johann Alexander, Count of Callenberg, Prince Pückler himself and successive Pückler counts.

The inventory of this historic universal library was split into many pieces in 1945; only a few books remained at Branitz Castle and most were lost during the war. Today, the library holds approximately 4,200 volumes retrieved and brought back to Branitz between 1994 and 2005. Its key sections comprise travel and garden literature, history, philosophy, military history and the natural sciences.

In the mid-1990s, work began on microfilming manuscript collections from the Varnhagen Collection thanks to collaboration between Krakow’s Jagiellonian University Library and the Fürst-Pückler-Museum Park and Branitz Castle Foundation.

Since 1999, the foundation in Branitz has held the private correspondence of the writer, traveler and park designer Prince Hermann von Pückler-Muskau in the form of approximately 80,000 photos. The portal www.pueckler-digital.de provides indexed and digitized archive materials with metadata, basic transcriptions and digital copies of autographs.

FÜRST PÜCKLER-MUSEUM PARK AND BRANITZ CASTLE

Film: “Der Tumulus – Die Restaurierung” (“The Tumulus – the Restoration”)

"Seil von der englischen Marine" (Goethe Nachlass, Weimar) (1814/1814) by Foto: Klassik Stiftung Weimar FotothekConference of National Cultural Institutions

TRANSITION

The political and social events of German Reunification are just one turning point among many in Germany’s cultural history. Reflecting on these rich, significant collections and their stories, it is clear that the museums, archives and foundations gathered for the Conference of National Cultural Institutions, from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania to Thuringia, are fitting sites for sharing knowledge of a living cultural landscape in constant flux.

Direktorenzimmer im Bauhausgebäude Dessau - Rekonstruktion des Zustands um 1926 (um 1926) by Walter Gropius (Architektur, Möbeldesign) / Hinnerk Scheper (Farbgestaltung) / Diverse Gestalter aus dem Bauhaus (Objekte im Regal)Conference of National Cultural Institutions

BAUHAUS DESSAU FOUNDATION

The Bauhaus Dessau Foundation (Stiftung Bauhaus Dessau) was established in 1994 as a research center dedicated to preserving the classic modern heritage of the historical Bauhaus art school. It also seeks to shape and explore the artistic and creative issues of the present day. The original Bauhaus building and the Meisterhaussiedlung, designed by Walter Gropius, have won widespread international acclaim.

In line with the Foundation’s goal of preserving monuments, it intends to reproduce the originally designed units, including a reconstruction of the Director’s Office in accordance with Walter Gropius’ design from 1923.

BAUHAUS DESSAU FOUNDATION

The room’s original location in the building was only identified in 1980 (after 1933 the building had been used by various institutions), subsequently escaping 1988 reconstruction and alteration works. Intensive research into the room began in 1990, using found colors, carpet fragments and flooring, as well as historical photographs and sketches to reproduce the room as it was in 1926.

The Director’s Office at the Bauhaus Building in Dessau
Reconstruction of 1926 appearance
Design: Walter Gropius (architecture/furnishings) and Hinnerk Scheper (color design)
Bauhaus Weimar, 1923
Photo: Bauhaus Dessau Foundation/Wolfgang Thöner

Stiftung Bauhaus Dessau (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

BAUHAUS DESSAU FOUNDATION

Interview with Wolfgang Thöner
Head of the Collections Department
Summer 2015

Kopf eines Denkers (1918/1918) by Wilhelm LehmbruckConference of National Cultural Institutions

CHEMNITZ ART COLLECTIONS

On September 12, 1996, Prof. Dr. Dietrich Schubert at the University of Heidelberg informed us that the sculpture “Head of a Thinker” by Wilhelm Lehmbruck — which had been labeled as “degenerate” and removed from the art collections in 1937 — was being put up for auction at Christie’s in London by a private owner in New York. The prospect of recovering a major work by such an important German sculptor sent us into a flurry of excitement.

In 1923, when the sculpture was first purchased from his widow, Anita Lehmbruck, Saxony and Chemnitz in particular were among the wealthiest regions in Germany. They were home to successful international companies with a deep regard for culture, and a generous patron put up the full sum of 80,000 marks for the sculpture.

CHEMNITZ ART COLLECTIONS

Today, things are considerably more difficult for a museum that has no acquisition budget. Buying the piece back seemed hopeless, especially as we only had a little over three weeks to acquire the funding.

But thanks to the support of the Cultural Foundation of the German States, the Free State of Saxony, the Ernst von Siemens Foundation in Munich, the East German Savings Bank Foundation and the Chemnitz Sparkasse bank, as well as many others, we were able to buy back the sculpture that meant so much to us. To see so many parties in East and West coming together to help in such a unique way was truly one of the highlights of the last 25 years.

Dr. phil. h.c. Ingrid Mössinger
Director General of the Chemnitz Art Collections

König Wilhelm Paradiesvogel (Diphyl lodes gulielmitertii) (Erwerb um 1886) by Foto: Senckenberg Naturhistorischen Sammlungen DresdenConference of National Cultural Institutions

SENCKENBERG NATURE RESEARCH SOCIETY (SENCKENBERG GESELLSCHAFT FÜR NATURFORSCHUNG [SGN])

The Dresden Natural History Collections belonging to the Senckenberg Foundation are some of the oldest natural history museums in the world. Their treasures can be seen at the Japanese Palace in Dresden.

The roots of the collections are found in the Art and Natural Sciences Collection of Augustus, Elector of Saxony (1526–1586), and today hold over six million objects from the animate and inanimate natural world. The collections continue to provide vital source material for research into geological and biological evolution.

One of the key tasks of the modern age is research into biodiversity and climate. The Natural History Collections in Dresden are of major international importance in understanding relationships in nature and for the active protection of endangered species.

Senckenberg Sammlungen Dresden (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

SENCKENBERG NATURE RESEARCH SOCIETY

Interview with Dr. Martin Päckert
Ornithologist at the Museum of Zoology
Summer 2015

Paradiesvogel (lat. paradisea decora) (2015/2015) by Foto: Senckenberg Naturhistorischen Sammlungen DresdenConference of National Cultural Institutions

SENCKENBERG NATURE RESEARCH SOCIETY

A dedicated, independent natural history museum has stood in Dresden since 1726, the time of Augustus the Strong. Augustus himself had the natural history collection stored at Zwinger Palace. Focus was placed on scientific work under director Heinrich Gottlieb Ludwig Reichenbach (1793–1879). Adolf Bernhard Meyer (1840–1911) introduced a new evolution-oriented mindset — the display and study collections were separated and new methods of specimen preparation were established.

Meyer travelled the Indo-Australian islands and collected — as was usual for expeditions of this kind — bodies of bird. He also focused on the discovery and study of birds-of-paradise species in New Guinea and described 13 types new to science, including the King William bird-of-paradise from northwestern New Guinea. Meyer’s successors have been able to amend his descriptions.

Stiftung Händel-Haus (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

HANDEL HOUSE

The house where George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) was born has been owned by the city of Halle (Saale) since 1937. It opened in 1948 as a museum and research center for Handel’s compositions and the reception history of the historical figure. The house itself is both an authentic place of remembrance, reflecting the private life of the cosmopolite and his time in Halle, and a museum housing a permanent exhibition comprised of a selection of its precious instrument collection.

Since the museum’s foundation, the scientific work of the Handel House and the Georg-Friedrich-Händel Society has focused predominantly on studying source material and editing. In addition to Handel’s musical legacy, interest lies in how Handel’s image has changed or remained constant, as well as in cultivating the music and culture of Handel himself.

Interview with Christiane Barth
Museum Director of the Handel House
and Clemens Birnbaum
Director of the Handel House Foundation
Summer 2015

Porträt von Georg Friedrich Händel (1734/1734) by C . (?) KleinConference of National Cultural Institutions

HANDEL HOUSE
2014 Discovery

This portrait very likely depicts composer George Frideric Handel. A direct comparison with other certified portraits of Handel shows a remarkable similarity, also confirmed by Handel iconographer Dr. Edwin Werner. The Handel House Foundation purchased the painting at London auction house Sotheby’s in November 2014. So now, in addition to its 118 depictions of George Frideric Handel, the Foundation’s collection now boasts a total of five paintings of the composer.

The portrait had been owned since 1908 by the director of the Berlin Sing-Academy musical society, Georg Alfred Schumann (1866–1952). Its previous owner, Hermann Held (1836–1914), was from Magdeburg, a royal court engraver and member of the board of the Magdeburg Museum. Held discovered the portrait around 1888 in a Magdeburg junk shop. Any earlier traces of its provenance have been lost.

LUTHER MEMORIAL SITES IN SAXONY-ANHALT (LUTHERGEDENKSTÄTTEN IN SACHSEN-ANHALT)

Among the earliest museums in Germany dedicated to the life and influence of a historical figure are the memorial sites to the reformer Martin Luther (1483–1546). The museums in Wittenberg, Eisleben and Mansfeld are themselves cultural artifacts in this respect.

The challenge of the Luther Memorial Sites Foundation lies in identifying layers of time and presenting these sites as ever-shifting witnesses to the reception of Luther and the Reformation. This is achieved through the interplay of authentic, carefully restored sites and accompanying museum presentations.

Eisleben / Luthergedenkstätten (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

LUTHER MEMORIAL SITES IN SAXONY-ANHALT

Interview with Dr. Daniel Leis
at Martin Luther’s Birth House, Eisleben
Summer 2015

LUTHER MEMORIAL SITES IN SAXONY-ANHALT
Luther’s Birth House, Eisleben

Martin Luther’s Birth House in Eisleben was set up as a museum as early as 1693.

At the end of the 19th century, his final residence in Eisleben and the Augustine Monastery building in Wittenberg, where Luther lived with his family, were also opened as museums.

All three Luther memorial sites were maintained during the GDR period and were joined together in 1997 as the Luther Memorial Sites Foundation in Saxony-Anhalt, also including the restored Melanchthon House in Wittenberg. In 2014, the house of Luther’s parents in Mansfeld was also restored and set up as a museum.

WARTBURG (EISENACH)

The Wartburg castle in Eisenach has been the site of key moments in German culture and history through the years: the minnesingers of the Middle Ages, the charitable work of St. Elisabeth, the refuge of Martin Luther and the site of his New Testament translation, and the Wartburg Festival by students from Jena.

Thus the Wartburg is not only a monument to the feudal age in Central Europe, but also a site where it is possible to tangibly reflect upon centuries-old historical events.

The Lutherstube (Luther’s room) at Wartburg

Martin Luther lived and worked in the Lutherstube (Luther’s room) from May 4, 1521 to March 1, 1522. After publishing numerous reformatory essays and even daring to undertake a visit to Wittenberg in between, he managed here to translate, from mid-December, the New Testament in just ten weeks.

Sogenannte Wartburg-Bibel | Biblia: das ist:/ Die gantze Heilige Schrifft: Deudsch/ Auffs New zugericht./ D. Mart. Luth./ Begnadetmit Kür-/ fürstlicher zu Sachsen Freiheit. Gedrückt zu Wittenberg, durch Hans Lufft./ M.D.X L l (1541/1541) by Foto: Wartburg-Stiftung EisenachConference of National Cultural Institutions

WARTBURG (EISENACH)

In addition to some rooms and buildings preserved from the late Middle Ages, the Wartburg Foundation also owns a comprehensive art collection and library. This includes what is known as the Wartburg Bible, printed in 1514 by Hans Lufft, who published the first complete version of Luther’s bible. The title page is embellished with a woodcut by Lucas Cranach the Elder on the subjects of law and grace.

So-called Wartburg Bible
this is:/ The entire Holy Scriptures: German/ Newly prepared./ D. Mart. Luth./ Blessed by the Elect-/ ors of Saxony. Printed in Wittenberg by Hans Lufft./ M.D.X L l

WARTBURG (EISENACH)

The ideational value of this Bible lies predominantly in the handwritten comments and entries by Luther and some of his fellow campaigners, which were evidently meant as corrections and alterations for the next editions.

Bildnis Martin Luthers / Bildnis Katharina Luthers (1526/1526) by Lucas Cranach d. Ä.Conference of National Cultural Institutions

WARTBURG (EISENACH)

There are more than twelve similar examples of this pair of portraits, known as the “wedding pictures” of Martin Luther and Katharina von Bora. Those found in the Wartburg Collection have the smallest known format. Luther’s portrait is marked with a serpent and the date 1526. The frequent repetition of these portraits indicates that the Cranach workshop had achieved great technical precision in serial production.

Although this is a pair of likenesses, the two figures are cropped differently and do not entirely match. This could mean that Luther’s portrait came earlier. Katharina’s upper body looks squeezed; obviously emphasis was placed on displaying her hand with its wedding ring. Demand for likenesses of Luther and his wife must have been huge, as they were regarded as the model of marriage.

Lucas Cranach the Elder
Portrait of Martin Luther, 1526
Portrait of Katharina Luther, 1526

Wartburg-Stiftung Eisenach (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

WARTBURG (EISENACH)

The Wartburg Foundation in Eisenach was established in 1922 and survived as such during the GDR period. After 1990, the foundation continued as an independent agency, and construction, restoration and refurbishment works followed. Since 1999 the complex has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Interview with Günter Schuchardt
Castellan, Wartburg Foundation in Eisenach
Summer 2015

WARTBURG (EISENACH)

Individual building sections and interior rooms from the medieval burg complex, dating from the 12th to 14th century and featuring Romanesque capital ornamentation, were transformed into the historicist style in the mid-19th century by Grand Duke Carl Alexander of Saxony-Weimar. He also commissioned a series of paintings by Moritz von Schwind, who depicted scenes from Thuringia’s history; the ballroom was fitted with historicist ornamentation, and sections of the Wartburg were even remodeled for the Grand Duke’s residence.

Die Kunst- und Naturalienkammer im Jahre 1910 (1910/1910) by Franckesche Stiftungen zu Halle (Foto)Conference of National Cultural Institutions

FRANCKE FOUNDATIONS (FRANCKESCHE STIFTUNGEN ZU HALLE)

The historical orphanage housing the Cabinet of Artifacts and Curiosities in Halle (Saale) is the oldest civil museum space in Germany. The building is one of several owned by the Francke Foundations, which was established in 1698 by the Lutheran theologian and pedagogue August Hermann Francke. Today, it forms the cultural hub of the Francke Foundations, which was re-founded in 1992.

In addition to a permanent exhibition and the historical library, this is the only complete Cabinet of Artifacts and Curiosities that provides a comprehensive insight into the Baroque world of knowledge and August Hermann Franck’s methods of teaching natural sciences.

During the process of restoring the historical orphanage and establishing a permanent exhibition in the early 1990s, an opportunity presented itself: to put back together individual sections of the Artifacts and Curiosities Collection that had been stored in secret. After restoring the original furnishings and the individual parts of the collection, as well as conducting some detailed research, the Cabinet is once again open to the public; as an ensemble it is the only “cabinet of curiosities” (Wunderkammer) surviving from the Baroque era.

Franckesche Stiftungen Halle (2015/2015) by Christian SeelingConference of National Cultural Institutions

FRANCKE FOUNDATIONS

Interview with Dr. Thomas Müller-Bahlke
Director of the Francke Foundations in Halle an der Saale
Summer 2015

Blick in die Dauerausstellung des Goethe Nationalmuseums mit Goethes Reisemantel (um 1800) by Maik Schuck (Foto)Conference of National Cultural Institutions

KLASSIK STIFTUNG WEIMAR (WEIMAR CLASSICS FOUNDATION)

The Goethe National Museum with Goethe Residence on Frauenplan Street in Weimar forms the heart of today’s Klassik Stiftung Weimar. After the poet’s death in 1832, the house was faithfully restored to look as it did during Goethe’s lifetime, and it was opened to the public in 1885 as a memorial site and museum for Goethe’s collections of art and natural history objects, as well as his manuscripts and library.

The house and collections were bequeathed to the Grand Duchy of Saxony-Weimar-Eisenach by Goethe’s last grandson, Walter von Goethe. Today, these form the basis for the Goethe National Museum ensemble in the form of a Foundation.

Goethe’s house is presented as it was during the poet’s life in Weimar, and is an authentic witness to the city’s domestic culture in the early 19th century. The Goethe Museum exhibition, which is housed in the annex erected in 1935, reflects our ongoing, changing reception of his work as well as the growing interest in Goethe as an actual person.

The Museum’s current permanent exhibition “Flood of Life — Storm of Deeds” is a perfect illustration of this: it displays original exhibits, including a traveling cloak from the poet’s personal belongings.

KLASSIK STIFTUNG WEIMAR

In this “grey cloth coat,” Goethe was fittingly dressed for his journeys. The cut is modeled on the English Carrick, which was fashionable on the continent after 1800 and also became known in Germany as a Blüchermantel. This is a reference to Prussian Field Marshal Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, whom Goethe greatly admired for his success in the Battle of Waterloo.

KLASSIK STIFTUNG WEIMAR

Interview with Dr. Kristin Knebel
Art historian and personal assistant to the director general of the Klassik Stiftung Weimar Museum
Summer 2015

"Seil von der englischen Marine" (Goethe Nachlass, Weimar) (1814/1814) by Foto: Klassik Stiftung Weimar FotothekConference of National Cultural Institutions

“All plaited ropes in the royal fleet, from the strongest to the weakest, are woven so that a red thread runs through them that cannot be extracted without undoing them all, and thus even the smallest pieces may be recognized as belonging to the crown.”

—Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Elective Affinities

When Marie Wilhelmine Albers, the wife of Bremen physician Johann Abraham Albers, having read Goethe’s novel Elective Affinities, related the fable of the “red thread” to the Scotsman John Forbes, a physician in the Royal Navy, the latter gave the couple a piece of the rope that Goethe describes in the novel. Albers, who was conducting a scientific exchange with Goethe, sent it in a glass receptacle to Weimar in 1814. It survived in Goethe’s collection for decades and was rediscovered in 2008 for an exhibition set up in collaboration between the University of Jena and the Klassik Stiftung Weimar on Goethe’s Elective Affinities.

The twists and turns of history have drawn a similar red thread through Germany’s cultural landscape. From the “strongest to the weakest,” these changes reverberate throughout our museums, collections and archives. As a social and political turning point, the Reunification did not merely open borders, it also offered cultural opportunities with far-reaching consequences.

Credits: Story

An exhibition by the Conference of National Cultural Institutions (KNK). Further information about this exhibition is available here: http://konferenz-kultur.de

Curator: Ulrike Pennewitz
Video / Realisation: Christian Seeling
Project coordination / Data integration / Design: Alexander Zeisberg for the Conference of National Cultural Institutions.

Virtual tours: Google Cultural Institute

Many thanks to all of the employees at KNK institutions and to the Google Cultural Institute as a partner.
Sponsored by the Commissioner of the Federal Government for Culture and Media.
October 3, 2015

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.
Explore more
Google apps