Expressionism and Modernism

Sprengel Museum Hanover

Discover modern art and notable collections at Lake Maschsee

With a focus on German Expressionism and French Modernism, the Sprengel Museum Hannover is one of the most important museums of 20th- and 21st-century art.

Visitors are welcomed into the spacious, open entrance area. The building’s distinctive architecture blends the exterior and interior spaces and extends throughout the entire museum.

The beginning of the Sprengel Museum

The museum’s origins and its current core collection stem from a donation made by Margrit and Bernhard Sprengel in 1969. The couple donated a collection of modern art to the Landesmuseum Hannover, which can still be viewed today as part of the permanent exhibition at the Sprengel Museum Hannover. The museum’s collection continues to grow steadily through donations and permanent loans.

From classical modernism to contemporary art

Sprengel Museum Sprengelmuseum — Sprengel Museum Exhibition

Major artist groups such as “Die Brücke” and “Der Blaue Reiter,” as well as the Cubist and Surrealist movements, are represented at the Sprengel Museum. Works by Pablo Picasso, Fernand Léger, Max Beckmann, Max Ernst, Paul Klee, Emil Nolde, and Kurt Schwitters round out the impressive collection.

In 2000, Niki de Saint Phalle enriched the Sprengel Museum Hannover with over 400 works. This means that all phases of the artist’s career—including assemblages, “shooting pictures,” sculptures, and drawings—are represented.

Particularly fascinating are the spaces designed by the artists themselves, such as James Turrell’s “Light Room” or the reconstruction of Kurt Schwitters’ legendary “Merzbau.”

Changing special exhibitions

Numerous special exhibitions provide visitors with a wide-ranging overview of art from modernism to the present day. There is also a year-round program for families and children.

A Visit to the Sprengel Museum in Hannover

The Sprengel Museum Hannover is located on Kurt-Schwitters-Platz, near Lake Maschsee. Here you’ll find all the key information you need to plan your visit at a glance.

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