The Prussian Academy of Arts () was a state arts academy first established in 1694 by

prince-elector The prince-electors ( pl. , , ) were the members of the Electoral College of the Holy Roman Empire, which elected the Holy Roman Emperor. Usually, half of the electors were archbishops. From the 13th century onwards, a small group of prince- ...

Frederick III of

Brandenburg Brandenburg, officially the State of Brandenburg, is a States of Germany, state in northeastern Germany. Brandenburg borders Poland and the states of Berlin, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Saxony. It is the List of Ger ...

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 ...

, in personal union Duke

Frederick I of Prussia Frederick I (; 11 July 1657 – 25 February 1713), of the Hohenzollern dynasty, was (as Frederick III) List of margraves and electors of Brandenburg, Elector of Brandenburg (1688–1713) and Duke of Prussia in personal union (Brandenburg–Pr ...

, and later king in

Prussia Prussia (; ; Old Prussian: ''Prūsija'') was a Germans, German state centred on the North European Plain that originated from the 1525 secularization of the Prussia (region), Prussian part of the State of the Teutonic Order. For centuries, ...

. After the

Accademia dei Lincei The (; literally the "Academy of the Lynx-Eyed"), anglicised as the Lincean Academy, is one of the oldest and most prestigious European scientific institutions, located at the Palazzo Corsini on the Via della Lungara in Rome, Italy. Founded in ...

in Rome and the Académies Royales in Paris, the Prussian Academy of Art was the oldest institution of its kind in Europe, with a similar mission to other royal academies of that time, such as the

Real Academia Española The Royal Spanish Academy (, ; ) is Spain's official royal institution with a mission to ensure the stability of the Spanish language. It is based in Madrid, Spain, and is affiliated with national language academies in 22 other Hispanopho ...

in Madrid, the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

in London, or the

Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts The Royal Swedish Academy of Fine Arts (), commonly called the Royal Academy, is located in Stockholm, Sweden. An independent organization that promotes the development of painting, sculpture, architecture, and other fine arts, it is one of seve ...

in Stockholm. The academy had a decisive influence on art and its development in the German-speaking world throughout its existence. For an extended period of time it was also the German artists' society and training organisation, whilst the Academy's Senate became Prussia's

arts council An arts council is a government or private non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts; mainly by funding local artists, awarding prizes, and organizing arts events. They often operate at arms-length from the government to prevent pol ...

as early as 1699. It dropped 'Prussian' from its name in 1945 and was finally disbanded in 1955 after the 1954 foundation of two separate academies of art for

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 ...

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 ...

in 1954. Those two separate academies merged in 1993 to form Berlin's present-day

Academy of Arts An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...

People

Most artists were associated with the academy as members. Membership was an honorary distinction extended to prominent domestic Prussian artists (after unification, German artists) and selected foreign figures as well. A 'deliberative' body of senators was chosen from the membership – some elected, and some automatically included due to other rank. The academy was not a school, although it had associations with educational institutions, notably the state school that evolved into the present-day

Berlin University of the Arts The Universität der Künste Berlin (UdK; also known in English as the Berlin University of the Arts), situated in Berlin, Germany, is the second largest art school in Europe. It is a public art and design school, and one of the four research uni ...

Directors

Joseph Werner Joseph Werner (22 June 1637 – 21 September 1710), known as the Younger to distinguish him from his painter father of the same name, was a Swiss painter, known for miniatures. Joseph Werner the Younger became an artist of internati ...

(1695–1699) *

Samuel Theodor Gericke Samuel Theodor Gericke or Gerike (1665-1730) was a German painter. Born in Spandau in 1665, he became at first a student of Rutger van Langevelt, and later of Gedeon Romandon. In 1694 he went to Rome to get prints, books, drawings and plaster ...

(1705–1712) *

Friedrich Wilhelm Weidemann Friedrich Wilhelm Weidemann or Wiedemann (1668, Osterburg - 25 December 1750, Berlin) was a German painter. From 1702 he worked as court painter to Frederick William I, prince and later king of Prussia. He also produced portraits of several othe ...

(1718–1732 750? *

Antoine Pesne Antoine Pesne () (29 May 1683 – 5 August 1757) was a French-born court painter of Prussia. Starting in the manner of baroque, he became one of the fathers of rococo in painting. His work represents a link between the French school and the Fr ...

(1732–1757) *

Blaise Nicholas Le Sueur Blaise Nicholas Le Sueur (29 October 1714 - 19 January 1783) was a German painter and engraver of allegorical and historical subjects.

(1757–1785) *

Bernhard Rode Bernhard Rode (25 July 1725 28 June 1797) was a Kingdom of Prussia, Prussian artist and engraver well known for portraying History painting, historical scenes and allegorical works. He knew most of the central figures in the Berlin Enlightenmen ...

(1785–1797) *

Daniel Chodowiecki Daniel Niklaus Chodowiecki (16 October 1726 – 7 February 1801) was a Polish painter and printmaker with partial Huguenot ancestry, who is most famous as an etcher. He spent most of his later life in Berlin, and became the director of the Ber ...

(1797–1801) *

Johann Gottfried Schadow Johann Gottfried Schadow (20 May 1764 – 27 January 1850) was a German Prussian sculptor. His most iconic work is the chariot on top of the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin. Biography Schadow was born in Berlin, where his father was a poor tailor. ...

(1815–1850) *

Anton von Werner Anton Alexander von Werner (9 May 18434 January 1915) was a German painter and illustrator, best known for his depictions of the Franco-Prussian War and the Unification of Germany, typical of the Naturalist style. Member of the Akademie der K ...

(1875–1915) *

Franz Heinrich Schwechten Franz Heinrich Schwechten (12 August 1841 – 11 August 1924) was one of the most famous German architects of the Wilhelmine era, and contributed to the development of historicist architecture. Life Schwechten was born in Cologne, the son of ...

(1915–1918) *

Max Liebermann Max Liebermann (20 July 1847 – 8 February 1935) was a German painter and printmaker, and one of the leading proponents of Impressionism in Germany and continental Europe. In addition to his activity as an artist, he also assembled an important ...

(1920–1932) *

Max von Schillings Max von Schillings (April 19, 1868 – July 24, 1933) was a German conductor, composer and theatre director. He was chief conductor at the Berlin State Opera from 1919 to 1925. Schillings' opera ''Mona Lisa'' (1915) was internationally successfu ...

(1932–1933)

History

1694 to 1799

The academy was founded to include painters, sculptors, and architects as members, which reflected the classical

unity of the arts Unity is the state of being as one (either literally or figuratively). It may also refer to: Buildings * Unity Building, Oregon, Illinois, US; a historic building * Unity Building (Chicago), Illinois, US; a skyscraper * Unity Buildings, Liverpo ...

ideal. The scope was expanded in 1704 to include "Mechanical Sciences". The academy's first director (president) was Swiss painter

. In 1796, the Academy announced a competition for a monument in honour of

Frederick the Great Frederick II (; 24 January 171217 August 1786) was the monarch of Prussia from 1740 until his death in 1786. He was the last Hohenzollern monarch titled ''King in Prussia'', declaring himself ''King of Prussia'' after annexing Royal Prussia ...

Friedrich Gilly Friedrich David Gilly (16 February 1772 – 3 August 1800) was a German architect and the son of the architect David Gilly. His works are influenced by revolutionary architecture (''Revolutionsarchitektur''). Born in Altdamm, Pomerania, (today ...

designed a monumental temple in the style of revolutionary architecture (''Revolutionsarchitektur'') to be erected on

Leipziger Platz Leipziger Platz is an octagonal square in the center of Berlin. It is located along Leipziger Straße east of (and adjacent to) Potsdamer Platz. History Layout and original architecture The square with the shape of an octagon, initially ...

in Berlin. Today, the design is part of the collection of the

Kupferstichkabinett Berlin The Kupferstichkabinett, or Museum of Prints and Drawings, is a Print room, prints museum in Berlin, Germany. It is part of the Berlin State Museums, and is located in the Kulturforum on Potsdamer Platz. It is the largest museum of graphic art ...

. Name changes: * 1696–1704 ''Kurfürstliche Academie der Mahler-, Bildhauer- und Architectur-Kunst'' (Electoral Academy of the Arts of Painter, Sculptor and Architecture) * 1704–1790 ''Königlich-Preussische Akademie der Künste und mechanischen Wissenschaften'' (Royal Prussian Academy of the Arts and Mechanical Sciences) * 1790–1809 ''Königliche Akademie der bildenden Künste und mechanischen Wissenschaften zu Berlin'' (Royal Academy of Fine Arts and Mechanical Sciences of Berlin)

19th century

Longtime director and sculptor

served from 1815 to 1850. In 1833 the academy added a fine arts division, and a music division in 1835. Emil Fuchs studied at the Academy under

Fritz Schaper Fritz (Friedrich) Schaper (31 July 1841, Alsleben – 29 November 1919, Berlin) was a German sculptor. Life He was orphaned at an early age, and was sent to Halle (Saale), Halle to receive instruction at the Francke Foundations. After being ap ...

and

, shortly before 1891.Se
Commons category: Fritz Schaper
/ref>Quoted on Tate website:

Ronald Alley Ronald Edgar Alley (12 March 1926 – 25 April 1999) was a British art historian and curator. He was keeper of the modern collection at the Tate Gallery, London from 1965 to 1986. Ronald Alley was born in Bristol on 12 March 1926 and educated ...

, ''Catalogue of the Tate Gallery's Collection of Modern Art other than Works by British Artists'', Tate Gallery and Sotheby Parke-Bernet, London 1981, pp.227–8

Otto Geyer Karl Ludwig Otto Geyer (8 January 1843, in Charlottenburg – March 1914, in Charlottenburg) was a German sculptor. His brother was the architect, . Life and work His father, Friedrich Wilhelm Ludwig Geyer, was an Archdeacon in the Evangelical ...

studied there from 1859 to 1864. Sculptor

Wilhelm Neumann-Torborg Wilhelm Neumann-Torborg (born 24 August 1856 in Elberfeld; died 31 December 1917 in Elberfeld) was a German sculptor whose works are still well-known. Biography Wilhelm Neumann-Torborg grew up in Wuppertal, Germany, the son of a school headmast ...

studied at the academy from 1878 until 1885, under Otto Knille and

. In 1885, he won the Academy's Rome Scholarship for his thesis, "The Judgment of Paris". Anna Gerresheim studied there from 1876 for four years in the "ladies class" under

Karl Gussow Karl Gussow (25 February 1843, Havelberg – 27 March 1907, Munich) was a German painter and university professor. Life and work His early inclination to art was encouraged by his family so, as soon as he completed his secondary schooling, he wa ...

. Oskar Frenzel studied there between 1884 and 1889 under

Paul Friedrich Meyerheim Paul Friedrich Meyerheim (13 July 1842 – 14 September 1915) was a German painter and graphic artist. He did portraits and landscapes, but is best known as a painter of animals. Life Paul Friedrich Meyerheim was born in Berlin on 13 July ...

and

Eugen Bracht Eugen Felix Prosper Bracht (3 June 1842 – 5 November 1921) was a German landscape painter. Biography Bracht was born in Morges, Waadt (near Lake Geneva in Switzerland) of German parents. His family later moved to Darmstadt, Germany, where ...

. He was from 1904 until his death a member of the Academy. Painter

Friedrich Wachenhusen Adolf Friedrich Wilhelm Wachenhusen (27 May 1859 – 2 May 1925) was a German landscape artist, draftsman and etcher. The focus of his work was on the countryside of his home region, Mecklenburg. Life At the urging of his father, a Schwerin min ...

studied there in 1889 under

. Name changes: * 1790–1809 ''Königliche Akademie der bildenden Künste und mechanischen Wissenschaften zu Berlin'' (Royal Academy of Fine Arts and Mechanical Sciences of Berlin) * 1809–1875 ''Königlich Preussische Akademie der Künste'' (Royal Prussian Academy of the Arts) * 1875–1882 ''Königlich Preussische Akademie der Künste zu Berlin'' (Royal Prussian Academy of the Arts of Berlin) * 1882–1918 ''Königliche Akademie der Künste zu Berlin'' (Royal Academy of the Arts of Berlin)

20th century

In 1926 the academy added a ''Dichtkunst'' (Fine Poetry) division, a ''Dichtung'' (Poetry) division in 1932, and the German Academy of Poetry from the beginning of June 1933. From 1930 until his parting into exile in 1933, novelist

Heinrich Mann Luiz Heinrich Mann (; March 27, 1871 – March 11, 1950), best known as simply Heinrich Mann, was a German writer known for his sociopolitical novels. From 1930 until 1933, he was president of the fine poetry division of the Prussian Academy ...

was its president. Painter and sculptor Paul Wallat studied there from 1902 to 1909 under (de) (1835–1904) and Carl Saltzmann. On 29 December 1906 he received the award of the ''Ginsberg Foundation'' of the Berlin Academy. In 1920,

Käthe Kollwitz Käthe Kollwitz ( born Schmidt; 8 July 186722 April 1945) was a German artist who worked with painting, printmaking (including etching, lithography and woodcuts) and sculpture. Her most famous art cycles, including ''The Weavers'' and ''The Peasa ...

became the first woman elected to the Prussian Academy, but with the coming to power of

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

in 1933 she was expelled because of her beliefs and her art. Name changes: * 1882–1918 ''Königliche Akademie der Künste zu Berlin'' (Royal Academy of the Arts of Berlin) * 1918–1926 ''Akademie der Künste zu Berlin'' (Academy of the Arts of Berlin) * 1926–1931 ''Preußische Akademie der Künste zu Berlin'' (Prussian Academy of the Arts of Berlin) * 1931–1954 ''Preussische Akademie der Künste'' (Prussian Academy of the Arts; disbanded)