Culture in Wittlich
The variety of events enhances town life
In addition to its own, wide ranging event management, the Wittlich Cultural Office supports the numerous activities of private associations and organisers. As well as this there is the care of town twinning schemes, the editing of publications, the care of local cultural goods or the organisation of popular festivals. A particular focus in the work by the Cultural Office are the concerts, theatre and entertainment performances offered. In this connection two municipal venues for events enjoy an supraregional renown: the Synagogue Cultural and Conference Centre and the Georg Meistermann Museum with the associated “Gallery of Modern Art”.Wittlich Synagogue – an outstanding cultural monument
Parallel to the continuous collection of the Jewish past in Wittlich, the Synagogue Cultural and Conference Centre presents interdisciplinary changing exhibitions covering topics such as history, culture and contemporary questions The Synagogue has become a favoured event venue for concerts, lectures, readings, international meetings, expert and guest conferences. Together with other organisers, the Musikkreis Wittlich e.V. (music circle club) and the Jazz Club Wittlich e.V. give guest performances there with their ambitious programmes. The historical building dating from the year 1910 ensures the particular architectural brilliance of today's Jewish memorial. It dates back to the chief district architect, Johannes Vienken, who gained a great reputation through his comprehensive life's work. The Synagogue, which is one of the outstanding memorials of Jewish sacred buildings in Germany is a listed building due to its cultural and architectural-historical importance.
The “Old Town hall” at the market place, with its oldest parts originating from 1650 and last extended in 1924, is also a historical building listed as a monument. The renowned oil and glass painter Georg Meistermann created the four-part cycle of the “Horsemen of the Apocalypse” in 1954 especially for the windows in the staircase. With a contemporary form language and updated, biblical references, the glass paintings recall the destruction during the Second World War and of the “Apocalyptic period of National Socialist Rule”. In international art history the windows have an unequalled reputation for their time-less quality rich in radiation and on account of the then extraordinary courage. Artistic assignment and cultural-political foresight date back to Wittlich's former mayor Matthias J. Mehs.
Cultural lighthouse in Rhineland-Palatinate - the Georg Meistermann Museum
Since 1984 art exhibitions have been shown in the Old Town Hall. The first presentation was dedicated to the graphics and drawings by Georg Meistermann (1911 – 1990). Ten years later and on the initiative of Mayor Helmut Hagedorn, the Old Town Hall became the home of today's Georg Meistermann Museum and the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art.In alternating exhibitions, national and also international artistic positions are presented. In the course of the years Wittlich has become a nationally known, frequently visited hub of contemporary art development. The newspaper “Der Trierische Volksfreund” called the Wittlich Georg Meistermann Museum a “cultural lighthouse of the region”.
In addition to its broad orientation, a consistent, museum-pedagogical cooperation with local kindergartens and schools is cultivated. Thus it has been possible to realise numerous museum- and educationally-related exhibition projects with children and young people as a further point of focus. Two sculptural symposia have contributed towards the further development of the modern and open-minded profile of Wittlich with their works in the town park and the town centre.
The museum's collection of Georg Meistermann works is unique in Germany. In a concentrated selection, the artist's life work is traced representatively with valuable exhibits. You can see graphics, drawings, original window drafts on a scale of 1:1 as well as glass and oil paintings. The number of Meistermann art works which can be seen in the museum as well as in private and public buildings in Wittlich is unique in Germany. Committed support is provided by the association for the promotion of the Georg Meistermann Museum “Der Schwebende Punkt”.