With Galka Scheyer through Braunschweig Free brochure of the Bet Tfila - Research Centre for Jewish Architecture in Europe

Interested people can now follow in the footsteps of the artist and art mediator Galka Scheyer (1889-1945), who was born in Braunschweig, with a guide through the Lion City. The free brochure was published by the Bet Tfila – Research Centre for Jewish Architecture in Europe at Technische Universität Braunschweig and the Galka Emmy Scheyer Zentrum e.V..

Galka Scheyer became known not so much for her own artistic works, but above all as a mediator of the art of Feininger, Jawlensky, Kandinsky and Klee. In order to make these artists known in the USA as well, she emigrated in 1924 and finally had an exhibition and residential house built for her in Hollywood by the important architect Richard Neutra.

Okerstraße 10. The Scheyer family lived here when Emmy was born in 1889. Photo credit: Katrin Keßler/TU Braunschweig

The guide leads to 24 selected places that are connected with Galka Scheyer’s life and work in Braunschweig: Houses where she lived, places where she painted and met her friends, to places that were important for the Braunschweig art scene at the time and some of which still are today.

Virtual map

This local overview is supplemented by an online offer: on a virtual map on the website of the Israel Jacobson Netzwerk für jüdische Kultur und Geschichte e.V. (Israel Jacobson Network for Jewish Culture and History), Galka Scheyer’s broad network and her international paths can now be impressively traced on the basis of 50 stations.

Galka Scheyer has been the focus of cultural interest in Braunschweig for a few years now. In February 2022, a publication of the contributions to the international conference “Galka Scheyer – A Jewish Woman in International Art Business” will also appear. Scientists from Germany, France, Spain and the USA will shed light on various aspects of Scheyer as a dazzling hostess, builder but also art educator for children and, of course, above all as a mediator of modern art.

Jasperalle 35a. In 1907, the Scheyer family moved to what was then Kaiser-Wilhelm-Straße. Photo credit: Katrin Keßler/TU Braunschweig

The projects are integrated into the nationwide celebration year #2021JLID, which is organised and coordinated by the association “321-2021: 1700 Jahre jüdisches Leben in Deutschland e.V.“ (1700 Years of Jewish Life in Germany). Until mid-2022, with the support of the federal government, various federal states and municipalities, as well as civil society, numerous actions and cultural events will take place throughout Germany to help initiate cultural, political and interreligious debates within society and to send clear signals against growing anti-Semitism.