Ruin and Rush. Berlin 1910–1930

Through some 45 works in various styles, the exhibition brings to life the ambivalence of glamour and misery, rise and fall in Berlin at that time.

Berlin in the Early 20th Century

At the beginning of the 20th century, in the wake of industrialization, Berlin developed not only into an economic center but, above all, into a political and cultural hub.

With the establishment of Greater Berlin in 1920, the city’s population surged to around 4 million and it became the second-largest city in the world by area, after London.

Alongside far-reaching innovations in architecture and transportation, social upheavals such as democratization and women’s emancipation took place.

At the same time, the traumas of World War I and the rise of National Socialism cast a shadow over the so-called “Golden Twenties.”

The metropolis—already mythologized as “Babylon” by contemporary voices—was in turmoil on many levels: commercial abundance and excess stood in stark contrast to growing poverty and unemployment.

Exhibition in Three Sections

On the collection floor of the Neue Nationalgalerie, the exhibition unfolds in three sections, exploring the contrasts that defined Berlin’s urban life between 1910 and 1930.

The first section focuses on the dynamism of the growing metropolis, examining architecture, transportation, and the hedonistic nightlife.

The second section is devoted to the social chasms that defined the everyday life of the working class.

The final section centers on the urban woman, addressing the desire for freedom, self-determination, and queer life as well as prostitution.

The diversity of Berlin’s interwar period is brought to life through works in various styles, such as Expressionism, Dadaism, and New Objectivity.

Works and Artists

All of the works on display have an explicit connection to the city of Berlin—both in terms of subject matter and through the artists’ biographical ties to the city.

On view are approximately 45 works, including major masterpieces from the National Gallery’s collection such as Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s *Potsdamer Platz* (1914), George Grosz’s *Grauer Tag* (1921), and Lotte Laserstein’s *Abend über Potsdam* (1930). An important loan from the Landesbank Baden-Württemberg’s collection at the Kunstmuseum Stuttgart complements the exhibition as an outstanding key work from the 1920s: Otto Dix’s *Portrait of the Dancer Anita Berber* (1925).

Artists in the exhibition:

Otto Dix, Heinrich Ehmsen, Paul Fuhrmann, George Grosz, Hans Grundig, Karl Hofer, Hannah Höch, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Oskar Kokoschka, Georg Kolbe, Will Lammert, Lotte Laserstein, Tamara de Lempicka, Jeanne Mammen, Carlo Mense, Otto Nagel, Oskar Nerlinger, Ernest Neuschul, Renée Sintenis, Jakob Steinhardt, Georg Tappert, Lesser Ury, Gustav Wunderwald.

Expansions and Outreach

The collection’s own focus on paintings and sculpture is complemented by prints and objects from neighboring institutions at Berlin’s Kulturforum, including the Kupferstichkabinett, the Kunstbibliothek, and the Kunstgewerbemuseum.

In addition, excerpts from Fritz Lang’s silent film classic *Metropolis* (1927) and from Walther Ruttmann’s experimental documentary *Berlin—A Symphony of the Metropolis* (1927) are presented.

In all sections, in addition to in-depth texts, poems by leading figures of the era—Anita Berber, Mascha Kaléko, and Erich Kästner—that are thematically related to the exhibition’s content are available at audio stations.

A diverse educational program featuring guided tours and workshops for families, students, and adults, as well as an accompanying program of events including concerts and lectures, complements the exhibition.

Curatorial Team

“Ruin and Intoxication: Berlin 1910–1930” is curated by Uta Caspary and Irina Hiebert Grun, research associates at the Neue Nationalgalerie.

Curatorial Assistant: Noor van Rooijen.

• A special exhibition of the Neue Nationalgalerie – Stiftung Preußischer Kulturbesitz