Museum Prinzhorn Collection
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The Association of Friends

Many of you are familiar with the Prinzhorn Collection Museum in Heidelberg and its unique collection of art from a psychiatric context. The historical collection of around 5,000 works dates back to the period after the First World War, while the new collection of around 35,000 works was added from the 1960s onwards. The museum was opened in 2001, but now - shortly before its 25th anniversary - it is threatened with closure. Find out the most important facts and follow the link to the Deutschlandfunk report from 21.04.2025.

Click here for the open letter dated 29 April 2025 and its signatories.

Here you can find the incendiary letter from Georg Baselitz to the Lord Mayor of the City of Heidelberg and others.

It's done!

On 7 June 2025, we received the news that Heidelberg University Hospital will be taking over the ownership of the urgently needed extension and, above all, the depot.

Here you can find the relieving news in the Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung.

We would especially like to thank all of you who have supported us so much with your donations, your signatures, your fire letters, your often invisible commitment from the ranks of the city society, the hospital, the university, the professional associations, the clubs and especially as media voices.

We about us

The association of "Friends of the Prinzhorn Collection" is a non-profit association for the promotion of the Heidelberg collection Prinzhorn. The "Friends of the Prinzhorn Collection" e.V. have supported the Heidelberg Collection Prinzhorn since 1995, a collection of art from a psychiatric context that is unique in the world.

The association of friends was founded in 1995 on the initiative of students of the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts and has since been supported by well-known personalities from the arts and the public.

The founding committee consisted of Prof. Dr. med. Jean Christophe Ammann (†), Prof. Georg Baselitz, Dr. med. Eduard Beaucamp, Prof. dr. Johann Feilacher, Prof. dr. Peter Gorsen (†), Peter Härtling (†), Prof. dr. Hartmut Kraft, Johann Kresnik, Prim. Leo Navratil (†), Prof. Arnulf Rainer, Dr. med. Maria Rave-Schwank and Prof. Gerhard Richter.

The association gave the impulse for the realization of the museum collection Prinzhorn in the year 2001. The museum collection Prinzhorn is an institution of the university clinic Heidelberg. Since its opening, the museum has been able to realize a large number of international exhibitions, in part with extensive exhibition catalogs presenting new research.

The Prinzhorn Collection is one of the most unusual, significant and stimulating art collections in the world. It includes works from psychiatric context of different epochs. These are works from various artistic disciplines that fascinate with emotional power, diverse techniques, inventiveness and thematic breadth, often touching with a special kind of authenticity.

The art historian and physician Hans Prinzhorn (1886-1933) gathered around 5,000 works by patients from psychiatric institutions throughout Europe in Heidelberg after the First World War, thereby building up a collection that has received international attention to this day. Since 1980, around 21,000 works have been added. In order to support and accompany this unique work in a special way, the association of the "Friends of the Prinzhorn Collection" was founded.

Our goals

The Association of Friends of the Prinzhorn Collection is a non-profit association for the promotion of the Prinzhorn Collection. In times when the success of cultural projects more than ever depends on the active support of friends, sponsors and supporters, the association supports the realization of exhibition projects and important publications, facilitates scientific and interdisciplinary accompanying events, promotes the educational offer of the museum and offers Its members also have a wide range of benefits and events.

With its founding, the association gave the impetus for the realization of the museum in 2001. - The most important future goal now is to promote the structural expansion of the collection on the grounds of the Altklinikum in Heidelberg.

Bylaw

The purpose of the association is the preservation and promotion of artistic and historically significant cultural assets. In pursuit of this purpose, the association supports the Prinzhorn collection in its exhibitions and other events, as well as scientific research and publications on the art of people with psychiatric experience. He also supports construction projects of the collection.

?Read more (German version)...

Bodies

Board

Dr. Kristina Hoge, Stefan Kiefer, Priv.-Doz. Dr. Thomas Röske (function is dormant), Prof. Dr. Maike Rotzoll (Chairwoman), Dipl.-Ing. Ulrich Schwenger (Treasurer), Marcus Weiß

Board of Trustees

Prof. Dr. med. Ingo B. Autenrieth (former Senior Medical Director and Chairman of the Board, Heidelberg University Hospital), Dr. Eduard Beaucamp (Frankfurt aM), Prof. Dr. Gottfried Böhm (Basel CH), Prof. Dr. Matthias Bormuth (Oldenburg), Dr. Joachim Gerner (vice-mayor of Heidelberg), Priv.-Doz. Dr. Thomas Röske (Prinzhorn Collection), Prof. Dr. Jochen Tröger (Heidelberg)

Patroniser Board

Christiane Hauß (architecture), Dr. Arndt Overlack (legal issues), Prof. Dr. Jochen Tröger (adviser for the extension of the Prinzhorn Collection)

Membership

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Donations portal

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Freunde der Sammlung Prinzhorn e. V.
Vossstr. 2
69115 Heidelberg
T: +49 (0)6221-56 4492
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