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Art historian Michael Zimmermann: A legacy of passion
The death of Michael F. Zimmermann, professor at the KU Eichstätt, leaves a gap in art history and art education.
Art historian Michael Zimmermann: A legacy of passion
On April 9, 2025, the renowned art historian Professor Michael F. Zimmermann died in his hometown of Münster, Westphalia. At the age of 67, he leaves behind a remarkable legacy in art history research. Zimmermann worked as a “Distinguished Professor” at the Scuola Normale Superiore in Pisa and was one of the excellent teachers in his subject.
Zimmermann gave lectures with a focus on “The representation of time in art from the Renaissance to video art”. His extensive knowledge and passion for the subject are highly valued in the scientific community. After Easter, courses were planned at the Catholic University of Eichstätt, including an introduction to art history and a seminar on “Paris as a center of art and politics since the Enlightenment”. An excursion to Paris should also be part of the program.
Academic career
Michael Zimmermann's academic career began at the University of Cologne, where he studied art history, philosophy and history. Stays abroad in Rome and Paris enriched his studies. In 1985 he received his doctorate with an excellent thesis on Georges Seurat and his influence on the art theoretical debate of his time.
After completing his doctorate, Zimmermann worked as a research assistant at the Free University of Berlin and at the German Art History Institute in Florence. In 1991 he took over the position of second director of the Central Institute for Art History in Munich. His habilitation thesis on the “industrialization of imagination” made an important contribution to current discussions in art history.
Research and publications
Michael Zimmermann produced significant research into the visual arts of the 19th and 20th centuries, particularly in relation to Impressionism. His most important publications include works dealing with 19th century art, the industrialization of imagination and the artist Lovis Corinth.
His commitment to art history led to his being nominated for a list of qualified applicants for French professorships in 2001. Zimmermann also taught as a visiting professor at the Université de Lausanne, the University of Paris X and at Williams College in Massachusetts. In 2004 he finally accepted the chair of art history at the Catholic University of Eichstätt.
Influence and legacy
Zimmermann was considered an exceptional teacher who not only equipped his students with the necessary specialist knowledge, but also ignited their passion for art. He has been a member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences since 2008 and of the Academia Europaea since 2012. In addition, in his role as Vice Dean and member of the Senate at the KU Eichstätt, he supported many initiatives, including the DFG-funded graduate school “Practicing Place”.
The Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt has expressed its dismay at the loss of Michael Zimmermann. His extraordinary commitment and scientific contributions will be remembered for a long time in the academy and beyond. As the Catholic University of Eichstätt reports, his memory will be honored at future events.
The development of new visual cultures and the industrialization of perception will continue to be a central theme in art history. Works like Zimmermann's will serve as lasting reference points to explain the challenges and changes in 19th century art. The preoccupation with topics such as naturalism, impressionism and the role of imagination in the art period of his research illustrates the topicality of his findings, as in the publications of C.H. Beck highlighted.