The Städel Museum Frankfurt

The Städel Museum, founded in 1815 by banker and merchant Johann Friedrich Städel, is Germany's oldest and most renowned museum foundation. It offers a nearly comprehensive overview of 700 years of European art history under one roof, from the early Gothic of the 14th century to contemporary art.

Collection and Inventory

The collection of the Städel Museum includes about 3,100 paintings, 660 sculptures, over 5,000 photographs, and more than 100,000 drawings and prints. Highlights of the collection include works by artists such as Lucas Cranach, Albrecht Dürer, Sandro Botticelli, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jan Vermeer, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Max Beckmann, Alberto Giacometti, Francis Bacon, Gerhard Richter, and Wolfgang Tillmans[1][3][4].

Mission and Values

The Städel Museum sees itself as a place of encounter, exchange, and engagement with the past, present, and future. It is a civic museum that is significantly based on the support of citizens, foundations, and businesses from the city and region. The museum's mission includes collecting, preserving, researching, and communicating artworks across generations, epochs, and styles. It offers spaces for sensory experiences and for important questions that find inspiring answers through the artworks[2][3][4].

Research, Exhibitions, and Art Education

In addition to the collection and inventory, a focus of the museum is on the scientific research of the collections and the development of internationally recognized exhibitions. Target-group-specific art education is another central concern that engages with the collection contents as well as general questions about art. The museum offers a variety of educational and communication measures in contemporary formats to inspire different visitor groups to engage with art and culture[1][3][4].

Digital Strategy and Innovation

The Städel Museum pursues a comprehensive digital strategy to fulfill its educational and communication mandate in the digital space as well. This includes innovative offerings such as the Digital Collection, Digitorials®, app and podcast offerings, online courses on modern art, and the oral history project Café Deutschland, as well as film and moving image series[2][4].

Sustainability and Support

The Städel Museum is able to continue its activities thanks to the unprecedented support from businesses, foundations, and the citizenry. The Städelsche Museums-Verein, founded in 1899, and the "Städel Committee 21st Century," established in 2008, play an important role in financing acquisitions and projects. The funding for the Städel extension completed in 2012 and the renovation of the old building was provided 50 percent from private funds and with public money[1][3][4].

The Städel Museum exemplifies broad civic engagement and significantly contributes to the preservation and development of this cultural institution. It offers a diverse museum landscape that attracts and inspires both local and international visitors.

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