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Munch's masterpieces in Chemnitz: Thousands flock to the exhibition!
Edvard Munch’s exhibition “Fear” in Chemnitz opens on September 13th, 2025. Visit impressive works until November 2nd.
Munch's masterpieces in Chemnitz: Thousands flock to the exhibition!
The eagerly awaited exhibition “Edvard Munch. Fear” opened in Chemnitz on September 13, 2025, which is part of the Capital of Culture year 2025. The head of the cultural department, Dagmar Ruschensky, praises the start and underlines the importance of cultural events for the city. “Culture is a central location factor and we have to take art education seriously,” said Ruschensky, who was present in the art collections at Theaterplatz. This exhibition is dedicated to the basic emotional fiber of fear and addresses the loneliness in our society, which is shaped by numerous modern challenges such as climate change and digital isolation. Kreuzer reports that the works of the Norwegian Edvard Munch (1863–1944) find great resonance among visitors.
The show attracted about 5,000 visitors in its first week, including 2,200 on the opening weekend. Many visitors call the exhibition “sensational”, which shows almost 100 works by the artist, including his famous lithograph of the scream motif. Great highlights include the “Portrait of Herbert Esche” and the landscape painting “View of the Chemnitz Valley”. The Munch works are in dialogue with works by contemporary artists such as Andy Warhol, Neo Rauch and Marina Abramović, which makes the exhibition even more exciting. The Süddeutsche emphasizes that the art collections are making a significant contribution to the cultural program with this exhibition.
Special features of the exhibition
The exhibition can be viewed daily until November 2, 2025, except Mondays and Wednesdays. From November onwards, the extended opening hours on Wednesdays will no longer apply. Dagmar Ruschensky announced that there would be an additional closing day in the art collections as part of the season. The Henry van de Velde Museum and the Karl Schmidt Rottluff House also only open their doors from Friday to Sunday. The Chemnitz Art Collections attach great importance to art education.
The show also includes a series of events, such as performances, workshops and lectures, that deal with the topic of fear and its impact on society. Among other things, a family tour will take place on September 14, 2025 at 1 p.m. A cultural catalog for the exhibition can be purchased in the museum shop for 38 euros, which is an exciting souvenir option for all art lovers.
Background to Edvard Munch
Edvard Munch is not only a well-known painter, but also a key figure in existentialism. From 1892 to 1908 he lived in Germany, during which time he created numerous major works. In 1905, with the support of Herbert and Johanna Esche, Munch found his way to Chemnitz, where, among other things, he portrayed the Esche family. In particular, the picture “Two People: The Lonely Ones,” which is now returning from the USA for the first time and is part of the exhibition, has a special historical context. It also shows how Karl Schmidt-Rottluff tried to get Munch to join the Brücke artist group, which he refused.
The exhibition “Fear” functions not only as a look back at Munch’s work, but also as a reflection of our emotions and challenges today. It is a unique opportunity to delve into the mind of one of the greatest artists of this time and understand his influence on art in the context of social issues.