Käthe Kollwitz Museum Berlin

Collection

The museum’s art collection provides a broad overview of the artist’s oeuvre, which is presented chronologically in the permanent exhibition.

“Käthe Kollwitz is undoubtedly one of the most important women of the last centuries. Her art is one-of-a-kind and bears all the hallmarks of genius. Her language is understood by people of all tongues […].

Except for very few commissions bound to a specific time, Kollwitz’s work is of timeless rank […]. Even the work of Paula Modersohn-Becker, which was so significant for early expressionism, does not come close to Kollwitz’s importance — not even in terms of international appeal.

The wide range of her work encompasses both the great serious themes of life – suffering, hardship and death, hunger and war — as well as the absolutely joyful, light elements of life. […] This polarity within her work is far too little-known […]. It proves that she did not take up and shape that grim theme out of a general penchant for the darker spheres of life. Even her many extremely impressive self-portraits have nothing oppressive or self-tormenting about them; on the contrary, they almost burst the frame with vitality, boldness, and self-confidence. Beyond that, however, they are without exception of great beauty.”

Hans Pels-Leusden, 1967