Georg Kolbe and National Socialism. Continuities and Breaks in Life, Work and Reception

An in-depth examination of Georg Kolbe’s artistic work and social interactions under National Socialism has long been desired. In order to do justice to this important area of research, the museum invited an external panel of experts in Autumn 2021 to examine the sculptor’s self-marketing strategies, his dealings with the art market, his public and private commissions and his participation in exhibitions between 1933 and 1945, among other topics. This research was carried out based on unrestricted access to the documentary estate, which was reunited in 2020. The results were presented at a conference in September 2022. A year later, the contributions appeared in the publication Georg Kolbe and National Socialism. Breaks and Continuities in Life, Work and Reception, published by Gebr. Mann Verlag. More information.

The conference publication is available from the museum shop, bookshops or publisher as well as free of charge as open access on the Nomos platform.

The conference and publication were realised thanks to the generous support of the Hermann Reemtsma Foundation, the Ferdinand Möller Foundation, the Ernst von Siemens Art Foundation and the Friends of the Museum.

Project leaders: Dr Julia Wallner and Dr Elisa Tamaschke