Portraits of German History (working title)

In spring 2028, the exhibition “Portraits of German History” (working title) will open on the first floor of the Pei Building, covering a surface area of 560 square metres. It will focus on outstanding portraits of historical figures, featuring above all works of great intrinsic value and symbolic significance. 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 whose compelling portraits have been preserved. Encountering these portraits will open doors to history, reflecting the diversity of people living and working in Germany in the past and present, individuals across the political spectrum from right to left, victims, perpetrators, displaced persons and exiles, farmers, academics, refugees and immigrants, Protestants, Jews and Catholics, homosexuals, heterosexuals: a cross section of society.

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 to oil paintings, busts and statues. The exhibition aims to foster a deeper awareness of the significance of the people who, under diverse circumstances and in all manner of roles, have shaped the history of Germans in Germany and across the world, in both grand and intimate ways.

The exhibition is curated by Julia Voss and Christopher Clark.