Art Museum

Museum Folkwang

Stadtbezirk II (Essen), Germany

Museum Folkwang is an art museum in Stadtbezirk II (Essen), Germany. 1 work from its collection is in this catalog, including Henri Matisse.

About Museum Folkwang

Museum Folkwang is a major collection of 19th- and 20th-century art in Essen, Germany. The museum was established in 1922 by merging the Essener Kunstmuseum, which was founded in 1906, and the private Folkwang Museum of the collector and patron Karl Ernst Osthaus in Hagen, founded in 1902.

The term Folkwang derives from the name of the afterlife meadow of the dead, Fólkvangr, presided over by the Norse goddess Freyja.

Museum Folkwang incorporates the Deutsche Plakat Museum (German poster museum), comprising circa 340,000 posters from politics, economy and culture. During a visit in Essen in 1932, Paul J. Sachs called the Folkwang "the most beautiful museum in the world."

In 2007, David Chipperfield designed an extension, which was built onto the older building.

Overview & Identity

Museum Folkwang is a major art museum located in Essen, Germany, renowned for its extensive holdings of 19th- and 20th-century art, photography, prints, drawings, and posters. Originally founded in 1902 by Karl Ernst Osthaus in Hagen as Europe's first museum dedicated to contemporary art, it moved to Essen in 1922 following Osthaus's death. The museum is celebrated for its pioneering role in acquiring works by modern masters such as Cézanne, Gauguin, van Gogh, and Matisse, as well as its support for German Expressionist artists. Today, it stands as one of Germany's most prestigious institutions for Classical Modernism and post-1945 art.

History & Founding

The museum was established in 1902 by Karl Ernst Osthaus, a wealthy industrialist's son who used his inheritance to create a space for modern art in Hagen. Osthaus was a visionary patron who supported emerging artists like the Brücke group, Egon Schiele, and Oskar Kokoschka, often being the first to exhibit them. After Osthaus died in 1921, his collection was acquired by the city of Essen in 1922, where it merged with the existing Städtisches Kunstmuseum to form the Museum Folkwang.

This merger created Germany's most important museum of contemporary art at the time, continuing Osthaus's mission to bridge art and life.

Building & Architecture

The museum's architectural history reflects its resilience and evolution. The original 1920s building was destroyed during World War II. In 1960, a new museum building was opened, designed by architects Werner Kreutzberger, Erich Hösterey, and Horst Loy, which became a celebrated example of post-war modernism with its transparent design and inner courtyards.

In 2007, an international competition was won by David Chipperfield Architects to design an extension. The new building, opened in 2010, complements the 1960 structure with six volumes and four inner courtyards, creating a unified ensemble that emphasizes openness and natural light for the artworks.

Collection Highlights & Notable Holdings

The museum's collection is vast and diverse, featuring approximately 60,000 photographs, 350,000 posters, 12,000 drawings and prints, and around 600 paintings. The photographic collection, established as an independent department in 1978 (or 1979), is considered one of the finest in Europe. The holdings include significant works by 19th-century French painters like Renoir and Gauguin, as well as German Expressionists such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Erich Heckel, and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff.

The museum also holds extensive collections of ancient and non-European art, arts and crafts, and a large number of sculptures.

Significance & Legacy

Museum Folkwang holds immense historical significance as a beacon of modern art that survived the Nazi era's 'degenerate art' campaign, during which over 1,400 works were confiscated and sold or destroyed. Its post-war reconstruction and the subsequent acquisition of new works symbolize the cultural redemption of Germany. The museum's unique approach of combining fine art with applied arts and photography set a precedent for modern museum practice.

It remains a central institution for the study of modernism, continuing the legacy of Karl Ernst Osthaus's vision to make art an integral part of everyday life.

Institutional Structure & Support

The museum is supported by the Folkwang Museumsverein e.V., an association with around 400 members, including legal entities and companies, which manages, expands, and publicizes the museum. The museum's operations are supervised by a board of trustees comprising representatives from the city of Essen, the museum association, and the Karl Ernst Osthaus Foundation. The Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation has been a key partner, funding fellowships for contemporary German photography since 1982 and financing the €55 million reconstruction and extension project completed in 2010.