Marinemalerei am Deutschen Schiffahrtsmuseum: ein Überblick über 30 Jahre Forschung

Abstract

Since the foundation of the German Maritime Museum in 1971, scientific research of German marine painting has enjoyed such high priority that marine painting in Bremerhaven has become a research focus of national and international significance. In 1979 the decision was made as to the four fields of research that would be at the focal centre of the museum's research activities in connection with the "Blue List." (The German Maritime Museum was the sixth research museum to be included on the "Blue List" - so called because it was originally on blue paper - of research institutes to be supported jointly by the federal and state governments.) At that time, the museum's supervisory board agreed to place special emphasis on the research of the "pictorial depiction of German maritime history." In the thirty years since the foundation of the museum and until the very present, the collection of paintings has been continually expanded and is now the most important of its kind in public ownership in Germany. This unique source has frequently served as a point of departure for special exhibitions which would not have been possible without the research that had been carried out previously on the life and work of the respective painters. The results of this research are documented in catalogues, monographs, essays and biographical reference book articles, and have been made accessible to the public for general information and further research. Three monographs are particularly worthy of mention due to the attempt made in them to develop syntheses. Two of these books were written by researchers on the museum staff; one summary was actively supported by the museum. With the explicit encouragement of the German federal Scientific Council, voiced on the occasion of its evaluation of the research undertaken by the German Maritime Museum in the year 2000, the efforts will be further intensified in the future.