60 Jahre Kunst im Haus Coburg

On November 4, 1961, general practitioner Dr. Hermann Coburg opened the first exhibition at the galerie pro arte. For Berthold von Seebach, the head of the cultural affairs department for the city of Delmenhorst, this was proof of a “genuine need for art appreciation. It was also proof of the desire to cultivate a cultural life of their own in Delmenhorst” (Monats­umschau, No. 12, Vol. 11, Dec. 1961). And this is precisely how one must understand it when, 16 years after the end of the war, a private citizen cleared out a floor of his villa to host 70 professional exhibitions over the next ten years, primarily of abstract contemporary art. In 1971, just as Delmenhorst was celebrating 600 years of city rights, Hermann Coburg ended his involvement. After some negotiations, the Coburg House passed into the ownership of the city, which opened a municipal gallery in these rooms in 1974.

The 60th anniversary of the gallery’s opening and the inauguration of Matilda Felix as its new director provides an opportunity to look back on the institution’s history. Starting with the cultural beginnings at Haus Coburg, the exhibition focuses on the development of the Städtische Galerie Delmenhorst and the expansion of the Art Collection. In 2021, Delmenhorst celebrates 650 years of municipal rights. It is a reflection of the immediate, pandemic-shaped present that the celebrations have been postponed to 2022. At the turn of the year, 60 Jahre Kunst im Haus Coburg will take a look at the history of an institution that is closely linked to the city’s cultural life and has always been an urban meeting place since its beginnings.