Easter in Grunewald: The Passion Cycle of the Cranach Workshop

In Halle, the couple experienced the magnificent Easter celebrations. Albrecht, an uncle of Joachim II, had extensively expanded his residence and had it decorated by the most famous artists of the time. Halle Cathedral housed Passion altars and individual panels from the workshop of Lukas Cranach the Elder—a total of more than 140 paintings. Paintings from the workshop of Albrecht Dürer also adorned the church. Added to this was the largest collection of relics in Europe at the time, displayed in magnificent reliquaries.

Back in Berlin, Joachim II began work on creating a cathedral and collegiate church modeled after the one in Halle. His father had already entertained this idea. The Dominican monastery adjacent to the palace was repurposed. For the church, the Cranach workshop produced panels for 14 altars and various individual panels in 1537–38.

Today, nine central panels have survived and can be viewed at the Grunewald Hunting Lodge. On Easter Sunday,

Kathrin Külow, the head of the castle complex, will guide visitors through the Cranach exhibition and provide insights into the history of the construction of the Cathedral and Collegiate Church of Berlin and its furnishings.

IN GERMAN