Kunstmuseum Erlangen

In the location's words:

The Kunstmuseum Erlangen, now run by the city, has its origins in the commitment of the Förderverein Kunstmuseum, which was founded in 1989 by committed citizens of Erlangen. The association set itself the goal of building up a collection of regional works of art from Franconia and the Upper Palatinate. This collection has been expanded over the years and is regularly presented in changing exhibitions.

Initially, the association did not have its own premises for exhibitions and therefore used the City Museum and the New Gallery of the Kunstverein. In 1998, the then chairman Bernd Nürmberger acquired the Loewenich Palace, which initially served as a temporary exhibition venue. In 2001, the building was then chosen as the permanent location for the art museum. During this time, Manfred Hopfengärtner, then site manager of Siemens AG in Erlangen and once again deputy chairman of the association, was instrumental in supporting the project.

A modern extension increased the exhibition space to a total of 300 square meters. The association, which later changed its name to Kunstmuseum Erlangen e.V., ran the museum on a voluntary basis until 2016 and financed it with the help of sponsors and grants from the city.