- Parking spaces available
- Free admission
Märkisches Museum Witten
Museum/Exhibition | Excursions
The Märkisches Museum Witten provides an overview of developments in German art since 1900. However, the origins of the museum go back to before 1900. The "Verein für Orts- und Heimatkunde in der Grafschaft zu Witten" was founded as early as 1886. The initial aim was to establish a collection of local history exhibits. A baroque tomb acquired by the association shortly after it was founded can still be seen in the foyer of the museum today: the Strünkede group from the 16th century.
From 1909 to 1911, a museum building was erected for the collection, in which the museum is still located today. An extension for temporary exhibitions was added in the 1980s.
Address
Märkisches Museum Witten
Husemannstraße 12
58452 Witten
Telephone: +49 2302 / 5812550
Properties:
Focal points of the collection
The Witten collection makes it clear: the positions that are summarized under the term Informel are diverse. What the various movements have in common is a turn towards the abstract and a renunciation of geometric forms. Instead of focusing on what is depicted, the material, the paint and the canvas itself no longer remain as invisible as possible. The creative process takes place spontaneously - without precise conception and planning in advance. The Witten Informel collection includes works by Karl Fred Dahmen, Karl Otto Götz, Gerhard Hoehme, Fred Thieler and Emil Schumacher.
Another focus of the collection is Expressionism - paintings by Max Pechstein, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, August Macke, Gabriele Münter - and the Westfalen Expressionists, with works by Christian Rohlfs in particular representing highlights of the collection.
In addition, the museum provides insights into the development of abstraction in modernism, supplemented by exemplary works by Josef Albers and the Düsseldorf ZERO group. The collection also includes surreal tendencies from the post-war period and figurative Critical Realist painting from the 1960s and 70s.
Temporary exhibitions and good neighborly relations
The temporary exhibitions relate German and international contemporary art to the collection. For some years now, contemporary positions have increasingly been presented - for example in the "Possibilities of Painting" series - but photography, video and installation art are also brought into focus.
Today, the Märkisches Museum is managed by the city and is part of the Kulturforum Witten. In 2016, the building on Husemannstraße was extended again and now offers space for the museum and the municipal library. Visitors to the museum can enjoy a coffee in the reading café there or attend readings and other events after their visit to the museum.
Main opening times:
| Day | From | Until |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday | 12:00 | 18:00 |
| Thursday | 12:00 | 18:00 |
| Friday | 12:00 | 18:00 |
| Saturday | 12:00 | 18:00 |
| Sunday | 12:00 | 18:00 |
Directions
By public transportation: The bus stop "Saalbau" is located near the museum. Bus lines 320/375/376 and NE18 are just a few minutes' walk away. The bus stop "Husemannstraße" for the bus lines 320/375/378 and 379 is also only a 4-minute walk from the Märkisches Museum. Witten's main train station with connections to Bochum/Dortmund/Essen/Hagen, for example, is only a 10-minute walk from the museum. By car: The Märkisches Museum Witten is centrally located on the edge of the city center. If you are coming from outside the city, you can reach us via highway 43 or 44. You can use the route planner provided to easily calculate your journey to the museum in your own car. Parking: Free visitor parking is available behind the Märkisches Museum. Additional parking spaces are available in the Saalbau/Haus Witten parking lot. The museum can be reached from these in approx. 5 minutes on foot. Access is via Bergerstraße / Saalbau forecourt.