Address by Federal Government Commissioner for Culture, Bernd Neumann
Address by former Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia Dr. Jürgen Rüttgers
Address by Mayor of Essen, Reinhard Pass
Address by Dr. Hartwig Fischer, Director of Museum Folkwang
Address by Federal Government Commissioner for Culture, Bernd Neumann
The spoken word shall apply.
I am now in Essen for the second time in three weeks; this time for the inauguration of Museum Folkwang’s new building. On January 9, it was the Ruhrmuseum in the Zeche Zollverein, and today it is Museum Folkwang’s turn. Particularly in periods of economic crisis, when culture never appears to be safe from austerity measures, such occasions are absolute highlights. “It’s like another world here.” These were the words of Hamburg-based museum director, Max Sauerlandt, referring to the strong support that Museum Folkwang, which had opened five years previously, received from its city.
And I can only agree with him! However, as was the case back then, today Museum Folkwang would not be conceivable without the support of private patrons, an excellent example of public private partnership, even though this term was unheard of back when the Museum was founded. In 1922, the Folkwang-Museumverein e.V., who had acquired the former Folkwang collection from Karl Ernst Osthaus’ heirs, signed a contract with the city and conferred Essen part-ownership of the collection. In return, the city committed itself to taking care of the building, its maintenance and personnel, namely – and I quote – to provide “worthy and suitable spaces” and an unlimited period of time.
Now Professor Beitz and the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen and Halbach-Foundation are supporting the city in its commitment to provide those “worthy and suitable spaces” – with a donation of 55 million Euros. Had you not taken this decision to provide such generous support back in summer 2006, this wonderful new museum building would not exist. And so, I extend my wholehearted thanks – on behalf of the Federal Chancellor too.
This unique building, the subject of high praise even before opening its doors, was completed in record time, just two years.
Mr. Chipperfield, some three months ago we were together at the opening of the wonderful Neues Museum on Berlin’s Museum Island. What a difference between Museum Folkwang with its transparency, concentration on art and alignment to the city and the Neues Museum’s colorful spaces designed with such care and respect! For me, good architecture is distinguished in its sensitivity and adaptability. Today there are so many architects that rely solely on the recognizability of their architectural hallmarks, and at times this yields almost horrific results, which no longer have anything to do with the location or its history, or ultimately with those people, who will use the building. What a contrast to your work!
Mr. Chipperfield, I would also like to thank you for your wonderful contribution to the architectural landscape here in Germany, from the Museum of Modern Literature to Museum Folkwang! And congratulations on this accomplished architectural exemplar here in Essen! Museum Folkwang is also one of the few museums that is lucky enough to boast a significant collection of US photography; the impetus behind director Fischer’s efforts to acquire a photographic series by Robert Frank, entitled “From the Bus”, one of the artist’s key works and hopefully a future highlight of Museum Folkwang’s photography collection. Today, I am glad to be able to inform you that the government shall fulfill Mr. Fischer’s request for a contribution toward the purchase, as soon as the other contributors have been confirmed.
With this new building, the City of Essen and all visitors to Museum Folkwang have certainly been awarded a fantastic art space. However, private-sector commitment to culture is not available on tap and should by no means lead to a withdrawal of state support. By doubling financial support for the arts over the past years, the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and Minister-President Rüttgers are certainly setting a good example. Lord Mayor Pass, I hope, no I am sure that despite the difficult financial situation that the states currently find themselves in you will appreciate this gem greatly and do everything in your power to help it to reach its full potential within the German and international museum world. After all, in addition to providing a place for contemplation, museums also possess great political, social and – this should not be forgotten – eminent economical significance.
Culture forms the basis for the structural changes currently taking place in the Ruhr region. The fact that the slogan for the Ruhr region as Capital of Culture 2010, “Change through culture – culture through change”, was once spoken by Museum Folkwang’s founder, Karl Ernst Osthaus, is in my opinion a perfect example of the creative power that the Ruhr region can draw from its history when forging of its future.
Dr. Fischer, Ms. Eskildsen, I wish you and your team all the best for the future and hope to see lots of interested visitors in this wonderful building at the heart of the European Capital of Culture.
Address by former Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia Dr. Jürgen Rüttgers
The spoken word shall apply.
Address
Today, we are opening Museum Folkwang’s doors once again. Today, we are opening ourselves up to new perspectives, looking both inward and outward. Here in North Rhine-Westphalia we are opening new museums in the midst of a global economic crisis. That is more than just an event.
The new Museum Folkwang is an event of the century. An event of the century for Essen and for the Ruhr region. For all of North Rhine-Westphalia in fact. Nothing less.
With this new build, which is an artwork in itself, we have achieved what the Museum’s founder had wished for some hundred years ago. At the inauguration on July 9, 1902, Karl Ernst Osthaus said: “The cult of specialization that characterizes our times has caused a rift in the world. Everyone sits on his own branch and doesn’t know anything about the tree as a whole. This is where art has to step in: mediating, connecting, provoking, and so permeating every aspect of our work.”
Artists need artistic freedom. But the art that they make is the glue that holds society together.
Osthaus wanted to make art and culture accessible for everyone. He wanted everyone to share his own enthusiasm for it. This is why he named this Museum an “establishment for the education of the people”. Art should serve to overcome social antagonisms and bridge social divides. The rifts in society should be sealed. People should once again experience the feeling that they are sitting on a tree not just on their own branch.
And one more thing: Osthaus wanted to present people with the art of their times: Contemporary art. His aim was to reach all people and rouse their interest in art – and so, he wanted to exhibit the best artworks by the best artists of the time.
This new building constitutes the finishing touch to this original idea.
You have succeeded in something quite unique with this new building, Professor Chipperfield, for it brings Karl Ernst Osthaus’ idea full circle. It opens the Museum up to its city. To the Ruhr region. To the people. Each room is inspired by this notion.
Your works, Professor Chipperfield, have been met with great recognition, and deservedly so. This building is your greatest masterpiece so far: No garish effects, but a museum building that is elegant, simple, and modest, without the need for pathos. It is timeless. This is another reason why the Museum’s new build is an event of the century for both the city and North Rhine-Westphalia.
North Rhine-Westphalia also owes thanks to Professor Beitz for making this possible; and to the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen and Halbach-Foundation. It was your decision that made this wonderful idea a reality and your decision that will allow others to share in Karl Ernst Osthaus’ great idea. He believed in the people, in their joy at discovering new things, in the accessibility of art and culture for all. Museum Folkwang has continued to pursue his original intention for over a century now. Through bad times and good. An endeavor that has resulted in one of the world’s most important collections of modern and contemporary art.
Now the Museum Folkwang’s new building shall provide a symbol of a new era; of an era in which art and culture will become the hallmarks of the Ruhr region; hallmarks of North Rhine-Westphalia. An era, that lives for the idea of making art that is contemporary in the best sense of the word – and thus reaches out to all of its contemporaries too.
I maintain: Today, we are experiencing an event of the century.
Address by Lord Mayor Reinhard Pass
The spoken word shall apply.
Dear Professor Beitz, Commissioner Neumann, Minister-President Dr. Jürgen Rüttgers, ladies and gentleman,
Eight decades have passed since the opening of the original Museum Folkwang. During this time, the Museum has been completely destroyed, rebuilt and extended.
Today, we here bear witness to the start of a new era for Museum Folkwang. Today, we open its fantastic new building – this is a very special day for us Esseners and our city.
This makes me very happy and I am pleased to welcome you all here.
But first of all, I have some people to thank.
It was the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen and Halbach-Foundation together with Chairman Professor Beitz that stood as sole sponsor for this incredible new building, dedicated to the citizens of the city of Essen.
Professor Beitz, I extend my heartfelt thanks to you and the foundation for this wonderful gift you have bestowed upon the people of our city. With your generous support you have set an example for the art world and at the same time once again emphasized your commitment to the city of Essen.
Professor Beitz, this, your commitment to this cause is a particular honor for us and as Lord Mayor of this city fills me with heartfelt gratitude.
After all, the new building is a decisive contribution to the cultural, urban and social development of the Ruhr region and thus follows in the tradition of the Folkwang idea.
Folkwang – that is a mark of excellence. From the very beginning this name has stood for an exceptional collection of modern art of the highest caliber. Just a few years after its opening, the Museum was not only well-known and highly esteemed across Germany, but beyond its borders too. Its reputation as the “Most Beautiful Museum in the World”, which was founded in the 1930s, is to my mind a bow to the people who have put their blood, sweat and tears into this collection.
Folkwang – that is tradition. Very much in the spirit of Karl Ernst Osthaus, Museum Folkwang has provided a home for contemporary art for decades now; Museum Folkwang has been open to this kind of art from the very beginning.
Many factors have led to Essen’s proprietorship of such a unique collection. One could also say that we have had luck on our side:
Having acquired a very extensive and high-quality collection as early as 1921, we did not have to start from scratch; we had something to build upon.
But private art patrons and sponsors’ and their great fondness for this art have proven even more important for the museum over the decades. Without their generous financial support, we would never have acquired such a wonderful collection in the first place. After all, at the time the city would have never been in a position to provide the large sum of 15-million Reichsmark.
Numerous donated works are likewise to thank for the growth of the collection over the years, for making it what it is today.
One thing is for sure: We can not overestimate the private-party commitment to the collection.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Suffice it to say that today’s inauguration of Museum Folkwang’s new building likewise follows in the tradition of private-public partnership. Financed by the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen and Halbach-Foundation, conceived by David Chipperfield Architects and realized by Museum Folkwang Essen GmbH, a Wolff Gruppe company, the new build for the Museum, under joint-ownership of the city of Essen and the Folkwang Museumverein e.V., provides a new and powerful symbol of this partnership.
And so, at this point I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all those involved:
Thanks to David Chipperfield and his fantastic architecture, the collection’s precious works have a perfect space for their presentation. I’m sure that I speak for everyone when I say that the new building is an artistic delight in itself. All its visitors will doubtlessly find real pleasure in their time here! Mr. Chipperfield, thank you very much for this wonderful piece of architecture.
Furthermore, I would like to thank all those who worked so hard to ensure that the museum was completed in time for the start of Essen’s year as “European Capital of Culture 2010”. Mr. Wolff and his team deserve a special mention here, having completed the construction work in record time. Not forgetting the Municipal Office – the Departments of Culture, Urban Development and Building, and Transport consistently channeled all of their efforts into driving the project forward. At this point, I would like to give a special mention to Dr. Fischer as Director of Museum Folkwang, who worked tirelessly to ensure the success of the project. Here, I once again sincerely thank all those involved. A year of cultural superlatives without Folkwang would have been unthinkable.
Of course, I owe heartfelt thanks to you Dr. Puppel and to the Folkwang Museumsverein e.V. Your members have played a decisive role in maintaining and advancing the museum’s position of high regard throughout the years. I am sure that the historically established and highly effective collaboration with the city will continue far into the future.
Ladies and Gentleman,
I am already looking forward to the exciting exhibitions to come and wish “good luck” to us all!
Address by Dr. Hartwig Fischer, Director of Museum Folkwang
The spoken word shall apply.
Dear Professor Beitz, Mrs. Beitz, Minister-President, Commissioner, Lord Mayor, your Excellency, Mr. David Chipperfield, Mr. Wolff, ladies and gentlemen,
on August 23, 2006, I was in London when I received a call from Professor Beitz: “It could be in your interest to come to my office tomorrow noon.” I changed my plane ticket and as I arrived at his office, having come directly from the airport, Mr. Beitz, you said to me, in the presence of Lord Mayor Reiniger: “I actually just wanted to tell you that the Board of Trustees at the Krupp Foundation has come to the unanimous decision to fund the Museum Folkwang new build as the sole sponsor. And now I’d like you to accompany me to the press conference.”
There was little time for amazement or speechlessness at the time. At the press conference it instantly became clear that there was no going back: They were expecting great architecture, a building for the next 100 years, and all of this to be completed by the start of 2010. Oh and by the way, the budget was non-negotiable. And we also had to ensure that the recipient of this gift, the city of Essen, would maintain this building in best condition.
You yourself had only received the approval of all of the Board’s members the day before, when you returned from Sylt on August 22; all votes came within an hour. A swift decision. But one that followed a long period of preparation. After all, you have a special connection to Museum Folkwang, Mr. Beitz, ever since you arrived in Essen in 1953 and discovered an affiliation with the museum’s director Paul Vogt, whom you repeatedly assisted with the acquisition of important works for the collection and with whom you enjoyed regular exchanges driven by your particular love of expressionist paintings, by Nolde, by Schmidt-Rottluff, both of whom were your friends. Museum Folkwang’s establishment of a dedicated photographic collection in 1978 would not have been possible without your support. As has often been the case; there are many more such stories we could tell at this point.
But as the “Essen’s Marvel” you have many other sides: Your interest in architecture, for example. Back in the early 1960s, you brought Mies van der Rohe to Essen from New York in the hope that you could get him on board to build the Krupp headquarters. This plan did not become a reality but the first time we walked through the new build in early November 2009, you said: “I had hoped that it would be beautiful and always thought of Mies when this thought came to mind. This building has made my wish a reality.” Great architecture, bound to its own time, yet transcending other periods too. Être de son temps et être de toujours.
A wonderful museum for a wonderful collection. It is everything we had hoped for, and in its beauty and functionality is so much more, too. Mr. Beitz, we appreciate the gift you have bestowed upon us by taking the decision you did, as well as the responsibility that comes with it – and even today we are unable to imagine what it would have meant had you not received that wonderful epiphany while gazing up into the beautiful sky. Today, you have provided Museum Folkwang with a new future.
“Whatever the future may hold for us,” wrote one of the greatest experts on the history of museums, Karsten Schubert, “the museum will remain an extraordinarily flexible establishment, incredibly vulnerable to external pressure and yet astonishingly robust. The museum is the perpetual Open University, which combines pleasure and learning like no other institution in our modern society. Its openness and flexibility, attractiveness and diversity, its transparency, and finally its incorruptibility make the museum one of the greatest merits of a democratic society, an institution and bedrock that should be defended at all costs, and even if this means promoting changes, whose dimensions we can barely fathom today. The best thing about museums is perhaps this: They are constantly transforming themselves.”
Museum Folkwang, founded by Karl Ernst Osthaus in Hagen in 1902, has been through many changes and transformations during its time. Following Osthaus’ premature death, the collection was moved to Essen, having been purchased by a consortium of businessmen and art patrons, who then as the Folkwang Museumsverein e.V. signed a founding contract with the city and conferred Essen part-ownership of the collection. In return, the city committed to taking care of the building, its maintenance and personnel. Together, the city and association declared that they would always promote the museum to best of their ability. And over the subsequent decades, the museum would continue to receive such dedicated support from important art patrons.
Today, the museum’s new build constitutes another indeed the most important step in this common endeavor. I am thankful to you, Lord Mayor, for your reference to Hans Luther, your predecessor in office from 1918-1922 and later Chancellor, in your contribution to our recently published newsletter. Luther was a driving force in the purchase of the Folkwang collection, and in 1922 strongly encouraged this cooperation between private art patrons and the private sector with political foresight, strategic skill and passion for art. Luther recognized that even in times of crisis – and the Ruhr region was indeed required to overcome a crisis during those years, of such severity that we could barely imagine – the presence of such a collection, of such a museum serves as a focal point for identification, understanding, self-awareness, happiness and freedom. Building upon this foundation, Museum Folkwang has developed into one of the most significant museums in the country; building upon this foundation, it has even overcome the horrific losses inflicted by Nazi confiscations; and building upon this foundation, it also has a brilliant future ahead of it.
We are opening the Museum’s new building with the presentation of a collection of post-1950 and contemporary art, with exhibitions of works from our own photography and prints collections as well as works from the German Poster Museum. When the construction work being carried out on Museum Folkwang’s old building comes to an end this spring and the first major exhibition opens in March, then, Ladies and Gentleman, you will also have the opportunity to rediscover works from the 19th century and Classical Modernism, from Caspar David Friedrich to Renoir, from van Gogh, Gauguin and Matisse to Beckmann. We are also very eager to provide space for contemporary art alongside major paintings and sculptural works from the post-1950 period and to show that Museum Folkwang was not only founded as a contemporary art museum, but remains a contemporary art museum today. We are very pleased to be able to inaugurate Museum Folkwang’s new build in the presence of Manfred Osthaus, the grandson of Folkwang’s founder, and Paul Vogt, Museum Director from 1963 to 1988, to whom our collections owe a great deal of thanks. I welcome you both.
Miracles aren’t easy to turn around. Making them a reality and keeping it that way requires passion, creative energy, mastery, decisiveness, prudence, experience, discipline, political savvy and a good calculator. We have looked upon our involvement in the realization of the new build as an opportunity, an adventure and as a great journey of discovery.
Dear Mr. Beitz, you have followed the progress of the works very closely over the past year and we have always been able to rely upon your support. None of this would have been possible without you. Even when we approached you about with the designs for the park on Goethestrasse or the skylights in the old building, you once again offered your help without hesitation.
We would like to thank David Chipperfield for this wonderful piece of architecture, for such open dialog, for the discussions on so many questions and so many details that were of upmost importance, so that during your visit, ladies and gentlemen, everything just goes without saying, so that you don’t think about why you feel so comfortable here: the perfect proportions, the openness, the vibrant light and the hospitable espirt that radiates from the building. That is the secret of great architecture. It is certainly a memorable experience, seeing such an architect at work. We also owe great thanks to his team, most notably Alexander Schwarz, Design Director of the new build, and Eberhard Veit, for the Museum’s beauty and clarity, for its simplicity and elegance.
In order to make the new building a reality, we needed a building contractor who was prepared to take a risk, to maintain the very difficult balance between time, money and quality and to carry the project through to the very end. We extend our thanks to Klaus Wolff, who took on this challenge with inexhaustible energy and zeal and brilliantly led the project to success despite all the obstacles along the way, with exceptional entrepreneurial perception, willpower, and a sharp eye, and with exemplary commitment to Museum Folkwang. We would like to thank the entire team for their excellent work, and in particular Jans Balke, who had to calculate everything in advance; Lorenzo Piqueras, who assisted the Museum in gaining a better understanding of what it wanted and who continually introduced major improvements; Dieter Deichsel, who mastered the implementation planning in record time and was on hand at all times whether eleven o’clock at night or five in the morning; Sven Lemke, who erected the building never lacking in determination; and Meik Bellenbaum and Kai Zetzsche, who ensured that we met the deadline and opened on time.
We are also very grateful to Essen City Council and the Municipal Office, who supported our efforts and cleared the path for the project; to you Lord Mayor and your predecessor, Dr. Reiniger, as well as City Director Hülsmann for your wonderful support; to Mr. Scheytt, who headed the transformation of Essen’s museums with foresight and political skill; to Ms. Raskob, who chaired the management board and worked tirelessly to support the new build project; and to Christian Kromberg, Rüdiger Kersten, Stefanie Frevel, Uwe Gummersbach and Bernd Jacobs for their knowledgeable and effective backing.
I also extend my thanks to the Museum Folkwang staff who proved passionate about the new Museum Folkwang building from the very beginning. I feel privileged to have such dedicated colleagues and I am proud of what we have achieved together. I ask for your understanding that I only mention one person in particular at this point: Ute Eskildsen, who envisaged, influenced and backed the project – knowledgeable, critical, shrewd, and ever-present even in the most difficult moments.
Building a museum is not necessarily an easy thing of course. But it is a necessity. Why? Because the museum as an establishment has a special gift to offer. What is that gift? That gift creates a relationship between giving and taking, whereby we are obliged to accept it, transform it and return it. The lifecycle of this gift bestows us with an understanding of what we are, what people are, in their abundance, their exposure, in their creativity, in their delight in destruction. Artworks are gifts, that we only see as such when we encounter them. This gift is the inception and the foundation of human co-existence. The museum has a special gift to offer. It is for this reason that the museum plays such a central role in our society.
Mr. Beitz, together with the Krupp Foundation you have given us a building that enables us to now bestow this gift upon our visitors. And for that we would like to thank you most cordially.
