Große Berliner Kunstausstellung

The first Great Berlin Art Exhibition took place in 1893 on the basis of the statutes of a reorganisation of its internal relations, which was approved by Kaiser Wilhelm II.

[3] On 14 May 1893, the Prussian Minister of Culture Robert Bosse [de] opened the first Great Berlin Art Exhibition.

The artist and printmaker Käthe Kollwitz was nominated for a gold medal by the jury of the Great Berlin Art Exhibition for her cycle A Weavers' Revolt, but Kaiser Wilhelm II probably considered the works too socially critical, and he prevented the medal from being awarded in 1898.

[9] In 1900, 16 of the 24[10] works by the sculptor and painter Gustav Eberlein on display, fell victim to censorship and were removed from the exhibition by "the highest instruction", including the works Adam and Eve at the End of Life,[11] The Spirit of Bismarck, and Workers (also Sack Bearers).

In 1912, the opening speech was given by Max Schlichting, who used the situation to draw attention to artistic freedom: "In contrast to private exhibitions, an exhibition supported by the state has the obligation to promote all artistic endeavors equally, and its assistance is open to anyone who wishes to call upon it for his or her person.

[12] In 1913, on the occasion of the Emperor's jubilee, the exhibition entitled Große Berliner Kunstausstellung zum Regierungsjubiläum Seiner Majestät des Kaisers (Great Berlin Art Exhibition on the Anniversary of the Reign of His Majesty the Emperor) was held.

There were three categories: The War Pictures Exhibition, the Portrait Gallery: "Great Men from Great Times" and the General Art Exhibition, whereby in the latter, which was divided into five groups, the Association of German illustrators (Verband Deutscher Illustratoren) also had "Political Caricature and War Humour" as its leading theme.

[20] In September 1922, the lithograph Sentimental Sailor and the watercolour Patriotic Travelling Theatre by the artist Georg Scholz were declared "lewd" in the November Group section and confiscated.

In 1927, the exhibition was run for the first time by the Kartell der vereinigten Verbände Bildender Künstler Berlin.

Since Malevich had to return to the Soviet Union early, he gave the pictures to Hugo Häring for safekeeping in his function as treasurer of the exhibition.

A year later, the painting § 218 by Alice Lex-Nerlinger,[26] the wife of Oskar Nerlinger, was confiscated by the police during the exhibition.

[27] The controversial painting Selig sind die geistig Armen by Horst Strempel was removed from the exhibition in 1932.

[29] Excluded from the board of the Association of Berlin Women Artists, prominent Jewish artist Harriet von Rathlef withdrew her works from the Great Berlin Art Exhibition in Bellevue Palace as a consequence of the increasing anti-Semitic riots and the art policy of the Nazis.

In 1958, the then Mayor of West Berlin Willy Brandt and Federal President Theodor Heuss were present at the opening.

[32] In 1961, Paul Ohnsorge [de] was awarded the Grand Prize of the Berlin Art Exhibition for his complete works by Willy Brandt in the presence of former Federal President Theodor Heuss.