Große Deutsche Kunstausstellung

The Große Deutsche Kunstausstellung (Great German Art Exhibition) was held a total of eight times from 1937 to 1944 in the purpose-built Haus der Deutschen Kunst in Munich.

While the organizational and technical part of the exhibition preparation was the responsibility of the "Haus der Deutschen Kunst (Neuer Glaspalast)" as an institution under public law, the overall artistic direction was in the hands of a "Commissioner of the President of the Reichskammer of Fine Arts", appointed by Adolf Hitler, his photographer Heinrich Hoffmann.

In contrast, Hitler defamed "modern art," which was "degenerate", and announced: From now on, we will wage a relentless war of purification against the last elements of our cultural decay.

As far as we are concerned, these prehistoric cultural Stone Agers and art dabblers may return to the caves of their ancestors, to make their primitive international scribblings there.

The Zentralinstitut für Kunstgeschichte München - in cooperation with the Haus der Kunst, Munich and the Deutsches Historisches Museum, Berlin - has been making them accessible online since October 2011 to facilitate a social and art historical debate.

Parallel to the online project, a complete directory of the artists of the Great German Art Exhibition from 1937 to 1944 was published by Neuhaus Verlag in Berlin.