Finding aid for the DDR Collections, 1928-1993 940002
Special Collections
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Los Angeles 90049-1688
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Contributing Institution:
Special Collections
Title: DDR collections
Identifier/Call Number: 940002
Physical Description:
circa 160 Linear Feet
(325 boxes, 15 ** folders, 1** roll)
Date (inclusive): 1928-1993
Date (bulk): 1950-1993
Abstract: The DDR collections, assembled from individual artists' and scholars' papers, chronicle the evolution of a national cultural
policy in East German visual arts, art history, and architecture, through forty years of German Socialism. Well represented
are the activities of the Union of Visual Artists (Verband Bildender Künstler, or VBK), the organization of its congresses
and art exhibitions, and the editorial agendas of its journal Bildende Kunst. Also represented is the creation of a socialist
history of German art, with a corresponding curriculum. Lastly, the collection documents activities of the Central Working
Group for Architecture and Visual Arts (ZAG/AbK), whose responsibilities included architectural and urban policy. The DDR
collections contain scant testimony of East Germany's alternative culture, prominent in the 1989 uprising. Rather the documents
reflect official culture and the use of art as a medium for domestic propaganda.
Physical Location: Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the
catalog record for this collection. Click here for the
access policy .
Language of Material:
German
.
Open for use by qualified researchers.
DDR Collections, 1928-1993, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 940002. http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa940002
Scope and Content of Collection
The DDR Collections, assembled from individual artists and scholars papers, chronicle the evolution of a national cultural
policy through forty years of German Socialism, 1945-1994. The bulk of the papers date from 1978-1990. Documents painstakingly
record administrative dialogues in East German visual arts, art history, and architecture from the perspective of the Party
intellectual elite. Well represented are the activities of the Union of Visual Artists (VBK), the editorial agendas of the
journal Bildende Kunst, and the organization of its congresses and art exhibitions. The VBK fostered member artists through
government stipends and commissions. Union congresses, intended to proliferate a unified Socialist policy, became instead
a forum of cultural debate leading to the rejection of an ideological aesthetic. Equally represented is the creation of a
Socialist History of German Art with a corresponding curriculum and educational textbooks. Lastly, the collection documents
activities of the Central Working Group for Architecture and Visual Arts (ZAG/AbK), whose responsibilities included architectural
and urban policy, the integration of building and the arts, and the organization of housing exhibitions.
The DDR Collections include scant testimony of East Germany's "alternative culture" (Alternativekultur) or the "culture of
resistance" (Kultur des Widerstands) well-known in the West and prominent in the 1989 uprising. Rather, documents reflect
the "official culture," the endeavor to unify and direct an artist community, and the use of art as a medium for domestic
propaganda. Although the collection includes formerly confidential administrative documentation, it lacks evidence of the
internal political workings and authoritarian character of the Communist Party (SED).
The collection encompasses a broad assortment of cultural topics. It records art criticism, history, industrial design, architecture
and art production through the activities of arts organizations, artists and scholars and students.. Well represented are
the administrative documents of the Union of Visual Arts (VBK), its congresses, the editorial direction of its journal, Bildende
Kunst, and its newsletter, the VBK Mitteilungen. Union documents carefully record the national art exhibitions (Deutsche Kunstausstellungen),
regional exhibitions (Bezirkskunstaustellungen), membership statutes, and its subcommittees for the fine arts and art history.
The collection documents the various institutions and governmental bodies that contributed to art policy including: the Kulturbund,
Ministry for Culture, Institut für Kulturförsh, Institute for Social Sciences (ZK/SED), Academy of Arts, and DDR Kulturfond.
In this context, major cultural debates and controversies were framed: beginning with the Bitterfeld Conferences; the definition
of Socialist Kultur-Erbe, the Erbe Streit; the Socialist Realism debates, the definition of Socialist art history and art
curriculum; the Wolf Biermann controversy, and Die Wende. Similarly, this collection includes administrative documents from
the Union of German Architects (BDA), its journal, Deutsche Architektur, and from a broad array of government organizations
that defined architectural policy: Deutsche Bauakademie, Ministerium für Aufb, Ministerium für Bauwesen, ZAG Architektur und
Bildendende Kunst, and BAG Umweltgestaltung. In this material are detailed discussions concerning urban reconstruction, the
architectural exhibitions of Architektur-bezogene Kunst, and prominent commissions, such as the Palast der Republik and Berlin-Marzahn.
The DDR Collection includes disparate materials: the lavish color prints of Werner Tübke's Bauernkreig Panorama and Duisberger
Akzente, to the lecture transcripts of the annual Wiepersdorf Seminars. Exhibition ephemera documents activities of contemporary
art galleries and museums such as: Eigen+Art, Leipzig, Galerie Mitte, Dresden, Galerie Moritzburg, Halle, and Galerie Oben,
Karl-Marx-Stadt. In several series large groups of photographs illustrate the national art exhibitions, the work of individual
artists, projects for Architektur & Bildende Kunst, and the reconstruction of DDR urban centers. Still other series include
images by the photographers Kurt Buchwald, Harald Kirschner, and the Zentral Aufnahme Fotografie.
Contact
Library Reproductions and Permissions .
The DDR Collections were acquired in 1994 in three separate acquisitions: DDR Artist Questionnaires (940030), DDR I: Documents
Collections (940002, *, **), and DDR II: Documents Collections (940007). These groups of papers were assembled in Berlin by
a dealer immediately following the collapse of the Berlin Wall in November, 1989. The dealer arranged the papers thematically
or according to artistic medium: i.e., painting, sculpture, photography and architecture.
The three acquisitions were combined in the DDR Collections (940002, *, **) and their research value augmented by the acquisition
of East German artist books, posters and library collections which are now in the Getty Research Library. Most of the publications
that came with the archive have been separated from the collection and can be found in the Library through a provenance search
on the online catalog.
Scott Wolf processed, arranged and described the DDR Collections during 1995-97. Manuscript materials were re-arranged to
reflect their provenance or thematic unity and every effort was made to preserve original groupings and classifications.
In general, East German paper products are fragile and highly acidic. Most of the collection preserves the lingering effect
of prolonged exposure to brown coal smoke.
sw 6/97; jg 12/97
Finding aid encoded in 2021 by Sarah Mackenzie Wade.
Index of Corporate Names and Abbreviations
(AdK) Akademie der Künste der DDR
(AICA) Association Internationale des Critiques d'Art
(BdA)
Bund der Deutschen Architekten (Union of German Architects)
(BK)
Bildende Kunst (
VBK art journal)
(BKK) Bereich Kommerzial Koperation (Foreign Investment Corporation)
(DEFA) Deutsche Film Allgemein (German Film Industry)
(DKA)
Deutsche Kunstaustellung, Dresden
(National Art Exhibitions, Dresden):
I. 1945
III. 1952-1953
IV. 1957-1958
V. 1962-1963
VI. 1967-1968
VII. 1972-1973
VIII. 1977-1978
IX. 1982-1983
X. 1987-1988
XI. (planned for 1992-1993 but never executed)
(DKB)
Deutsche Kulturbund (German Cultural Union)
(FDJ) Freie Deutsche Jungend (Communist Party Youth Movement)
(FDGB) Freie Deutsche Gewerkschaftsbund (Official Labor Union)
(Humboldt Universität) Humboldt University
(KgI)
Kunstgeschichtliche Institut der Humboldt-Univeristät (Art History Institute)
(AAK)
Abteilung für Ästhetik und Kunstwissenschaft (Department for Aesthetics and Art History)
(FR)
Forschungsrichtung (Field of Research)
(KB) Kulturbund der DDR (National Culture Union)
(KHB) Kunsthochschule, Berlin (Technical College of Art)
(KPdSU) Kommunistische Partie der Soviet Union (Communist Party, Soviet Union)
(LVZ) Leipziger Volkszeitung (Leipzig Newspaper)
(MfB)
Ministerium für Bauwesen (Ministry for Architecture)
(MHF)
Ministerium für Hoch-und Fachschulwesen (Ministry for Education)
(MHF/AG)
Arbeitsgruppe (Working group)
(MHF/AGK)
Arbeitsgemeinschaft Kunstwissenschaft (Working Group for Art History)
(PdR)
Palast der Republik (DDR House of Parliment)
1945 Berlin is occupied and placed under the administrative control of the "four powers;" foundation of the (
ZK/KPD) and (
FDGB); and I. Congress of the "Cultural Union for the Democratic Renewal of Germany," Berlin.
1946 Formation of the (
SED) and organization of the I. National Art Exhibition, Dresden (
DKA).
1947 Initiation of the Marshal Plan; First National Congress of the "Cultural Union for the Democratic Renewal of Germany,"
Berlin; first edition of the journal
Bildende Kunst.
1948 National currency reform; first
SED Kulturtagung; Formation of the German Union of Visual Artists (
VBKD); Walter Ulbricht announces the first "2 Year Plan" at the
SED writers and artists convention.
1949 Foundation of the
BRD and
DDR; initiation of Ulbricht's "2 Year Plan" (1949-1950); reopening of the National Gallery, Berlin; and II. National Congress
of the "Cultural Union for the Democratic Renewal of Germany," Berlin.
1950 First Congress of the German Union of Visual Artists (
VBKD); first
DDR cultural policy directives; and re-establishment of the German Academy of Arts.
1951 III. National Congress of the "Cultural Union for the Democratic Renewal of Germany," Berlin; foundation of the State
Commission for
Kunstangelegenheiten;
SED/ZK Tagung and directive "The Battle Against Formalism in Art and Literature."
1952 II.
VBKD Congress; Foundation of the German Union Architects (BDA) and the journal
Deutsche Architektur.
1953 Politburo of the
ZK/SED directive "Concerning the Improvement of Literary Criticism;" and
ZK/SED Plenum on "The New Political Course in the Cultural Sector;" III. DKA, Dresden.
1954 Foundation of the
DDR Ministry for Culture.
1955 III.
VBKD Congress, Berlin; II.
BDA Congress, Berlin.
1956 The Hungarian Uprising;
SED Conference for the Development of Socialist Culture in the
DDR; Reopening of the Semper Gallery, Dresden.
1957 Politburo of the
ZK/SED Tagung and establish the Committee for Questions of Culture; III.
BDA Congress.
1958 IV.
DKA, Dresden; I. International Art Exhibition of Socialist Countries, Moscow.
1959 I. Bitterfeld Conference; endowment of the
DDR Art Prize; IV.
VBKD Congress, Leipzig; Foundation of the
VBK Section for Art History.
1960 I. Seminar of the
VBK Section for Art History; Contemporary Soviet Art Exhibition, Dresden; joint conference of the
ZK/SED, Ministry for Culture, and German Cultural Union.
1961 Construction of the Berlin Wall; Walter Ulbricht's lecture to Leipzig artists; IV.
BKA Congress.
1962 II. Seminar of the
VBK Section for Art History; International Conference for the History of Socialist Literature in Germany, Leipzig; V.
VBKD Congress; V.
DKA, Dresden.
1964 II. Bitterfeld Conference; VI.
VBKD Congress.
1965 International Graphic Arts Exhibition (
Intergrafik 65) Berlin; Walter Ulbricht's lecture, "Humanism und Realism";
Arbeitstagung ZV/VBKD for the Synthese of Architecture and Visual Art.
1966 Peter Feist's article, "Principles of Marxist Art History."
1967 International Graphic Arts Exhibition (
Intergrafik 67) Berlin; founding of the Central Working Group for Architecture and Visual Arts (
ZAG/AbK); and VI.
DKA, Dresden.
1968 Prague Spring;
ZAG/AbK Architectural Conference, Berlin.
1970 VI.
VBKD Congress, Berlin; the international exhibition, "
Im Geiste Lenins"; Seminar of the ZSL Art History, Wiepersdorf.
1971
ZAG/AbK Seminar; VI.
BdA Congress, Berlin; Seminar of the ZSL Art History, Wiepersdorf; International Graphic Arts Exhibition, (
Intergrafik 70).
1972 VIII.
SED Party Congress, and 6. ZK Conference for questions of cultural policy; Seminar of the ZSL Art History, Wiepersdorf;
ZAG/AbK Seminar, Karl-Marx-Stadt; VII.
DKA, Dresden; VI. Congress of the
VBK-DDR.
1974 Commencement of the Socialist Constitution, 10/7/1974.
1976 Opening of the new House of Parliament (
Palast der Republik).
1977 Directives of the Politburo
ZK/SED concerning the political-ideological direction of cultural life; VIII.
DKA, Dresden.
1980
ZK/SED Building Conference, Berlin; International Graphic Arts Exhibition (
Intergrafik 80); Plenum conference on "Art and National Consciousness" in the Academy of Arts, Berlin.
1982 IX.
DKA, Dresden; VIII.
BdA Congress; Politburo ZK/SED directives "Principles for the Socialist Development of Urban Architecture in the DDR."
1985 Opening of the Semper Opera House, Dresden; VIII. Building Conference of the
ZK/SED; International Congress of Architecture and Urbanism, Dessau.
1987 The reopening of the National Gallery, Berlin; first exhibition of contemporary
DDR art in West Germany (
Duisberger Akzente); IX.
BdA Congress; X. DKA, Dresden; and cultural festival, "750th Anniversary of Berlin."
1989 Political demonstrations (
Der Aufbruch) lead by artists and religious leaders (Bärbel Bohleys, Manfred Butzmann, Wolfgang Mattheuers); the collapse of the Berlin
Wall and the initiation of cultural-political reforms (
Die Wende).
1990 Dissolution of the
VBK; Reunification of Germany, October 2, 1990.
Works consulted include: Ullrich Kuhirt,
Kunst in der DDR 1945-1959 (Leipzig: Seemann, 1982); Ullrich Kuhirt,
Kunst in der DDR 1960-1980 (Leipzig: Seemann, 1983);
Unsere Kultur: DDR-Zeittafel, 1945-1987, her. Akademie für Gesellschafts-wissenschaften beim ZK der SED (Berlin: Dietz, 1989); and
Kunst in der DDR, her. Gillen und Haarmann (Berlin: Verlag Kiepenheuer, 1990).
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Architectural drawings (visual works)
Clippings (information artifacts).
Photographic prints
Photographs, Original.
Art, German -- 20th century
Communist aesthetics
Socialism and art -- Germany (East)
Socialism and art -- Germany (East) -- Exhibitions
Germany (East) -- Cultural policy
Germany (East) -- Intellectual life
Germany -- History -- 1945-1990
Barsch, Barbara
Graffunder, Heinz
Muschter, Gabriele
Lang, Lothar
Pape, Ruth
Raum, Hermann
Bartke, Eberhard
Verband Bildender Künstler der DDR
