The Academy of Arts () is a state arts institution in

Berlin Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...

, Germany. The task of the Academy is to promote art, as well as to advise and support the

states of Germany The Federal Republic of Germany is a federation and consists of sixteen partly sovereign ''states''. Of the sixteen states, thirteen are so-called area-states ('Flächenländer'); in these, below the level of the state government, there is a ...

. The academy's predecessor organization was founded in 1696 by Elector Frederick III of Brandenburg as the Brandenburg Academy of Arts, an

academic institution An academic institution is an educational institution dedicated to education and research, which grants academic degrees. See also academy and university. Types * Primary schools – (from French ''école primaire'') institutions where childre ...

in which members could meet and discuss and share ideas. The current Academy was founded on 1 October 1993 as the re-unification of formerly separate

East East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...

and

West Berlin West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...

academies.

Membership

The academy is an incorporated body of the public right under the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany. New members are nominated by secret ballot of the general assembly, and appointed by the president with membership never to exceed 500. The academy's recent presidents include: * Adolf Muschg – (2003–2006) * Klaus Staeck – (2006–2015) * Jeanine Meerapfel – (2015–2024) * Manos Tsangaris – (2024–)

History

Beginning in the 1690s, the Prussian Academy of Arts, under various names, served as an arts council and

learned society A learned society ( ; also scholarly, intellectual, or academic society) is an organization that exists to promote an academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and sciences. Membership may be open to al ...

for the Prussian government. Founded by the Hohenzollern elector Frederick III (

King in Prussia King ''in'' Prussia (German language, German: ''König in Preußen'') was a title used by the Prussian kings (also in personal union Elector of Brandenburg, Electors of Brandenburg) from 1701 to 1772. Subsequently, they used the title King ''of' ...

from 1701), it was the third-oldest such academy in Europe. The institution was housed on No. 8 Unter den Linden, until from 1902 the site was cleared and rebuilt as seat of the Berlin State Library. The academy then moved to Pariser Platz next to Hotel Adlon, where the Palais Arnim, former residence of Prime Minister Adolf Heinrich von Arnim-Boitzenburg, was refurbished according to plans designed by Ernst von Ihne. The academy also served as a training school since its founding, and created a number of affiliated schools. The first was the Bauakademie for architectural training, founded in 1799. The academic arm was fully separated in 1931 and developed into the present-day Berlin University of the Arts (''Universität der Künste Berlin''). In 1938 the academy building was seized by Hitler's chief architect

Albert Speer Berthold Konrad Hermann Albert Speer (; ; 19 March 1905 – 1 September 1981) was a German architect who served as Reich Ministry of Armaments and War Production, Minister of Armaments and War Production in Nazi Germany during most of W ...

to evolve his '' Welthauptstadt Germania'' plans; temporarily relocated to the Kronprinzenpalais, the Prussian Academy ultimately ceased operations in 1945. In postwar divided Germany, two parallel organizations took its place. The western successor organization was called the ''Akademie der Künste'', founded in 1954 under President

Hans Scharoun Bernhard Hans Henry Scharoun (; 20 September 1893 – 25 November 1972) was a German architect best known for designing the (home to the Berlin Philharmonic) and the Schminke House in Löbau, Saxony. He was an important exponent of Organic arc ...

, which resided in the rebuilt Hansaviertel quarter of

. The eastern successor organization was founded on 24 March 1950 as the ''Deutsche Akademie der Künste'' in

East Berlin East Berlin (; ) was the partially recognised capital city, capital of East Germany (GDR) from 1949 to 1990. From 1945, it was the Allied occupation zones in Germany, Soviet occupation sector of Berlin. The American, British, and French se ...

, which became the Akademie der Künste der DDR in 1972, then the ''Akademie der Künste zu Berlin'' in 1990. Its presidents included Arnold Zweig, Ludwig Renn, Johannes R. Becher, Otto Nagel, Willi Bredel, Konrad Wolf, Manfred Wekwerth, and Heiner Müller. The two were merged on 1 October 1993 into the present-day academy, which took its seat in a new building at the former location on Pariser Platz

Estates

The Otto Dix Foundation, created by artist

Otto Dix Wilhelm Heinrich Otto Dix (; 2 December 1891 – 25 July 1969) was a German painter and Printmaking, printmaker, noted for his ruthless and harshly realistic depictions of German society during the Weimar Republic and the brutality of war. Alon ...

’s widow Martha, entrusted his estate to the academy. It includes 4,000 index cards of his works, around 300 letters to the artist, catalogues and publications that include mention of exhibitions of his work and even his paintbox containing all his equipment. It opened to the public at the academy in 2024.

Awards and honours

* Berliner Kunstpreis * Käthe Kollwitz Prize *

Heinrich Mann Prize The Heinrich Mann Prize () is an essay prize that has been awarded since 1953, first by the East German Academy of Arts, then by the Academy of Arts, Berlin. The prize, which comes with a €10,000 purse, is given annually on 27 March, Heinrich ...

* Konrad Wolf Prize * * Alfred Döblin Prize * Joana Maria Gorvin Prize * Will Lammert Prize

References

External links

* *Akademie der Künst
membership roster
{{DEFAULTSORT:Academy of Arts, Berlin Arts organizations established in 1993 1993 establishments in Germany Art museums and galleries in Berlin Arts councils Academies of arts Frederick I of Prussia