Archive of the University of Fine Arts Hamburg
The archive of the Hamburg University of Fine Arts supports academic and artistic work in research and teaching. The enquiries in turn enrich the archive with new insights and contexts, for example on the development of women’s artistic education, on Nazi history, on special events, or on former students and teachers. These expanded records are also published in the university’s own publications Materialverlag and articles in the university’s magazine Lerchenfeld. One example of this is the publication by Dr. Hanne Loreck, Professor of Art and Cultural Studies at at the Hamburg State School of Arts and Crafts, Sissy Stuff, Mainly Needlepoint – Anni Albers an der Staatlichen Kunstgewerbeschule zu Hamburg (2022).
Holdings and origins of the archive
The HFBK began building its archive in the 1990s, starting with student and staff files from around 1900 to 1945 that had survived the destruction of the building during World War II. Since then, all documents relating to the development of the university and teaching and learning at Lerchenfeld have been collected. In addition to staff and student files, the collection includes artist documentation, graphic, photo, and film collections, a press archive, and a reference library.
The archive is supplemented by a specific library collection: an extensive collection of teaching materials dating back to the 19th century. This includes valuable portfolios as well as high-quality photographs and photo series by pioneers in their field, such as Giorgio Sommer, the Alinari brothers, and Jean Laurent, on various artistic, cultural, geographical, and scientific topics, which were used as teaching aids. They also provide insight into the development of artistic and design education at the predecessor institutions of this university.
Inquiries
When making an inquiry, please provide your name, the topic of your research, and your institutional affiliation.