SPECIAL THEME: FINEST ART AND CULTURE: Discovering the arts in Germany

Germany has much more to offer than just beer, pretzels and famous football teams. It is a paradise for artists as well as art lovers. Paintings, architecture, literature, music or design – the country’s art scene combines different backgrounds and cultural influences. The cities of Germany are home to numerous museums, galleries and theatres showcasing fine art and culture.

The country represents so many different cultures and influences that typical German art does not really exist. Germany is characterised by German, Swiss, Austrian and Italian influences and by the people coming from all over the world who found a home here. This makes it a paradise for art lovers because various personalities and customs come together here, interact and create something new. German cities are birthplaces and places of activity to numerous artists whose works can still be found here such as Richter, Klee and Dürer. Furthermore, the literature and film scene has become more and more international and German documentaries are regular contributions at festivals like Cannes and Berlin.

German artists have always been important for the story and history of European art, especially in the Expressionism and Modern Art movements. One of the most famous art collectives was the Blaue Reiter, or ‘blue rider’ – an Expressionist group of artists that was founded in Munich in 1911 by Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc as an abstract counterpart to Die Brücke’s figurative art style.

Today, the art history keeps on getting written with talented artists and modern artworks popping up all over Germany. Furthermore, that Germany is a country of collectors can be seen in the vast amount of museums, galleries, auctions and fairs. If you’re interested in art, you should definitely not miss Berlin’s Museum Island, where five museums can be found, as well as Munich’s Pinakothek, where you can see Leonardo da Vinci’s Madonna of the Carnation, amongst many other impressive works. Or, if you are a fan of pop art and Picasso, you can head to Museum Ludwig in Cologne.

In the following special theme, we take a look at some of the country’s finest art and culture institutions.