Käthe-Kollwitz-Museum Berlin
A voice of social conscience
The famous sculptor lived and worked in Berlin for more than 50 years and thus wrote a piece of important art history. Her works reflect great social and human commitment and also touch people beyond German or European borders.
The Käthe Kollwitz Museum is pleased to welcome you to the new representative premises of the theatre building at Charlottenburg Palace.
The German sculptress and graphic artist Käthe Kollwitz boasts a poignant oeuvre that focuses on social inequality and the fight against war. This museum houses 200 drawings and prints, sculptural works, as well as the famous woodcut series about the war. The heart of the collection is a series of self portraits spanning 50 years.
Never again war: An artist of the workers and the peace movement
When Käthe Kollwitz moves to Berlin in the 19th century, she lives in the working class district of Prenzlauer Berg. As the wife of a socially committed doctor, she is no stranger to suffering, poverty and hunger. She is concerned with social inequality and war resistance, and these themes are expressed in her work. She dies in Moritzburg near Dresden in 1945. Three years later, the art dealer Hans Pels-Leusden collects her drawings, and in 1986, he exhibits his collection, and the first Käthe-Kollwitz-Museum Berlin opens.
The permanent exhibition makes the zeitgeist of the era comprehensible. At the same time, it tells of the artist's role models and friends, such as Max Liebermann. The remarkable collection of self-portraits from this period is also worthy of note.
From 1914 to 1945, Käthe Kollwitz created some of the most important graphics and sculptures of her time. Among the works on display are lithographs in the form of large-scale posters. Towards the end of her life, Käthe Kollwitz also dealt artistically with death.
Highlights of the exhibition
- Introductory exhibition, the life and work of the artist on the ground floor.
- poster prints.
- around 100 drawings and lithographs, including self-portraits, and the iconic "War" woodcut collection.
- Coming soon: sculpture by Gustav Seitz on the top floor.
- Collection of sculptural works by Käthe Kollwitz.
