The Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz (KHI) is one of the oldest research institutions dedicated to the history of art and architecture in Italy, where facets of European, Mediterranean and global history are investigated. Founded in 1897 by a group of independent scholars, it has been under the auspices of the

Max Planck Society The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science (german: Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e. V.; abbreviated MPG) is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes. ...

since 2002. Approximately seventy scholars are currently employed at the Institute, which is run by two directors, and the promotion of international young academics is high on its internal agenda. In addition to numerous individual research projects, those funded by third parties and numerous collaborations with international universities, museums and research institutes, ''Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz'' provides a platform for larger long- and medium-term projects whose subject matter ranges from

Late Antiquity Late antiquity is the time of transition from classical antiquity to the Middle Ages, generally spanning the 3rd–7th century in Europe and adjacent areas bordering the Mediterranean Basin. The popularization of this periodization in English ha ...

to the Modern Age. The Institute's resources, including the library with over 360,000 volumes, some of which are extremely rare, over 1,070 ongoing journal subscriptions, and one of the most wide-ranging photographic libraries on Italian art, are available to researchers from all over the world, including part of the collection of

Evelyn Sandberg-Vavalà Evelyn Sandberg-Vavalà ( Evelyn May Graham Sandberg; 1888 - 8 September 1961), also known by her married name as Evelyn Kendrew, was a British art historian who studied iconography in the Italian Renaissance. She published a book on ''Italian ...

. The Institute also offers a programme of public academic events.

History of the Institute

The idea of creating an art historical research institute in

Florence Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

was first discussed within a circle of academics, connoisseurs and artists gathered around the collector Baron

Karl Eduard von Liphart Baron Karl Eduard von Liphart or Carl Eduard von Liphart (16 May 1808 – 15 February 1891) was a noted art expert and collector from Estonia. The family manor was near Dorpat (now Tartu). Life Liphart was born in Kambja Parish in the Kreis Dor ...

. In the winter semester of 1888/89, August Schmarsow, professor of art history at Breslau, taught courses at various locations in Florence. Schmarsow is considered by many to be the prime initiator of the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz.

Library

The library's books were removed by the Germans during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. After the war, many of the major collections looted from Italy were identified by the Monuments, Fine Arts and Archives service of the American military government and returned to their owners. The Collegio Rabbinico Italiano, the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz, and the

Deutsche Historische Bibliothek Rom The German Historical Institute in Rome, short DHI Rome, is the oldest of the German historical institutes abroad. Its purpose is to conduct research in the history of both Italy and Germany, and investigate particularly the German-Italian relatio ...

were all returned, although not all were intact, to their owners in Italy. "These last two collections were seized by Hitler with the idea of re-establishing them in Germany." There is a photograph in the

National Archives and Records Administration The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...

showing the unloading of some of these re-captured books. The caption reads: "The Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz, Library, is being unloaded at the

Offenbach Archival Depot The Offenbach Archival Depot was a central collecting point in the American Sector of Germany for books, manuscripts and archival materials looted, confiscated or taken by the German army or Nazi government from the occupied countries during World ...

9 July 1945. Three freight cars, 578 cases of books and catalogs of paintings, were brought from the Heilbronn salt mine in Württemburg-Baden where they were kept since brought from Italy."Pomrenze, Seymour. The records of the Offenbach Collecting Point for books and library collections are in the Ardelia Hall Collection, Boxes 250-262, OMGUS, Record Group 260, National Archives at College Park, MD.

References

External links

Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz - Max-Planck-Institutarchive

Digital Photo Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kunsthistorisches Institut In Florenz Kunsthistorisches Organizations established in 1897 Tourist attractions in Florence Libraries in Florence Education in Florence Photo archives in Italy