About the Kunstverein
The history of the founding of the Kunstverein in Bremen is the story of self-confident citizens and merchants who advocated for their city and their fellow citizens by launching a pioneering project. The Kunstverein in Bremen remains the private body responsible for the Kunsthalle. In 2023, the Kunstverein celebrated its 200th birthday!
A Crowdfunding Start-Up with a 200-Year History
“Neither the munificence of a prince, nor the decree of a government agency has constructed it. No! It was built by our five talers per year…”
This statement from a notification to the members of the Kunstverein on the opening of the first Kunsthalle building in 1849 testifies to the self-confidence and hands-on nature of Bremen’s citizens. The first exhibition, showing Dutch painting of the seventeenth century, was presented in 1829 before the group even had its own museum. Over the decades, more and more people became friends of the Kunstverein in Bremen and membership grew steadily. The Kunsthalle was constructed between 1847 and 1849. It has been expanded several times and two new wings were added in 2011. Today the Kunstverein collection encompasses a unique cross section of art history from over 700 years – from Dürer and Rembrandt to Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso to John Cage and Pipilotti Rist.
The organizational will and joy of taking matters into one’s own hand are still present in the Kunstverein and can be seen in the great variety of activities, the steady expansion of the collection, and the active communication between members. The Kunstverein’s mission to convey art and culture to a broader public has never been more up-to-date than today because it brings people together and promotes a discussion of who we are and how we want to live. Efforts to make art accessible and attractive to all members of our society have never been as diverse as they are today. And all this is still achieved – a unique feature in Germany – with a significant level of self-funding, which is largely covered by donations, patronage, funding partners and sponsors.
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Give Me Thirty-FourArt Lovers
The Kunstverein in Bremen from its beginnings to the present day
The Beginnings (1823 to 1847)
At the end of 1823, Senator Hieronymus Klugkist invited thirty-four art lovers to found the Kunstverein in Bremen. The following month the society drafted its first by-laws with the purpose of “spreading and cultivating a sense of beauty. ”Five gentlemen, including Klugkist, were appointed to the board and took up their responsibilities in January 1824. Initially, the approximately 50 members met primarily to view art together.
Construction of the Kunsthalle (1847 to 1849)
In the first few years, the Kunstverein did not have its own building to house its temporary exhibitions or develop a collection. The Kunsthalle was built between 1847 and 1849 according to plans by the architect Lüder Rutenberg and financed by donations from members of the society. Today the Kunstverein remains the owner and operator of the Kunsthalle – a distinctive feature among German museums.
Large Endowments and Bequests in the Nineteenth Century
Endowments and bequests of prints, paintings, and capital played an important role in developing the collection. For example, Hieronymus Klugkist donated his extensive Dürer collection to the Kunstverein, thereby laying the foundations for the Department of Prints and Drawings. Founding member Johann Heinrich Albers left the society a collection of paintings by Netherlandish masters and 15,000 prints, including over 300 etchings by Rembrandt.
Expansion from 1899 to 1902
The growth of the collection necessitated the first enlargement of the Kunsthalle: The building costs were entirely financed through charitable contributions, and the land once again was donated by the city. The first extension was built according to plans by Bremen architects Albert Dunkel and Eduard Gildemeister. In addition, the façade facing the street of the original building was replaced with a sandstone façade in 1904.
The First Academic Director (1899 to 1914)
Gustav Pauli turned the Kunsthalle Bremen into a gallery of modern art, famous beyond the Bremen region. He acquired works by contemporary German Impressionists as well as outstanding works of French painting. In 1911, the purchase of van Gogh’s Field with Poppies prompted the Artists’ Dispute. Conservatives protested, while the Kunsthalle and well-known contemporary artists defended the arrival of French modernism in German museums.
"Degenerative Art" and Losses During the War Years (1914 to 1945)
As director, Emil Waldmann broadened the focus of the collection Pauli developed. He later had other difficulties: the Degenerate Art campaign by the Nazis, bombings, and the removal of the collection during World War II. Even though pieces have found their way back over the years, the Kunsthalle Bremen is still missing many works of art.
Reconstruction and Developing the Collection (1945 to 1984)
Günter Busch was appointed director of the Kunsthalle in 1950. In addition to the challenges presented by reconstructing the war-damaged building, he also added to the Expressionist collection after the losses incurred during the Third Reich. Furthermore, he became a champion of Paula Modersohn-Becker’s oeuvre. Vibrant exhibitions, education, and the rising burden of administration once again made it necessary to enlarge the building. Construction was completed in 1984 according to plans by Werner Düttmann.
Contemporary Art and Empty Purses (1985 to 1993)
Although very little money was available to him, director Siegfried Salzmann was able to expand the holdings, especially in the areas of contemporary art and sculpture. This was made possible for the most part by the Supporter’s Circle for Contemporary Art at the Kunstverein Bremen which was founded 1971 and the Donor’s Circle for the Bremer Kunstpreis (since 1984 / today: Pauli-Prize). The museum shop, which is still staffed by volunteer members, opened for the first time.
Media Art and Exhibition Events (1994 to 2011)
Under Wulf Herzogenrath, media art found its way into the collection. In addition, losses during the war were returned and repurchased. Major special exhibitions not only attracted visitors to the Kunsthalle, but membership in the Kunstverein doubled to over 7,000 as well. Another extension opened in 2011 with the modern wings designed by the firm of Hufnagel Pütz Rafaelian. The state of Bremen, the Federal Government, and two member families of the Kunstverein each funded a third of this new construction.
(Photo: Marcus Meyer Photography)
Art in the Age of Globalization (since 2011)
Under the leadership of Christoph Grunenberg, the museum has increased its pursuit to become more accessible and to expand international networking. Projects such as provenance research and digitalization lend support and provide research into the collection. With its diverse educational programs as well as innovative exhibitions and projects, the Kunsthalle Bremen strives to be an open museum that attracts a broad public and stands at the centre of the latest debates in society.
(Photo: Marcus Meyer Photography)