East German poster collection art exhibits series
Scope and Content
This series contains posters relating to art exhibits, individual artists, art galleries, and museums from the Deutsche Demokratische Republik. The series contains 1820 posters of various sizes. The posters range in size from 68 x 97 cm to 29 x 40 cm. The average poster size is 57 x 81 cm.
Artists depicted in portraits or photographs in this series include Thomas Münster, Johannes Becher, Bruno Bernitz, Joseph Beuys, Leonhard Frank, Wolfgang Frankenstein, Caspar Friedrich, Paul Holz, Otta Pankok, Karl Schinkel, and Heinrich Zille. Other notable figures depicted in portraits are Adolf Hitler, Albert Einstein, and Marilyn Monroe. Most of the posters in the series are for art exhibitions held in East Germany at galleries and museums. They may contain the artists, date, venue information and visual images of the art. Also in this series are art posters from the DDR collection of “Best Posters of the Year” for particular years.
In addition to art exhibits, the series features collections of posters by four individual artists encompassing a range of subjects: Bolker Phuller, Manfred Batzman, Wolfgang Janish, and Hubert Riedel. Many of these posters are signed by the artist. In all other posters, the designing artist and the print year are documented unless neither are available.
The range of artistic styles depicted in the series is broad, with examples of social realism, abstract art, surrealism, folk art, and neo-expressionism.
Dates
- 1955-1994
Creator
- Hill, Thomas (Collector, Person)
Access Restrictions
Collection is open to research.
Use Restrictions
There may be restrictions on reproduction - SCRC staff will evaluate on a case by case basis.
Historical Information
Following the formation of the Deutsche Demokratische Republik (DDR) under the governance of the Sozialistische Einheitspartei Deutschlands (SED), art was widely censored. This lasted throughout the existence of the DDR from 1949 to 1990.
In the art community, all public venues were subject to censorship. Posters and advertisements for any event, as well as all art itself, were to be submitted to government officials for review and approval. The content of the art was judged on its adherence to the communist ideologies of the SED. Criticism of the communist party and its current regimes were not tolerated by the officials and was often censored. Also, any art that portrayed a sympathetic view of capitalism was not allowed. Other topics that were subject to censorship were homosexuality, pornography, violence, and alcoholism.
In addition to reviewing content, the DDR censored forms that were not viewed as proper art. This ranged from free verse poetry to avant-garde and abstract art. Artists could be sent warnings for art not fitting into these standards, and subsequent penalties included public bannings, arrest, and deportation.
During the declining years of the GDR, from the early 1980s to 1990, this censorship lessened as the control of the East German population began to loosen from the grips of the SED.
Extent
1820 posters
Language of Materials
German
Abstract
This series contains posters relating to art exhibits, individual artists, art galleries, and museums from the Deutsche Demokratische Republik. The series contains 1820 posters of various sizes. The posters range in size from 68 x 97 cm to 29 x 40 cm. The average poster size is 57 x 81 cm.
Arrangement
Arranged by subject and a numbering system.
Acquisition Information
Purchased from Thomas Hill in 2009.
Processing Information
Processed by Matthew Salyers in 2011. EAD markup completed by Matthew Salyers in 2011. Finding aid updated by Amanda Brent in July 2022.
Processing supported by a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.
- Art, German -- Germany (East) -- 20th century -- Exhibitions Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Art, German -- Germany (East) -- 20th century -- Exhibitions Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Exhibition posters -- Germany (East) Subject Source: TGM II, Genre and physical characteristic terms
Source
- de Maiziere, Michael (Artist, Person)
- Butzmann, Manfred (Artist, Person)
- Brade, Helmut, 1937- (Artist, Person)
- Bock, Karl Heinrich, 1909-1978 (Artist, Person)
- Biesalski, Wolfgang (Artist, Person)
- Grüttner, Rudolf, 1933- (Artist, Person)
- Dehlsen, Axel (Artist, Person)
- Just, Erika (Artist, Person)
- Janisch, Wolfgang (Artist, Person)
- Hoppe, Haus-Georg (Artist, Person)
- Haufe, Jürgen, 1949- (Artist, Person)
- Günther, Norbert (Artist, Person)
- Jutte, H. F. (Artist, Person)
- Kerzig, Günter (Artist, Person)
- Kitzel, Margrit (Artist, Person)
- Kobe, Ronald (Artist, Person)
- Lippmann, Gerd (Artist, Person)
- Neubauer, Frank, 1952- (Artist, Person)
- Pfüller, Volker (Artist, Person)
- Riedel, Hubert (Artist, Person)
- Sander, Herbert (Artist, Person)
- Zentrum für Kunstausstellungen der DDR (Organization)
- Verband Bildender Künstler der DDR (Organization)
- Akademie der Künste der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik (Organization)
- Ausstellungszentrum am Fernsehturm (Berlin, Germany) (Organization)
- Berliner Stadtbibliothek (Organization)
- Galerie im Turm (Organization)
- Galerie Junge Kunst (Organization)
- Galerie Kunstsammlung Cottbus (Germany) (Organization)
- Galerie Mitte (Organization)
- Galerie Treptow (Organization)
- Kulturbund der DDR (Organization)
- Kunsthalle Rostock (Organization)
- Staatliches Lindenau-Museum Altenburg (Organization)
- Germany (East). Ministerium für Kultur (Organization)
- Museum der Bildenden Künste (Leipzig, Germany) (Organization)
- Staatliche Galerie Moritzburg (Organization)
- Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Cottbus (Organization)
- Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden (Organization)
- Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Germany : East) (Organization)
- Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Potsdam-Sanssouci (Organization)
- Staatlicher Kunsthandel der DDR (Organization)
- Staatliches Museum Schwerin (Organization)
- Title
- East German poster collection art exhibitions series
- Subtitle
- Guide to East German poster collection art exhibitions series
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Jordan Patty
- Date
- March 12, 2012
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- English
- Sponsor
- Funded in part by a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources
Repository Details
Part of the George Mason University. Libraries. Special Collections Research Center Repository
Fenwick Library, MS2FL
4400 University Dr.
Fairfax Virginia 22030 United States
703-993-2220
703-993-8911 (Fax)
speccoll@gmu.edu
