Circus magic in the clinic: Altenburg's new art exhibition inspires!

Circus magic in the clinic: Altenburg's new art exhibition inspires!

The Lindenau Museum Altenburg is opening a fascinating exhibition entitled “Circus!” at the Altenburger Land Clinic. This presentation, which opened its doors today, October 8, 2025, includes 17 reproduction photographs of prints from the 20th century. The works show lively motifs such as circus animals, jugglers and acrobats, immersing the audience in the colorful world of the circus. The exhibition is shown on the premises of the clinic and is part of a long-standing cooperation between the Lindenau Museum and the clinic.

Various presentations have already been held at the clinic in the past, including city views by the artist Friedheim Milczynski in 2024. Currently, the exhibition “Circus!” provides an insight into the museum's collection, despite the ongoing renovation and modernization work in the museum building on Altenburger Schlossberg. At the moment only a small part of the extensive collections can be shown in the museum. The special exhibitions of the Lindenau Museum will take place in the Prinzenpalais of the Altenburg Residential Palace during the closure.

The graphic collection of the Lindenau Museum

A look into the background of the Lindenau Museum's graphic collection shows that this is the youngest department of the institution. It was originally created by Franz Graf von Lindenau, who mainly purchased reproduction graphics as illustrative material for his art and trade school. In 1935 and 1936 the museum received two significant donations: a collection of drawings and prints from the 16th to 20th centuries by Hermann Köhler and his wife, as well as works by Hermann Anders Krüger, the director of the state library. The systematic expansion of the graphic collection began after the museum reopened in 1949 under the direction of Hanns-Conon von der Gabelentz, who played a key role in its development.

The collection focuses on two main areas: German graphics of the 1920s and post-war graphics in the GDR, with a particular focus on the art scenes in Dresden, Leipzig and Berlin. The graphic collection currently contains around 40,000 sheets. Particular highlights are the purchases of print portfolios from the 1920s in 1994 and 1995, which expanded the inventory to over 7,000 individual sheets. Thanks to the support of foundations and the “Friends of the Lindenau Museum” support group, two extensive Gerhard Altenbourg collections were added in 1996/97 and 2010, making the museum the largest publicly accessible Gerhard Altenbourg collection.

The exhibition “Circus!” not only offers an insight into the fascinating circus world, but also reflects the rich collection history and the continuous development of the Lindenau Museum. The commitment to communicating art and culture remains very much in the foreground even during the current renovation work.