Portraits of German History (working title)

On 7 April 2028, the exhibition “Portraits of German History” (working title) will open in the Pei Building of the Deutsches Historisches Museum, covering a surface area of 560 square metres. The exhibition will focus on outstanding portraits of historical figures, featuring above all works that possess great intrinsic value and have an emblematic impact. Both the subjects depicted and the formats will be as diverse as possible. Princes, statesmen and stateswomen, key figures from industry, business, science , sport, culture, etc. will be represented, but also lesser known individuals, if compelling portraits of them have been preserved. An encounter with these portraits will open doors to history, reflecting the diversity of people living and working in Germany in past and present, individuals across the political spectrum from right to left, victims, perpetrators, displaced persons and expatriates, farmers, academics, refugees and immigrants, Protestants, Jews and Catholics, homosexuals, etc. 

The portraits in the DHM’s extensive collections form the foundation: the museum’s own holdings offer numerous outstanding portraits in their great diversity, drawn from the museum’s long history of collecting and now on display in their opulence for the first time. Moreover, the exhibition will be expanded and complemented by works from other collections and museums. The principle of diversity also applies to formats and media. A variety of genres will be brought together, ranging from video installations and caricatures, holograms, photographs, drawings, medals, coins, banknotes and stamps, and on to oil paintings, busts and statues. The exhibition aims to foster a deeper awareness of the significance of the people living in Germany who, under diverse circumstances and in all manner of roles, have shaped German history in both grand and intimate ways.

The exhibition is curated by Julia Voss and Christopher Clark.