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| Die Neue Sammlung | |
|---|---|
| Name | Die Neue Sammlung |
| Established | 1907 |
| Location | Munich, Bavaria, Germany |
| Type | Design museum |
| Director | Timothée Mazza (example) |
Die Neue Sammlung is an internationally renowned museum for industrial and product design based in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Founded in 1907, it is one of the oldest design museums globally, known for its comprehensive holdings in industrial design, furniture, ceramics, glass, and contemporary product development. The institution collaborates with major museums, universities, design institutions, and cultural organizations across Europe, Asia, and North America to present exhibitions, research, and public programs.
Die Neue Sammlung traces origins to early 20th-century initiatives in Munich and the Kingdom of Bavaria that intersected with movements such as the Deutscher Werkbund, the Bauhaus, and the Wiener Werkstätte. Its collection policy was shaped by figures associated with the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum and the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg, and by donors linked to the Munich Secession and industrial patrons connected to companies like Siemens and BASF. During the interwar period the institution responded to shifts in modern design championed by proponents of Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright, while postwar reconstruction aligned it with reconstruction efforts involving designers from Olmsted Brothers-era networks and leading European design schools. In the late 20th century, ties developed with the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, the Vitra Design Museum, and universities such as the Technische Universität München and the Royal College of Art. Recent decades have seen collaborations with contemporary creators showcased at venues including the Salone del Mobile, the Biennale di Venezia, and the London Design Festival.
The museum's holdings span historical and contemporary objects: industrial products by designers affiliated with Marcel Breuer, Mies van der Rohe, Charles and Ray Eames, Arne Jacobsen, and Eero Saarinen; glassworks by artists linked to Danish Modern and the Bohemian glass tradition; ceramics from movements associated with Auguste Rodin-era studios and 20th-century studios tied to Gerrit Rietveld and Theo van Doesburg. Collections include furniture prototypes, lighting by names such as Gino Sarfatti, household appliances from manufacturers like Braun, and graphic design artifacts related to designers working with the Deutsche Bundesbahn and publishing houses tied to Bertelsmann. The holdings incorporate industrial design archives donated by studios and firms including Fritz Hansen, Herman Miller, and Cassina. Special collections document product design milestones exemplified by objects associated with Henry Dreyfuss, Dieter Rams, Jacques Adnet, and Isamu Noguchi. The repository preserves blueprints, patents, prototypes, and correspondence connected with design movements and key exhibitions organized by institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Centre Pompidou.
Die Neue Sammlung mounts rotating and thematic exhibitions that have featured retrospectives and surveys referencing the work of Le Corbusier, Charlotte Perriand, Paul Klee, Alvar Aalto, and contemporary practitioners affiliated with studios like Studio Formafantasma and Neri&Hu. Collaborative projects have linked the museum with the Design Museum London, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, and the Japan Contemporary Art Foundation. The exhibition program includes curated displays of historic objects from the collection, loans from institutions such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam, and commissioned installations by designers connected to the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and the Hochschule für Gestaltung Ulm. Public programming frequently features panel discussions with authors and critics affiliated with Domus, ICON (magazine), and academic symposia co-organized with the University of the Arts London.
The museum occupies facilities in Munich designed to balance exhibition space, conservation laboratories, and archive storage. The building complex incorporates exhibition halls compatible with modular presentations similar to spaces used by the Tate Modern and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao, alongside conservation studios equipped for textile, metal, glass, and polymer objects using methods promoted by the International Council of Museums (ICOM). Service areas support loans and logistics for large-scale objects and furniture, often coordinated with shipping partners such as DHL and registrars experienced with collections from the Smithsonian Institution. The architecture reflects dialogues with modernist forms seen in works by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and later adaptations influenced by contemporary practices exemplified at sites like the Centre Pompidou.
The institution produces scholarly catalogues, thematic monographs, and exhibition catalogues that engage with design histories associated with figures like Wassily Kandinsky, Josef Hoffmann, Gerrit Rietveld, and Piet Mondrian. Research projects have investigated industrial production processes linked to companies such as Volkswagen and Bayer, as well as material studies referencing makers from Murano and the Badajoz region. Publications appear in collaboration with academic presses and journals connected to the Journal of Design History and university departments at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and the Politecnico di Milano.
Educational initiatives include guided tours, workshops, and masterclasses held with practitioners from institutions like the Royal Institute of British Architects, the International Design Centre Berlin, and the Design Academy Eindhoven. Outreach programs extend to schools and community partners in cooperation with municipal cultural offices such as the Kulturbüro München and regional cultural networks like the Bavarian State Ministry for Science and the Arts. Internships and fellowships are offered in partnership with graduate programs at the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and the HDK-Valand.
The museum operates under the auspices of the Free State of Bavaria and receives funding from public sources supplemented by private donations and corporate sponsorships from firms such as BMW, Allianz, and foundations including the Kunststiftung NRW and the Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz-affiliated programs. Governance involves a board of trustees with representatives from cultural ministries, academic partners like the Technische Universität München, and industry stakeholders including trade associations such as the German Design Council.
Category:Museums in Munich