Kulturhistorisches Museum Rostock

Description

In Rostock's historic centre, the Kulturhistorische Museum offers insights into the art and urban history of the region. Its holdings document urban life, economic development and artistic production across eight centuries and occupy a prominent place in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern's cultural memory.

The museum's origins reach back to the 19th century: as early as 1841 the local art association collected the first objects. In 1858 the city, with support from the savings bank, acquired a house in the Steinstraße, and in 1859 the museum was formally founded. The initially growing collections were shown in 1885 at the Lindenhof; in 1901 the city took over the Societät building and established a museum there, which opened in 1903. After a reorganisation in 1936 further holdings were added. During the Nazi campaign "Entartete Kunst" fifteen paintings were confiscated from the collection in 1937; eight works were lost. Wartime storage in vaults, village churches (Belitz, Kavelstorf), manor houses (Tessenow, Niekrenz, Plüschow) and castles (Erdmannsdorff, Carolath) led to considerable losses. After 1945 the holdings returned to the restored building at the Steintor and the museum was able to reopen in 1946. Later the collection was moved to the Kröpeliner Tor; finally the former Kloster zum Heiligen Kreuz was gradually converted into an exhibition venue. Construction work began in 1976, partial sections were handed over in 1980 and 1984; after work resumed following 1989 the west wing, among other parts, was repaired from 1997 and the monastic church was restored.

The collections include numerous focal points: the significant national collection on Fürst Blücher von Wahlstatt; around 70 Dutch paintings from the 16th to the 19th centuries with works by, among others, Jan Brueghel the Younger, Ludolf Bakhuizen, Melchior de Hondecoeter and Salomon van Ruysdael, as well as prints, including sheets by Rembrandt. Rostock city views illustrate the transformation of the urban landscape from the early 19th to the 20th century. The Bernhard A. Böhmer collection preserves a coherent ensemble of ostracized modern art from 1937; part of it is on display and explained in the context of the cultural policy of the time. Works of the 20th century as well as sculptures by Ernst Barlach, Wilhelm Lehmbruck and Gerhard Marcks complement the presentation.

In the historic refectory (c. 1480) medieval sacred objects from former monasteries and churches are on view, including pieces from the Johanniskloster, the Kloster zum Heiligen Kreuz and the parish church of St. Nikolai. The applied arts comprise about 35,000 objects from the 16th to the early 20th century (pewter, silver, ceramics, clocks, jewellery) and display, among other items, Empire clocks and ornamental clocks made of ebony and alabaster. Toys from two centuries, including an anchor-stone building set by the Lilienthal brothers, as well as an extensive coin collection on Rostock and Mecklenburg monetary history further complement the holdings. Special exhibitions regularly supplement the permanent displays.