Experience art history in a new way: exhibition for the anniversary in Frankfurt!

Experience art history in a new way: exhibition for the anniversary in Frankfurt!

The Art History Seminar at the Goethe University Frankfurt is celebrating its 110th anniversary this year. The opening of the seminar took place on April 5, 1916 at the Städel Art Institute, after teaching began a year earlier. For the institute, the period between the world wars was characterized by euphoria, financial deprivation and layoffs that took place after the National Socialists came to power. This political turmoil almost led to the closure of the institute, while war damage had a major impact on the collection of teaching materials.

In order to honor the history of the institute and illustrate the relevance of the scientific work, the exhibition "Unboxing (Art-)History. A subject and its (image) media" will be presented in the Schopenhauer Studio of the Frankfurt University Library from June 26th to August 31st, 2025. This exhibition shows exhibits that illustrate the development of art history in Frankfurt and represent fundamental aspects of scientific work.

The exhibition and its exhibits

“Unboxing (Art-)History” is based on a box from the estate of Rudolf Kautzsch, the institute’s first full professor. This box contains around 800 photographs, including 60 works by Albert Renger-Patzsch. The exhibition also shows artifacts such as books, portfolios, glass slides, photographs, handwritten notes and technical devices that trace the beginnings of art history in Frankfurt. In this selection, the responsible curator Thomas Helbig from Goethe University reflects the changes in tools, methods and approaches in art studies.

The results of courses that have been held since the summer semester of 2024 were essential for the development of the exhibition. The students actively participated in the preparation of the content in order to make the social and academic relevance of the topics visible. Among other things, the dissertation of Ottilie Rady and the biography of Erna Auerbach, which are central figures in the history of the institute, are examined.

Vernissage and opening times

The opening will take place on June 26, 2025 at 7 p.m. in the foyer of the Central Library, Freimannplatz 1 in Frankfurt. The exhibition can be seen until August 31, 2025. Visitors can visit the exhibition free of charge Tuesday to Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The exhibition remains closed on Mondays.

In addition, the history of the institute is documented on a specially created website. This project is supported by the Goethe University Writing Center, the Association of Friends and Supporters of the University and the Benvenuto Cellini Society. This comprehensive presentation of the institute's development aims not only to illuminate the historical aspects, but also to show the current perspectives of art history.

In a broader context, attention is drawn to developments in the field of art and visual studies, with particular reference to the Munich Memorandum 2024, which was published on the publication platform ART-Dok. This platform, provided by the Heidelberg University Library, makes it possible to permanently archive and cite important documents in electronic form and in accordance with the principles of open access.