East German poster collection art exhibits series

Access and use

Location of collection:
George Mason University
2400 Fenwick Library
Special Collections Research Center
Fenwick Library MS2FL
George Mason University
Fairfax, VA 22030
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Mieko Palazzo
Phone: (703) 993-2220
Fax: (703) 993-2669
Restrictions:

Collection is open to research.

Terms of access:

There may be restrictions on reproduction. Contact the Special Collections Research Center for more information.

Preferred citation:

East German poster collection art exhibits series, C0207, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Summary

Extent:
1820 posters
Creator:
Hill, Thomas, de Maiziere, Michael, Butzmann, Manfred, Brade, Helmut, 1937-, Bock, Karl Heinrich, 1909-1978, Biesalski, Wolfgang, Grüttner, Rudolf, 1933-, Dehlsen, Axel, Wünderlich, Sonja, Wendt, Horst, Just, Erika, Janisch, Wolfgang, Hoppe, Haus-Georg, Haufe, Jürgen, 1949-, Günther, Norbert, Jutte, H. F., Kerzig, Günter, Kitzel, Margrit, Kobe, Ronald, Lippmann, Gerd, Möhrdel, Heinz, Netzker, Dieter, Neubauer, Frank, 1952-, Pfüller, Volker, Prust, Margot, Riedel, Hubert, Sander, Herbert, Zentrum für Künstlerische Werkstätten und Bildende Kunst des Bezirkes Frankfurt, Zentrum für Kunstausstellungen der DDR, Verband Bildender Künstler der DDR, Akademie der Künste der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik, Ausstellungszentrum am Fernsehturm (Berlin, Germany), Berliner Stadtbibliothek, Galerie im Turm, Galerie Junge Kunst, Galerie Kunstsammlung Cottbus (Germany), Galerie Mitte, Galerie Treptow, Kulturbund der DDR, Kunsthalle Rostock, Staatliches Lindenau-Museum Altenburg, Germany (East). Ministerium für Kultur, Museum am Theaterplatz, Museum der Bildenden Künste (Leipzig, Germany), Staatliche Galerie Moritzburg, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Cottbus, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Germany : East), Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Potsdam-Sanssouci, Staatlicher Kunsthandel der DDR, Staatliches Museum Schwerin, and Studio Bildende Kunst Berlin
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.
Language:
German
Preferred citation:

East German poster collection art exhibits series, C0207, Special Collections Research Center, George Mason University Libraries.

Background

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.

Biographical / historical:

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.

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 Menjivar in July 2022 and October 2023.

Processing supported by a grant from the Council on Library and Information Resources.

Arrangement:

Arranged by subject and a numbering system.

Physical location:
Map Case 1.2-2.2, 17.3, 20.4, 28.2-28.3
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Art, German -- Germany (East) -- 20th century -- Exhibitions
Art, German -- Germany (East) -- 20th century -- Exhibitions
Exhibition posters -- Germany (East)
Posters
Names:
Zentrum für Künstlerische Werkstätten und Bildende Kunst des Bezirkes Frankfurt
Zentrum für Kunstausstellungen der DDR
Verband Bildender Künstler der DDR
Akademie der Künste der Deutschen Demokratischen Republik
Ausstellungszentrum am Fernsehturm (Berlin, Germany)
Berliner Stadtbibliothek
Galerie im Turm
Galerie Junge Kunst
Galerie Kunstsammlung Cottbus (Germany)
Galerie Mitte
Galerie Treptow
Kulturbund der DDR
Kunsthalle Rostock
Staatliches Lindenau-Museum Altenburg
Germany (East). Ministerium für Kultur
Museum am Theaterplatz
Museum der Bildenden Künste (Leipzig, Germany)
Staatliche Galerie Moritzburg
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Cottbus
Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Germany : East)
Staatliche Schlösser und Gärten Potsdam-Sanssouci
Staatlicher Kunsthandel der DDR
Staatliches Museum Schwerin
Studio Bildende Kunst Berlin
de Maiziere, Michael
Butzmann, Manfred
Brade, Helmut, 1937-
Bock, Karl Heinrich, 1909-1978
Biesalski, Wolfgang
Grüttner, Rudolf, 1933-
Dehlsen, Axel
Wünderlich, Sonja
Wendt, Horst
Just, Erika
Janisch, Wolfgang
Hoppe, Haus-Georg
Haufe, Jürgen, 1949-
Günther, Norbert
Jutte, H. F.
Kerzig, Günter
Kitzel, Margrit
Kobe, Ronald
Lippmann, Gerd
Möhrdel, Heinz
Netzker, Dieter
Neubauer, Frank, 1952-
Pfüller, Volker
Prust, Margot
Riedel, Hubert
Sander, Herbert
Places:
Germany (East)