The Philipp Otto Runge Foundation
The foundation is intended to commemorate one of the most important artists of early German Romanticism, Philipp Otto Runge (1777 Wolgast - 1810 Hamburg), and his brother Johann Daniel Runge (1767 Wolgast - 1856 Hamburg), who supported him throughout his life.
With this in mind, Philipp Otto Runge's great-great-great-grandson established a foundation in 2003 for the purpose of promoting artists and Runge research.
In close cooperation with the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the foundation implements the following statutory objectives:
- the promotion of younger visual artists in particular and
- the cultivation and research of the complete works of Philipp Otto Runge and the dissemination of knowledge about these works.
In doing so, the founder laid the foundation for one of the most interesting foundation ideas: To combine funding projects on art around 1800 with funding for contemporary artists' positions.
The projects and initiatives supported to date build on this inspiring foundation idea.
By cooperating with the Hamburger Kunsthalle, which owns one of the most important collections of German Romantic art with major works by Philipp Otto Runge and Caspar David Friedrich (1774 Greifswald - 1840 Dresden), the Foundation is helping to stimulate and keep alive visitors' interest in both Romanticism and contemporary art.
The Foundation is managed by a Board of Directors consisting of five members.
- Prof. Dr. Alexander Klar (Chair), Director of the Hamburger Kunsthalle
- Dr. Sebastian Giesen (Deputy Chairman), Managing Director of the Hermann Reemtsma Foundation,
- Senate Director Hans Heinrich Bethge, Head of the Cultural Office of the FHH Department of Culture and Media,
- Dr. Markus Bertsch, Head of the 19th Century Collection at the Hamburger Kunsthalle.
- Ulrike Runge.
Permanent guest: Dr. Corinne Diserens, Head of Contemporary Art
