Kestner Company

Kestner Company

The Kestner Gesellschaft is located in the center of Hanover and is one of the largest and best-known art associations in Germany. Across 1,300 square meters of exhibition space, internationally renowned artists showcase their latest works here. Exhibitions by renowned figures such as Joseph Beuys, Cindy Sherman, Santiago Sierra, and Andy Warhol have already been on display. In 2016, the museum celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Exhibitions and guided tours

Exhibitions and guided tours

To date, the Kestner Gesellschaft has hosted over 700 exhibitions featuring internationally renowned artists.
The rotating exhibitions are designed to appeal to visitors of all ages. Free guided tours, engaging lectures, and creative workshops offer a variety of ways to actively experience art. The Kestner Gesellschaft also features a free cinema, the Cinémathèque. As part of the digital transformation, the museum is also continuously expanding its offerings in the digital realm.

Admission to the café, the Cinémathèque and the bookshop is free.

© Raimund Zakowski

Gertrude Stein Café in the Kestner Gesellschaft

Café Tender Buttons

The Kestner Gesellschaft attracts visitors to the Tender Buttons café on the second floor.

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© HMTG/Kestner Society

The foundation

In 1916, the Kestner Society for the Promotion of the Arts in Hanover was founded by local citizens. Among them were influential Hanoverians such as Hermann Bahlsen and August Madsack. The new association was named after the Hanoverian diplomat, art historian, and archaeologist August Kestner. The aim of the new association was to ensure that Hannover did not miss the boat when it came to modernism and to attract international artists to the city.
In 1936, the Kestner Society was forced to close due to pressure from the National Socialists. In 1948, after the end of the war, the Kestner Society reopened and grew over the following decades into an international force in the art scene. In 1997, the Kestner Gesellschaft moved into its new home on Goseriede, the former Goseriedebad.

© HMTG/Kestnergesellschaft

Exhibitions & Events

Kestner Gesellschaft: The program

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© HMTG / Element K

Museum video

Hannover Living - Museums Part I

Hannover Living – the fifth installment: Here’s the first video from Hannover’s museums.

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