The Museum's story

1925
Start of construction on Kaffee Worpswede

1927
Completion and opening (June 3) of the Große Kunstschau Worpswede, designed by Bernhard Hoetger, with the first exhibition of the Worpswede artists’ association “Wirtschaftliche Vereinigung Worpsweder Künstler”. Museum director: Martin Goldyga (1894-1956)

1929-1945
Martin Goldyga serves as general director of the Große Kunstschau for the firm Kaffee Worpswede GmbH.

1934
Jubilee exhibition in the Große Kunstschau celebrating 50 years of the artists’ colony.

1936
The artists’ association “Wirtschaftliche Vereinigung Worpsweder Künstler” is disbanded.

1938
Exhibition for the Low German Painting Festival. Martin Goldyga is banned from the exhibition due to his political views.

1945
Re-opening of the Große Kunstschau on August 12 by degree of the American occupation forces.

1946
Martin Goldyga leases the Große Kunstschau from Kaffee Worpswede GmbH.

1949
The exhibition “60 years of Worpswede” is held in the Große Kunstschau, the Worpsweder Kunsthalle, the Philine Vogeler Gallery and in the gallery “Die Insel”.

1955
The first post-war Federal German Exhibition features the works of Heinrich Vogeler in the Große Kunstschau Worpswede. His works from the Soviet Union are shown for the first time.

1956 
Martin Goldyga dies on 3 March 1956 in Worpswede and is laid in state in the Große Kunstschau.

1956-1989
Ursula Köhler, née Goldyga (born in 1924), is general director of the firm Große Kunstschau für die Böttcherstrasse GmbH in Bremen.

1963
The painting “Sommerabend” (Summer Evening) by Heinrich Vogeler joins the permanent collection of the Große Kunstschau.

1971
The new building of the Ludwig Roselius Museum for Pre-History and Early History (by architect Prof. Gerhard Müller-Menckens) is completed and inaugurated by the German president Gustav Heinemann on 22 June 1971.

1971
Hoetger’s picture frames are removed from the paintings of the founding generation and those of Paula Modersohn-Becker as they are no longer considered representative of contemporary taste.

1979
The Osterholz administrative district establishes a graphothek in the former Logierhaus.

1980 
The Osterholz administrative district purchases the Hoetger architectural ensemble of Kaffee Worpswede and Große Kunstschau.

1981-1999
Christel Geertz leases the Große Kunstschau from the Osterholz administrative district.

1986
Purchase of 32 pictures from the Roselius collection for the Große Kunstschau with the support of the Federal Republic of Germany, the state of Lower Saxony, the administrative district of Osterholz and the Lower Saxony Sparkassenstiftung. From now on the collection remains in Worpswede on permanent loan.

1989
Centennial celebration of Worpswede as an artists’ village. Retrospective exhibition of the Worpswede art workshop in the Roselius Museum and in the Große Kunstschau. Special exhibitions are now presented on a regular basis.

1994
Exhibition of works from the Hermitage in St. Petersburg and the Große Kunstschau Worpswede.

1999
The “Kulturstiftung Landkreis Osterholz” is founded. This cultural foundation assumes from the Osterholz administrative district all rights and obligations for the “Große Kunstschau”.

2002
The exhibition 75 years of the Große Kunstschau in Worpswede – Looking back at 1927.

2003
Renovation of Kaffee Worpswede.

2004
The Ludwig Roselius Museum for Pre-History and Early History closes. The owners of the collection transfer it to the State Museum of Schleswig-Holstein at Gottorf Palace. In December the Große Kunstschau is closed due to disrepair.

2005
Starting in March, the pictures from the founding members of the artists’ colony are shown in the former Roselius Museum.

2006
The Artothek is closed for renovation.

2007
Start of renovation work at the Große Kunstschau. Restoration of the building’s original colour scheme. Opening of the new administrative office in the former Logierhaus.

2008
Re-opening of the refurbished and restored Große Kunstschau in February. Pictures from the founders of the artists’ colony are shown in its historical part. Works by Bernhard Hoetger are on display in the former foyer.
The overall complex with its buildings dating from 1927 and 1970 are given the common name “Große Kunstschau Worpswede”.

2011
Re-opening of the newly renovated and enlarged former Roselius Museum as a location for contemporary and modern art.

Ensemble with cafeteria Worpswede and new Great Art Show
Entrance to the Great Art Exhibition around 1930
Rotunda after the renovation
Rotunda with retracted partition around 1930
Empty rotunda after the renovation
View of the rotunda around 1930
Förderer Worpsweder Museumsverbund e. V.