Künstlergilde Esslingen

The Künstlergilde Esslingen e.V. is a German registered association (eingetragener Verein) of artists and scholars based in Esslingen am Neckar. It was founded in 1948, led by Ernst Schremmer, as a self-help organization for artists of all disciplines who had been expelled or had fled from the historical German cultural landscapes of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe in the aftermath of the Second World War. For many of these artists, art was a means of survival, and the guild initially focused on providing material and ideological support to its members. Today the Künstlergilde sees itself as a "bridge-builder" to Germany's eastern neighbours. Its mission is to give artistic work and culture a forum, not only in the Federal Republic of Germany and the states of the European Community, but especially in the states of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. It maintains and develops the cultural heritage of the former German eastern territories through exhibitions, publications and events, and its activities serve the purpose of international understanding. The association is organized into regional groups (Landesgruppen) and divided into several specialist sections (Fachgruppen): Fine Art (the largest group), Literature, Music, Photography, Performing Arts, and Journalism. It has around three hundred members from a wide range of professions, including painters, singers, musicians, actors, writers and academics. The Künstlergilde is particularly known for the cultural prizes it awards. These include the Andreas-Gryphius-Preis for literature (awarded since the early 1990s, but first presented in 1957 in Düsseldorf), the Lovis-Corinth-Preis for fine art, the Nikolaus-Lenau-Preis for poetry, the Johann-Wenzel-Stamitz-Preis for music, the Georg-Dehio-Preis for cultural-historical publications, the Pro-Arte-Medaille, and, since 2024, the Lesser-Ury-Preis für Kunst. The guild also organizes the annual Herbsttreffen in Esslingen, with literary prizes for poetry and short prose, and maintains a music archive in Regensburg, cared for by the Sudetendeutsches Musikinstitut. The Künstlergilde's website uses the European .eu domain to reflect its cross-border mission. Its public events include exhibitions, readings, concerts and vernissages, often held in Esslingen and other locations in Germany and abroad.

The Künstlergilde Esslingen was founded in 1948, led by Ernst Schremmer, according to legend on a park bench in the Esslingen Maille. Schremmer was not only a co-founder but also subsequently served as managing director of the Künstlergilde, the association of expellee cultural workers in Esslingen am Neckar. It was established as a self-help organization for artists of all disciplines who had been expelled or had fled from the historical German cultural landscapes of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe as a result of the Second World War. For many of these artists, art was vitally important for survival. The guild made its public debut in 1948 with a literally grand theatrical gesture: before hundreds of enthusiastic spectators, "Der Ackermann aus Böhmen" was performed in front of the Ulm Minster. While initially the main goal was material and ideological support for artists, today the guild sees itself as a bridge-builder to Germany's eastern neighbours and also dedicates itself to the preservation and further development of East German cultural heritage through works and exhibitions. Its activities serve the purpose of international understanding. The Künstlergilde is organized into regional groups and divided into specialist sections. The Fine Art section is the largest, followed by Literature and Music as the other two main pillars, along with Photography, Performing Arts and Journalism. The guild has around three hundred members from various professions, including painters, singers, musicians, actors, writers and scientists. It sees its work in the tradition of the German cultural landscapes in Eastern and Southeastern Europe and promotes works and organizes exhibitions that reflect this cultural space. Since the beginning of 1990, the Künstlergilde Esslingen has awarded the Andreas-Gryphius-Preis, a literary prize first presented in 1957 in Düsseldorf. The guild holds the award ceremony in Glogau, the birthplace of Andreas Gryphius, the most important German sonnet poet of the 17th century. Other prizes awarded by the guild include the Lovis-Corinth-Preis for Fine Art, the Nikolaus-Lenau-Preis for poetry, the literary competition for poetry and short prose, the Pro-Arte-Medaille, the Johann-Wenzel-Stamitz-Preis for outstanding achievements in music, and the Georg-Dehio-Preis for cultural-historical, intellectual-historical and art-historical publications on the historical German cultural landscapes of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. Since 2024, the guild has awarded the "Lesser-Ury-Preis für Kunst" to artists for individual works, with a jury selecting winners through an art prize competition with a annually changing artistic focus. The guild maintains a comprehensive music archive in Regensburg, cared for by the Sudetendeutsches Musikinstitut. The Johann-Wenzel-Stamitz-Preis in music is awarded annually by the Music section at the winner's place of work. The Literature section awards the Andreas-Gryphius-Preis annually at the Gerhart-Hauptmann-Haus in Düsseldorf for a literary lifetime achievement, as well as the Nikolaus-Lenau-Preis for poetry every two years and literary prizes for poetry and short prose within the Herbsttreffen in Esslingen, increasingly to promote younger talents. Over the decades, the Künstlergilde has counted numerous notable artists and writers among its members, including painters, sculptors, writers, composers and scholars such as Theo Aeckerle, Ute Brinckmann-Schmolling, Paul Brock, Ruth Faltin, Erwin Görlach, Aldona Gustas, Baldur Geipel, Otto Herbert Hajek, Albrecht von Hancke, Helmut Hellmessen, Wolfgang Hildemann, Walter Thomas Heyn, Rudolf Kimmina, Valeria Koch, Georg Krajewski, Franz Peter Künzel, Else Levi-Mühsam, Josef Mühlberger, Beate Musäus, Oskar Pastior, Erich Pawlu, Jean Pierre Picon, Gerold Reutter, Günther Helmuth Ruddies, Marie-Luise Salden, Horst Scheffler, Ernst Schremmer, Alfred Seidel, Hellmut Seiler, Elsbeth Siebenbürger, Heinrich Simbriger, Norbert Sternmut, Werner Striese, Tina Stroheker, Johannes Szelinski, Katharina Szelinski-Singer, Willi Ulfig, Herbert Volwahsen, Hans-Albert Walter and Hans Winterberg.

• 2024

  Lesser-Ury-Preis für Kunst established, awarded to artists for individual works.

• 1990

  Künstlergilde Esslingen begins awarding the Andreas-Gryphius-Preis, with the ceremony held in Glogau, birthplace of Andreas Gryphius.

• 1957

  Andreas-Gryphius-Preis first awarded in Düsseldorf.

• 1948

  Künstlergilde founded in Esslingen am Neckar, led by Ernst Schremmer; public debut with a performance of 'Der Ackermann aus Böhmen' in front of Ulm Minster.

A non-profit cultural association and bridge-builder between Germany and Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe, preserving the heritage of German expellee artists.

• Andreas-Gryphius-Preis

  Literary prize for a lifetime achievement, awarded annually at the Gerhart-Hauptmann-Haus in Düsseldorf.

• Lovis-Corinth-Preis

  Prize for fine art.

• Nikolaus-Lenau-Preis

  Prize for poetry, awarded every two years.

• Johann-Wenzel-Stamitz-Preis

  Prize for outstanding achievements in music, awarded annually by the Music section.

• Georg-Dehio-Preis

  Prize for cultural-historical, intellectual-historical and art-historical publications on the historical German cultural landscapes of Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe.

• Pro-Arte-Medaille

  Medal awarded by the guild.

• Lesser-Ury-Preis für Kunst

  Art prize awarded since 2024 for individual works, with a jury and annually changing artistic focus.

• Herbsttreffen in Esslingen

  Annual gathering with literary prizes for poetry and short prose, increasingly to promote younger talents.

1. 1Die KünstlerGilde e.V. Esslingen: Offizielle Homepage | Startseitekuenstlergilde.eu
2. 2Über uns: Die Künstlergilde Esslingen e.V. stellt sich kurz vorkuenstlergilde.eu
3. 3Musik - eine von drei Hauptfachgruppen der KünstlerGilde e.V.kuenstlergilde.eu
4. 4Literatur - eine von drei Hauptfachgruppen der KünstlerGilde e.V.kuenstlergilde.eu
5. 5Künstlergildewikidata.org
6. 6Künstlergilde Esslingende.wikipedia.org