Baumeister Archive

The Kunstmuseum Stuttgart has housed the Baumeister Archive since January 2005. It contains the estate of artist Willi Baumeister (1889-1955). The archive was compiled by his widow and daughters and is now accessible for the purposes of academic research. Several art historians were involved in producing the different catalogues dedicated to oils, drawings, gouaches, collages and prints. The archive advises on content and loans works to both comprehensive retrospective exhibitions and smaller themed presentations.
The archive is administrated in its new surroundings by Hadwig Goez. Felicitas Baumeister - as daughter of the artist especially familiar with the estate contents - fulfills a consulting role with her knowledge of and about the works and continues to produce specialist reports with the co-operation of the catalogue authors.

Willi Baumeister
While still pursuing an apprenticeship as painter and decorator, Baumeister - born in Stuttgart in 1889 - studied under Robert Poetzelberger, Gustav Igler and Adolf Hölzel at the »Königlich Württembergische Akademie« (Royal Württemberg Academy) in Stuttgart. In 1919 he designed his first set for the »Deutsche Theater Stuttgart« - his last set design appeared in 1953. From 1928 to 1933 he taught commercial art, typography and textile printing at the »Städtische Kunstgewerbeschule« (Municipal Arts College) - »Städelschule« - in Frankfurt, only to be removed from his position by the National Socialists and outlawed as a so called degenerate artist. From 1943 to 1945 he penned his book »Das Unbekannte in der Kunst« (The Unknown in Art) on the theory of art, first to be published in 1947. In 1946 he was appointed Professor of Fine Art at Stuttgart's »Akademie der Bildenden Künste« (Academy of Fine Arts). He was co-founder of the artists' association »Üecht« and the group »Zen 49« and belonged to various affiliations such as »Cercle et Carré« or the »neue werbegestalter«. Willi Baumeister died in front of his easel on 31st August 1955.

Baumeister Archive holdings at the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart
  • oils, drawings, prints and commercial typography
  • Baumeister writings: diaries, articles, notes, lectures
  • documentation: exhibition catalogues (solo and group exhibitions), writings on Willi Baumeister, programmes, invitations
  • press material: press cuttings from 1910 to the present day
  • autographs: original letters, carbon copies, copies, invoices etc.
  • photos of Willi Baumeister's works
  • biographical photographs
  • audio cassettes: interviews with Willi Baumeister, interviews with contemporaries

    • Further Information:
    www.willi-baumeister.org


    Willi Baumeister in his apartment in Stuttgart, around 1953, © Archiv Baumeister