The Max Beckmann Archive in Munich is an archive dedicated to the life and work of Max Beckmann (1884-1950), one of the most important artists of the 20th century. Founded in 1977, the archive is a central research facility and collection of documents (as well as photographs) on the artist held within the Bayerische Staatsgemäldesammlungen (Bavarian State Painting Collections) and is supported by the non-profit association Freunde des Max Beckmann Archivs.
The archive’s holdings comprise over 5,000 letters, including almost 500 autographs by Max Beckmann, as well as 6,000 photographs, about 60,000 newspaper clippings and well over 1,400 special publications. Unpublished materials such as lectures or academic theses complement the constantly growing number of contemporary documents, as do films and sound media. One of its most important additions is a donation from the Beckmann family received in 2016: the estates of Max Beckmann, his first wife Minna Beckmann-Tube and his second wife Mathilde Q. Beckmann, his son Peter and his wife Maja Beckmann. Other important bequests from Beckmann’s friends, collectors and scholars augment the archive’s ever-expanding holdings.
As a research centre and repository of knowledge, the Max Beckmann Archive is the central port of call for academic explorations both of the artist’s work and of the artist as an individual. In addition to continuous in-depth indexing of its holdings, it supports exhibitions and publications by providing materials and enables research projects to be carried out. To this end, the archive offers opportunities for independent research and advises on or assists with academic projects. The archive’s holdings are open to the public and can be used by anybody by prior appointment.
