Neue Galerie

About

The Neue Galerie (New Gallery) is an art museum in Kassel, Hesse, Germany. It is part of Hessen Kassel Heritage and is located at Schöne Aussicht, overlooking the Karlsaue. The museum presents paintings, sculpture and contemporary art from around 1800 to the present, with holdings drawn from the municipal and state art collections of Kassel. The building was constructed between 1871 and 1877 as a picture gallery for the Kassel collection of Old Masters. After severe damage during the Second World War, the Old Masters collection was moved to Schloss Wilhelmshöhe. The museum reopened in 1976 under its present name with a new focus on art of the 19th and 20th centuries, later expanded to include contemporary art and works connected with documenta.

Earlier gallery and 19th-century building

A previous gallery building was erected between 1749 and 1752 by François de Cuvilliés for William VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. During the French occupation under Jérôme Bonaparte, it was converted into a city residence.

In the 19th century, a new gallery building was commissioned for the Kassel painting collection. It was designed by Heinrich von Dehn-Rotfelser, an architect and professor at the Academy in Kassel, and opened in 1877. The building was conceived as a museum for the Old Masters and housed important works from the Kassel collections, including Dutch paintings by artists such as Rembrandt, Paul Potter and Philips Wouwerman.

During the bombing of Kassel in the Second World War, the gallery building was badly damaged and burned out during the air raid of 22/23 October 1943. The raid was carried out by the Royal Air Force and caused a firestorm that destroyed much of Kassel's old town.

The most important works had been evacuated before the destruction; a group of major paintings was taken to Vienna and returned to Kassel in 1956. After the war, the Old Masters collection was no longer housed permanently in the gallery building and was eventually transferred to Schloss Wilhelmshöhe.

The damaged gallery building was gradually repaired and reused. It also became connected with the history of documenta, as the exhibition series used the building repeatedly as an exhibition venue.

The museum reopened on 4 September 1976 as the Neue Galerie. Its new concept brought together municipal and state collections of more recent art, including paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries, major works of German Impressionism, Classical Modernism, sculpture from the 18th to the 20th century, and contemporary art.

One of the central features of the reopened museum was a room installed by Joseph Beuys himself. The Beuys room remains one of the best-known parts of the museum and includes the installation The Pack.

Since the 1980s, the collection has continued to expand, especially through contemporary acquisitions and works connected with documenta.

The Neue Galerie was closed for renovation in 2006. During this period, the empty building was used as one of the venues of documenta 12 in 2007. After extensive renovation and modernisation, the museum reopened in November 2011. The renovation created a brighter and more open exhibition building with increased exhibition space.

A previous gallery building was erected between 1749 and 1752 by François de Cuvilliés for William VIII, Landgrave of Hesse-Kassel. During the French occupation under Jérôme Bonaparte, it was converted into a city residence.

In the 19th century, a new gallery building was commissioned for the Kassel painting collection. It was designed by Heinrich von Dehn-Rotfelser, an architect and professor at the Academy in Kassel, and opened in 1877. The building was conceived as a museum for the Old Masters and housed important works from the Kassel collections, including Dutch paintings by artists such as Rembrandt, Paul Potter and Philips Wouwerman.

During the bombing of Kassel in the Second World War, the gallery building was badly damaged and burned out during the air raid of 22/23 October 1943. The raid was carried out by the Royal Air Force and caused a firestorm that destroyed much of Kassel's old town.

The most important works had been evacuated before the destruction; a group of major paintings was taken to Vienna and returned to Kassel in 1956. After the war, the Old Masters collection was no longer housed permanently in the gallery building and was eventually transferred to Schloss Wilhelmshöhe.

The damaged gallery building was gradually repaired and reused. It also became connected with the history of documenta, as the exhibition series used the building repeatedly as an exhibition venue.

The museum reopened on 4 September 1976 as the Neue Galerie. Its new concept brought together municipal and state collections of more recent art, including paintings from the 18th and 19th centuries, major works of German Impressionism, Classical Modernism, sculpture from the 18th to the 20th century, and contemporary art.

One of the central features of the reopened museum was a room installed by Joseph Beuys himself. The Beuys room remains one of the best-known parts of the museum and includes the installation The Pack.

Since the 1980s, the collection has continued to expand, especially through contemporary acquisitions and works connected with documenta.

The Neue Galerie was closed for renovation in 2006. During this period, the empty building was used as one of the venues of documenta 12 in 2007. After extensive renovation and modernisation, the museum reopened in November 2011. The renovation created a brighter and more open exhibition building with increased exhibition space.