Historical artists' colony

Dachau around 1900

By the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Dachau, alongside Worpswede, was one of Europe's most important artists' villages.

In the late 19th century Dachau became a popular destination for landscape painters. These had a great influence on Dachau's life, cultivated and transmitting the customs of the region and seeking to preserve the beauties of architecture and nature. At that time, it is said that every tenth inhabitant was a painter, including famous names such as Adolf Hölzel, Ludwig Dill and Arthur Langhammer. Carl Spitzweg and Lovis Corinth also came to Dachau from time to time and used the special light conditions in the Dachauer Moos in their plain-air paintings.

Women in particular were discovering painting in great numbers and enrolling for training at the private painting schools of Dachau. Before 1926 women were barred from attending the State Academy in Munich. Their works can today be seen at the Gemäldegalerie Dachau, (Dachau Painting Gallery).

Black and white photographie of a womens' outdoor painting class around the year 1900 with easels and cow, trees in the background. Photo: Zweckverband Dachauer Galerien und Museen.
Women's outdoor painting class around the year 1900. Photo: Zweckverband Dachauer Galerien und Museen

euroArt

Today, the city of Dachau is an active member of the Association of European Artists' Resorts euroArt.

In 2021, Dachau's mayor Florian Hartmann was elected euroArt president.

Today, artists from a wide variety of artistic disciplines continue to shape the current city's cultural scene.

Various museums and galleries such as the Dachau Painting Gallery, the Gallery of the Dachau Artists' Association (KVD) and the New Gallery present both historical and current artists of the city.

Logo euroArt mit Subline "we inspire cultural connection"

From a historical artists' colony to modern artists' town