On the 250th anniversary of American independence—viewed from a European perspective
This evening honors Walter Farmer (1911–1997), a U.S. Army lieutenant who, in late 1945, resisted the United States’ attempt to confiscate 200 masterpieces from the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin and two paintings from the Nationalgalerie.
Image gallery
Walter Farmer (links) und ein Unbekannter im Central Collecting Point, Wiesbaden
Farmer demanded that the works taken to Washington be returned to the German people.
The 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence offers an opportunity to show how much today’s Gemäldegalerie still owes to a man who stood up against decisions he considered unjust.
An event organized by the Gemäldegalerie and the Technical University of Berlin, Institute for Art History and Historical Urban Studies
PROGRAM
Lecture Hall, Kulturforum
5:00 PM
Introduction
Dagmar Hirschfelder, Berlin State Museums, Gemäldegalerie
5:10
Walter Farmer, the American Who Said No
Neville Rowley, Berlin State Museums, Gemäldegalerie
5:35
Introduction to the panel discussion
Bénédicte Savoy, Technical University of Berlin
5:40
“Received with misgivings”: Reactions in America to the Berlin Paintings
Alexandra Germer, Princeton University / Technical University of Berlin
6:00
Albrecht Dürer in Buenos Aires? A German-American Debate on the Sale of Museum Artifacts
Iñigo Salto Santamaria, University of Zurich
6:20
Lost and Found (1945–2011): The Rediscovered Horney Madonna
Florian Schmitt, Technical University of Berlin
6:40 PM
Discussion with the audience
7:00
Reception
7:30
Guided tour with the speakers
Meeting point: Kulturforum lecture hall
Admission and participation are free. Limited number of participants. Registration recommended.
Additional information
Dates
July 2026
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