Citizien Science campaign for the Bruckmann publishing house

For a long time, the archive of Munich’s Bruckmann Verlag was thought to have been lost. However, when the Bruckmann site on Nymphenburger Straße was cleared, it reappeared. While the documents ended up in the Bavarian Main State Archive, around 150,000 photographic objects, most of which were annotated or retouched, were handed over to the Central Institute for Art History (ZI) in Munich in 2016. Following a review of the archive material by project manager Franziska Lampe, the ZI is now asking for the help of (Munich) citizens in reappraising the history of the archive.

Bruckmann Verlag was founded in 1858 and was an important organ of the then still young art historiography. It was an important employer in the city and thus provided jobs for many people. The ZI now addresses this group of people in particular. In order to trace the history of the archive, the publishing house and its working methods, diary entries, documents, oral histories and photographs are being sought. The focus is on (eyewitness) accounts that have not been handed down in history books or archives. All information from people such as apprentices, photographers, printers, retouchers and art historians is of interest, as project manager Lampe emphasizes. The aim is to find out more about the people who worked for the publishing house. Although the Bruckmann Verlag archive also provides information on this, giving visitors an insight into the workshop rooms and working methods, there is still little information available on the stories behind them.

Bruckmann Verlag played an important role in the art city of Munich, publishing magazines such as “Die Kunst für Alle”. Museum catalogs and reproductions of artworks for everyone and every budget were also part of the range. The publishing house also shaped the science of art history and its popularization. Important art historians such as Heinrich Wölfflin with his book “Kunstgeschichtliche Grundbegriffe” published their work there. Many researchers from subsequent generations asked about the archive, but it was not accessible to the public. Fortunately, this is now changing: the Bruckmann Verlag archive can be viewed and used by anyone interested. It offers researchers the unique opportunity to gain insights into the working methods of the publishing house with a wide range of participants, such as art historians.

However, the history of the publishing house also includes the period of National Socialism to a significant degree. The publishing house cooperated with the National Socialists at a very early stage and introduced Adolf Hitler to Munich society in the 1920s, for example. The publishing house not only supported the movement, but was also heavily involved in the regime’s propaganda apparatus. Art and art history and their perception played an important role for the National Socialists and Bruckmann Verlag was very active in this area with its expertise. It is clear to see that they followed the fascist-national socialist line. The exhibition catalogs for the “Great German Art Exhibition” held in Munich at the Haus der Kunst, for example, were published by Bruckmann Verlag. But many other National Socialist publications were also published there. This part of history should continue to be part of the research.

Franziska Lampe’s research focuses on the reproductions and photographs, which have so far received little attention in both art history and photographic history. But the find is also a real treasure for research into provenance, collection research, conservation science and many other related disciplines. This is because many works of art that no longer exist today or that have been heavily altered over time are documented, but the history of the city can also be traced. For example, there are photographs of the exhibition in Munich’s Glaspalast, which burned down in 1931, as well as views of the city. But other attributions of works of art can also be traced in some cases.

It is also interesting for researchers that raw states of photographs can also be traced. It is possible to trace how the Bruckmann publishing house worked, and a form of Photoshop can be identified as early as the 19th century. For example, people or companions in front of buildings were retouched, but works of art were also isolated or cut out. This also provides an insight into the methods of the discipline, as works by different artists were made comparable. A large part of the illustration is in black and white, as color was frowned upon and it was hoped that this monotone would allow concentration on the form.

The processing of the Bruckmann Verlag archive is to be seen as a long-term project. One clear goal is to preserve the archive in the way it is, because the sorting, which is characterized by the spirit of the 1900s, reveals a lot about how art was collected and hierarchically arranged. It also shows central aspects of art history as if through a magnifying glass and illustrates its methods of both popular and academic communication. At the same time, the political instrumentalization of art can be traced using the example of the Bruckmann publishing house. The archive is also to be digitized step by step. At irregular intervals, the project team will also provide updates on ongoing research on the ZI blog.

Project manager Franziska Lampe is asking for help: who worked at the publishing house and can still tell us about it? Who has relatives who worked there and can provide (oral) reports to the ZI? Who has art reproductions of the publishing house? All information can be sent to the following e-mail address: bruckmann@zikg.eu