CHRONICLE

FOLKWANG MUSEUM HAGEN

1897

Karl Ernst Osthaus (1874–1921) begins collecting art and artefacts.

1898

The architect Carl Gérard plans a museum building.

1899

Osthaus travels to North Africa and acquires Islamic art.

1900

The architect Henry van de Velde plans the interior design of the museum.

1901

Acquisition of the painting Lise with a Parasol by Auguste Renoir.

1902

Opening of Folkwang Museum in Hagen. The name Folkwang (hall of the people) is derived from the Old Norse poem Edda. Osthaus aims to create a “centre of artistic life in the western industrial zone.”

1903

Up until 1913, Osthaus acquires works by Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Vincent van Gogh and Henri Matisse, among other artists, in rapid succession.

1909

Osthaus founds Museum für Kunst in Handel und Gewerbe (museum of art in commerce and trade) as a centre of modern design and to host the activities of Deutscher Werkbund (German work federation).

1912

For the first time, the Folkwang Museum presents West and East African objects together with Cubist artworks.

1913

Publication of the museum’s first inventory catalogue compiled the previous year.

1914

Outbreak of the First World War; Osthaus sells individual works to help finance his patron-age activities.

1919

Osthaus seeks state funding to ensure the museum’s continued existence.

1921

Osthaus dies on 25 March in Meran. His testament states Osthaus’s wish to keep the art collection intact.

STÄDTISCHES KUNSTMUSEUM ESSEN (municipal art museum)

1901

Founding of Essener Museumsverein (Essen museum association). Several Essen collections are brought together and housed in one building in the city centre. Paul Borchardt becomes honorary head of the art department.

1904

The collections are handed over to the city of Essen. Founding of Städtischer Kunstverein (municipal art association).

1906

Division of the collections into different departments. Ernst Gosebruch (1872–1953) is employed as an assistant.

1909

The art history department becomes independent as Städtisches Kunstmuseum (municipal art museum). Ernst Gosebruch takes over as director.

1910

Transfer of Museumsverein into Essener Kunstverein.

1912

Acquisition of Quay with Men Unloading Sand Barges by Vincent van Gogh.

1914

Closure of the museum for the duration of the First World War.

1917

Dr Hans Goldschmidt donates the house at Bismarckstrasse 98 as a new location for the museum; Dr Karl Goldschmidt donates his directly adjacent house in 1922.

1920

New opening of Städtisches Kunstmuseum at Bismarckstrasse 98.

1921

Osthaus’s administrator makes Ernst Gosebruch an offer to purchase the Folkwang Collection for Essen.

MUSEUM FOLKWANG, ESSEN

1922

Acquisition of the Folkwang Collection by a consortium of companies and private individuals from Essen and the Ruhr area; founding of Folkwang-Museumsverein e.V. (Folkwang museum association). The Folkwang-Museumsverein signs a contract, still valid today, with the City of Essen concerning the shared ownership and support of the museum.

On 29 October the Folkwang, merged with the municipal art museum in Essen, opens as the ‘Museum Folkwang Essen’.

1924

Essener Kunstverein is renamed Kunstverein Folkwang (later Kunstring Folkwang).

1925/26

Planning of an extension by the architect Edmund Körner; start of construction work.

1929

Completion of construction work; reopening of Museum Folkwang.

1933

The National Socialist city government under Theodor Reismann-Grone forces the museum management to end its commitment to modern and contemporary art. Kampfbund für deutsche Kultur (combat league for German culture) demands Gosebruch’s dismissal. In late summer, Gosebruch resigns due to political pressure.

1934

The National Socialist Klaus Graf von Baudissin (1891–1961) is appointed director against resistance from the Folkwang-Museumsverein.

1936

Graf Baudissin sells the painting Improvisation by Wassily Kandinsky, acquired in 1912, as “work of degenerate art.”

1937

More than 1,400 works are confiscated from the museum by the National Socialists as part of the campaign against Degenerate art. Graf Baudissin moves to the Reich Ministry of Science, Education and Culture in Berlin; he is suspended as museum director in 1938.

1938

Heinz Köhn (1901–1962) takes over as head of the museum.

1942

The collection is moved to safety.

1944/45

Parts of the museum buildings are destroyed in air raids over Essen.

1947

Decision of the Board of Trustees to reconstruct the museum; exhibition of selected works in Schloss Hugenpoet (Essen-Kettwig).

1953

Paul Vogt (1926–2017) becomes assistant at Museum Folkwang.

1954

The architects Werner Kreutzberger, Erich Hösterey and Horst Loy plan a new building. 1956 Start of construction work.

1956

Start of construction work.

1960

Opening of the new museum building.

1963

Paul Vogt is appointed museum director. Vogt further expands the collection with important acquisitions of North-American art, including works by Barnett Newman, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Ad Reinhardt, and Frank Stella.

1968

Gerry Schum sets up the museum’s own video studio (in operation until 1994).

1974

Founding of the German Poster Museum.

1978

Resolution by the City of Essen to construct a museum centre incorporating the museum building from 1956/60; planning of the new building by the architects Kiemle, Kreidt und Partner and Allerkamp, Niehaus, Skornia.

The Photographic Collection, founded by Otto Steinert at the Folkwangschule für Gestaltung in Essen-Werden in 1958, is integrated into the Museum Folkwang as a separate department under the direction of Ute Eskildsen.

1983

Opening of the museum centre with Museum Folkwang and Ruhrlandmuseum.

1987

First major special exhibition on classic modernism showing works by Edvard Munch.

1988

Georg W. Költzsch (1938–2005) is appointed museum director.

2002

Hubertus Gassner is appointed museum director.

2006

Hartwig Fischer is appointed museum director. The Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach-Stiftung, chaired by Berthold Beitz, agrees to finance a new building for Museum Folkwang.

2007

David Chipperfield wins the first prize in an international architectural design competition. Start of construction work.

2008

The German Poster Museum is integrated into Museum Folkwang.

2010

Inauguration of the new building on 28 January; the exhibition bearing the title The Most Beautiful Museum in the World. Museum Folkwang until 1933 is shown.

2013

Tobia Bezzola is appointed museum director.

2015

The Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation offers all visitors free admission to the collection.

2018

Peter Gorschlüter is appointed museum director.

2020

The City of Essen and the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach-Stiftung agree to maintain free admission to the collection on a permanent basis.

The German Section of AICA awards the Museum Folkwang the title "Museum of the Year" (2019).

2022

The Museum Folkwang celebrates its 100th anniversary at the Essen location.