MUSEUM
OF COMIC ART – FRANKFURT
Caricatura Museum – Satirical Cartoons
The
Museum of Comic Art (Caricatura Museum) is one of the newer in a
city of museums, opened in 2008. Located in the shadow of the Frankfurt
Dom Cathedral where emperors were crowned, a block up from the Main River
(see Frankfurt
Emperors Cathedral) and the Roman Ruins, the juxtaposition of old
and new fits the comic spirit. The comic art museum is located in the
historic Leinwandhaus, one of the last buildings of old town Frankfurt
to be restored from the bombing of WWII. First built around 1400, the
building has seen life over the centuries as a guild house for the medieval
cloth trade, a court, a prison, a hospital and a slaughterhouse, a city
museum and now, a gallery for cartoons.
Frankfurt
am Main has been called Germany’s “Capital of
Satire”, mostly from the satirical quarterly magazines the Titanic
and Pardon. The Titanic, founded in 1978 is still published, with many
of the artists coming over to the new magazine from the Pardon in a dispute
with its publisher. Germany is perhaps not known for its humor and the
expression of political satire took on a new meaning with its growth
in forward thinking Frankfurt. The artists of the magazines referred
to themselves as the New Frankfurt School, a satirical jab as what was
known as the Frankfurt School of Philosophy.
The
Caricatura Museum holds 4,000 pieces of political and cultural satiric
art. On the ground floor of the new gallery with high walls and a maze
like walking track changing exhibitions of well-known German and international
artists are presented. On the first floor with a view of the cathedral
out the windows, five exhibit rooms present permanent displays of the
work of five of the principal comic strip artists of the New Frankfurt
School, FW Bernstein, Robert Gernhardt, Clovis Poth, Hans Traxler and
FK Waechter. On the second floor amid the medieval ancient wooden beams
of the building, a media room and lounge presents audio visual images
of the satirical artists
work
in
film, theater,
television
media and literature. Live events of readings, book launches and plays
of comic cabaret are through the year. For the English speaking visitor,
while the captions and works are in German and the subjects a bit oblique
for those unfamiliar with German culture or politics, the art stands
on its own, some of it quite ribald, so perhaps not for kids, unless
you want to do some explaining.
For 2011, the art of Lorraine born artist Jean Marc Reiser displays until
the end of June, changing to 200 pieces of the original cartoons of STERN
artist Gerhard Haderer through November.
Visiting the Caricatura Museum
The
museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10am to 6pm and on Wednesdays
open until 9pm. Closed on Mondays. Admission cost is €6 general
admission and €3 reduced, students and seniors. The lower floor
is occasionally closed for changes in the temporary exhibitions. Comic
art, cards and books can be purchased in the museum shop and nearby are
the Frankfurt Museum of Modern Art, the Dom Museum and a district of
private
art galleries
surrounding the cathedral. © Bargain
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Frankfurt
Caricatura Museum
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