Der Kölnische Kunstverein im Nationalsozialismus - Struktur und Entwicklung einer Kunstinstitution in der kulturpolitischen Landschaft des 'Dritten Reichs'
The Kölnische Kunstverein ( Cologne Art Association) was founded in 1839. In its long history, the association developed into one of the most important and nationally recognised cultural institutions of Cologne. In the years from 1933 to 1945 the Kölnische Kunstverein underwent drastic changes. During the preparations for the 150 anniversary of the association in 1989, source material from the time of national socialism believed to have been lost so far was found. That was the occasion for presenting those and numerous other newly-discovered documents of that period in this thesis in the form of a comprising archive. Starting from here as well as referring to as little secondary literature as there is in Cologne on the topic of culture during national socialism, for the first time a comprising reconstruction of the events in the Kölnische Kunstverein from 1933 to 1945 was carried out. The course and the change of internal structures expose numerous external influences on the life of the association by various institutions. Especially with the statutes and in the area of exhibitions, the association was forced to make concessions. The prescribed new arrangements in the statute permanently show the patronisation by the state. Several changes were necessary in order to obtain the final layout in 1942 only. The over 700 exhibitions organised by the association between 1933 and 1945 were arranged by itself. Many were also staged by other institutions, e.g. by the town, the Gau, the Reich or by the party or by organisations close to the party. Thus different political and cultural-political ideas were entered into the association to which it reacted with its own exhibition programme. Despite numerous influences the Kölnische Kunstverein succeeded in pursuing its own cultural politics. With its most important instrument – namely the exhibition – it took an independent position with regard to the local, regional and national art scene. The various activities of the other institutions of Cologne that were busy in the ...
