Kunstmuseen Krefeld

About

The Kunstmuseen Krefeld (Krefeld Art Museums) is collection of three art museums in Krefeld, Germany. and particularly dedicated to modern and contemporary art. Comprising the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum, the Haus Lange and Haus Esters, the museums since the late 1950s have risen to international prominence. Katia Baudin, former deputy director of the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, has headed the institution since September 2016.

In January 1882, the Craftsmen's and Education Association stated in a citizens' meeting: "It is desirable that a museum be established in Crefeld that represents the interests of the arts and crafts in particular". A museum commission was then founded, and in the following year, a museum association. It had 32 members, including the mayor, the district administrator, the school board and several silk manufacturers. In the same year, the first exhibition Kunstwerke aus Krefelder Privatbesitz was held in the Stadthalle. In the 1880s, the museum association primarily sought donations, objects and paintings as the basis for a museum building. In 1884, the city of Krefeld made the former school at Westwall 60 available free of charge. As early as 1897, the monetary value of the collection was estimated at 112,000 Reichsmark. This included a Roman department, ironware from the 15th to the 18th century, Italian metalwork, furniture from the Lower Rhine, Rhenish stoneware, pottery, German and Dutch faiences, South German and French furniture of the Rococo and the Empire, Italian furniture of the Renaissance, and a painting gallery.

After the death of Kaiser William I in 1888, a museum was proposed to be erected as a memorial to him instead of a monument. Eventually, the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum commenced construction in 1894 and opened in 1897. Its north and south wings were extended as early as 1910–1912. The museum started with a collection from Konrad Kramer, who in the Lower Rhine region had, since 1850, been collecting furniture, sculptures, stained glass, stoneware, paintings and weapons. The Krefeld city councillor Albert Oetker bought the Kramer collection and donated it in time for the opening of the museum.

The first director of the museum was Friedrich Deneken, beginning in 1897. During his 25-year tenure, the collection grew under his leadership. In an appeal, he wrote: "The Kaiser Wilhelm Museum must preferably be directed towards the acquisition of newer art products". As early as 1900, 26 purchases laid the foundation for today's poster collection. The Italian Renaissance collection was acquired by Adolf von Beckerath [ de ] in the same period.

In 1922, Max Creutz succeeded Deneken as museum director. While Deneken's focus had been on modern decorative arts and small-scale art, Creutz shifted it to contemporary fine arts. In the first year of his tenure, he acquired a collection from Deutsches Museum für Kunst in Handel und Gewerbe [ de ] with works by Peter Behrens and Henry van de Velde. He also purchased paintings by Campendonk, Liebermann and Kirchner. In 1923, Creutz arranged for the creation of four large murals named Lebensalter by Johan Thorn Prikker on the upper floor.

Creutz's death in 1932 marked the beginning of a period of stagnation at the museum. Burghardt Freiherr von Lepel took over as director in 1933, but left again in 1936. Fritz Muthmann's term of office from 1937 to 1943 saw the crackdown on so-called degenerate art under the Nazi regime, and thus almost all of Creutz's collection of modern works were confiscated. Muthmann had the Prikker murals bricked up and thus saved them from destruction. The many purchases made during his tenure were reversed after the war by the victorious powers.

The museum, which was closed in 1942, survived the war unscathed and was initially shared by municipal offices and institutions.

In 1947, Paul Wember was appointed museum director. With the limited funds at his disposal, Wember attempted to purchase works of art from the 1930s after the currency reform in 1948 to expand and round off existing focal points of the collection. Romantic drawings and Impressionist paintings were also purchased to complete the collection. In 1953 and 1954, sheets by Max Ernst, Yves Tanguy, Joan Miró, Matisse and Picasso, among others, could be acquired at favourable prices, and thus the importance of contemporary graphic art increased within the collections. In 1955, Ulrich Lange made his childhood home, built between 1928 and 1930 by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, available to the city of Krefeld for ten years as an exhibition venue for contemporary art. Under Wember's management, Haus Lange became one of the leading exhibition venues for avant-garde art, and it was here that Yves Klein held his first and last museum retrospective during his lifetime.

With a minimal acquisition budget, the Kunstmuseen Krefeld was not in a position to invest in classical modernism like bigger museums. Wember therefore bought unknown contemporary art, including works by Yves Klein, Tàpies and Beuys, for example a first painting by Yves Klein in 1959 for DM 500 or two paintings by Piero Manzoni for 200 DM. Wember used a wide range of contacts with gallery owners such as Michael Hertz, Alfred Schmela, Rolf Ricke, Rudolf Zwirner and Conny Fischer for exhibitions and purchases.

In 1960, the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum closed for an urgently needed general renovation, which, however, was to begin in 1966. With the expiry of the 10 years, exhibition activities in Haus Lange also ended for the time being in 1966, thus closing both museums.

In April 1969, the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum was reopened. Ulrich Lange also donated Haus Lange to the city with the condition of exhibiting contemporary art there for 99 years. Wember retired in 1975. In 1976, the city of Krefeld acquired Haus Esters, the neighbouring house of Haus Lange, which opened in 1981 as another exhibition institute for temporary exhibitions of contemporary art.

In 2010, the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum closed once again for a fundamental renovation, which was carried out from 2012. With the completion of the work, the first collection presentation Das Abenteuer unserer Sammlung I was opened on 2 June 2016, thus presenting many works to the public for the first time in over six years.

In January 1882, the Craftsmen's and Education Association stated in a citizens' meeting: "It is desirable that a museum be established in Crefeld that represents the interests of the arts and crafts in particular". A museum commission was then founded, and in the following year, a museum association. It had 32 members, including the mayor, the district administrator, the school board and several silk manufacturers. In the same year, the first exhibition Kunstwerke aus Krefelder Privatbesitz was held in the Stadthalle. In the 1880s, the museum association primarily sought donations, objects and paintings as the basis for a museum building. In 1884, the city of Krefeld made the former school at Westwall 60 available free of charge. As early as 1897, the monetary value of the collection was estimated at 112,000 Reichsmark. This included a Roman department, ironware from the 15th to the 18th century, Italian metalwork, furniture from the Lower Rhine, Rhenish stoneware, pottery, German and Dutch faiences, South German and French furniture of the Rococo and the Empire, Italian furniture of the Renaissance, and a painting gallery.

After the death of Kaiser William I in 1888, a museum was proposed to be erected as a memorial to him instead of a monument. Eventually, the Kaiser Wilhelm Museum commenced construction in 1894 and opened in 1897. Its north and south wings were extended as early as 1910–1912. The museum started with a collection from Konrad Kramer, who in the Lower Rhine region had, since 1850, been collecting furniture, sculptures, stained glass, stoneware, paintings and weapons. The Krefeld city councillor Albert Oetker bought the Kramer collection and donated it in time for the opening of the museum.

The first director of the museum was Friedrich Deneken, beginning in 1897. During his 25-year tenure, the collection grew under his leadership. In an appeal, he wrote: "The Kaiser Wilhelm Museum must preferably be directed towards the acquisition of newer art products". As early as 1900, 26 purchases laid the foundation for today's poster collection. The Italian Renaissance collection was acquired by Adolf von Beckerath [ de ] in the same period.

In 1922, Max Creutz succeeded Deneken as museum director. While Deneken's focus had been on modern decorative arts and small-scale art, Creutz shifted it to contemporary fine arts. In the first year of his tenure, he acquired a collection from Deutsches Museum für Kunst in Handel und Gewerbe [ de ] with works by Peter Behrens and Henry van de Velde. He also purchased paintings by Campendonk, Liebermann and Kirchner. In 1923, Creutz arranged for the creation of four large murals named Lebensalter by Johan Thorn Prikker on the upper floor.

Creutz's death in 1932 marked the beginning of a period of stagnation at the museum. Burghardt Freiherr von Lepel took over as director in 1933, but left again in 1936. Fritz Muthmann's term of office from 1937 to 1943 saw the crackdown on so-called degenerate art under the Nazi regime, and thus almost all of Creutz's collection of modern works were confiscated. Muthmann had the Prikker murals bricked up and thus saved them from destruction. The many purchases made during his tenure were reversed after the war by the victorious powers.

The museum, which was closed in 1942, survived the war unscathed and was initially shared by municipal offices and institutions.

In 1947, Paul Wember was appointed museum director. With the limited funds at his disposal, Wember attempted to purchase works of art from the 1930s after the currency reform in 1948 to expand and round off existing focal points of the collection. Romantic drawings and Impressionist paintings were also purchased to complete the collection. In 1953 and 1954, sheets by Max Ernst, Yves Tanguy, Joan Miró, Matisse and Picasso, among others, could be acquired at favourable prices, and thus the importance of contemporary graphic art increased within the collections. In 1955, Ulrich Lange made his childhood home, built between 1928 and 1930 by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, available to the city of Krefeld for ten years as an exhibition venue for contemporary art. Under Wember's management, Haus Lange became one of the leading exhibition venues for avant-garde art, and it was here that Yves Klein held his first and last museum retrospective during his lifetime.

With a minimal acquisition budget, the Kunstmuseen Krefeld was not in a position to invest in classical modernism like bigger museums. Wember therefore bought unknown contemporary art, including works by Yves Klein, Tàpies and Beuys, for example a first painting by Yves Klein in 1959 for DM 500 or two paintings by Piero Manzoni for 200 DM. Wember used a wide range of contacts with gallery owners such as Michael Hertz, Alfred Schmela, Rolf Ricke, Rudolf Zwirner and Conny Fischer for exhibitions and purchases.