Franz Marc Museum in Kochel gets an extension

It is an unusual sight, but it will only last for a short time: A construction fence behind the Franz Marc Museum in Kochel is currently shielding the park from a construction pit.

A new building for the museum will be built here shortly.

Kochel am See - The new house is being built on the site of the former “Reiter Building”, which the museum's foundation acquired.

The building structure of the house was too bad to be preserved, says museum director Dr.

Cathrin Klingsöhr-Leroy.

The new building is intended to fulfill several functions: On the one hand, the space for museum educational offers will be increased, says the director.

The demand is great, and the current studio space is reaching its limits.

She also sees opportunities to try out new ways for events, such as music theater or concerts.

“The question is whether we can attract a sufficient audience here in Kochel,” says Klingsöhr-Leroy.

The new building will also have a terrace that guests can use.

Everything will be barrier-free.

"We urgently need more space"

On the other hand, a restoration workshop including depot and storage rooms, e.g. for catalogs and picture boxes, is being built in the new building. The catering industry can also use a storage room. “We urgently need more space,” says the director. This also frees up areas in the current administration building. "We will then have more space for the library and scientific work." The Etta and Otto Stangl Foundation will invest at least two million euros in the new building, says Klingsöhr-Leroy. The building application has already been coordinated with the authorities. "The preparatory work was a bit complicated due to rocks and stagnant water," says Bettina Pauly, press spokeswoman for the museum. It is not yet clear whether the new building will start this year, or at the latest in spring 2022. Completion is planned for 2023.

In connection with the new building, the park behind the museum is also to be upgraded.

The employee parking spaces will be relocated a little so that the park becomes a unified whole.

In addition, another sculpture is to be added, this time by the sculptor Norbert Kricke.

Special exhibition: Horst Antes

Works by Horst Antes have recently been exhibited in the museum.

The artist, who celebrated his 85th birthday a few days ago, was - like Franz Marc back then - represented by the gallery owners Etta and Otto Stangl.

In a showcase you can see extraordinary memorabilia.

There are also works to be seen that rarely come to the public eye.

The rush of visitors to the museum is continuous, but due to the lockdown this year and last year, around 30,000 visitors, only about half as many as usual, Klingsöhr-Leroy regrets.

Currently, only 60 people are allowed into the museum, who are asked to book a time in advance via the website in order to avoid waiting times.

“That works out quite well,” says the director.

In 2023, the focus will be on August and Elisabeth Macke

She is already working on the programs for 2022 and 2023. In the coming year, the museum will show analogies in the works of Franz Marc and Gustave Flaubert.

There is also a special audio guide.

In summer you can see works by Karin Kneffel and Hannsjörg Voth.

An extensive show about August Macke and his wife Elisabeth is planned for 2023.

It is currently being shown in the Landesmuseum Münster and will then come to Kochel.

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