Kunsthalle Würth celebrates reopening and 25th anniversary
Germany’s Federal President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, and State Premier of Baden-Württemberg, Cem Özdemir, honor commitment to art and culture in Schwäbisch Hall
25 years after its opening, Kunsthalle Würth in Schwäbisch Hall is entering a new chapter. Following an approximately three-year period of extension and renovation, during which exhibition operations largely continued, the venue is now presenting itself in its expanded form for the first time.
The reopening was marked by a ceremony on 13 October at St. Catherine’s Church. Germany’s Federal President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, State Premier of Baden-Württemberg, Cem Özdemir, Anselm Kiefer, and around 600 invited guests attended this special occasion, which also placed the importance of Kunsthalle Würth and Würth’s commitment to culture at the center of attention. This commitment stems from the passion and initiative of entrepreneur and art collector Reinhold Würth.
Wherever you exhibit your works—in your museums, exhibition halls, or associated galleries—you also create places for people to come together and exchange ideas, places our society so urgently needs. And I would like to thank you most sincerely for that.
Cem Özdemir, State Premier of Baden-Württemberg, said: “Art has the power to bring people together. People have the power to create art. Today, we are celebrating both. We have gathered here in the impressive, newly expanded Kunsthalle Würth and are also celebrating its 25th anniversary. It is fantastic to be here and to see this comprehensive presentation of Anselm Kiefer’s work—an exceptional artist whose work the Würth couple has enabled us to experience at this venue. I am extraordinarily grateful to the Würth family for their commitment, which is making a major contribution not only to Schwäbisch Hall but also to strengthening Baden-Württemberg as a center for the arts.”
My aim is to give people in the region more opportunities to discover and engage with the arts and culture, including music.
Maria Würth, Executive Vice President of the Würth Group for Arts and Culture: “25 years of Kunsthalle Würth are not just an occasion for us to look back, but above all to look ahead. We want to continue developing the venue as an open and vibrant place where people can discover art, encounter new perspectives, and enjoy returning. The extension helps Kunsthalle Würth to be that place.”
Since its opening in 2001, Kunsthalle Würth has become an integral part of cultural life in Schwäbisch Hall and a major art venue of significance beyond the region. More than five million people have visited the museum since then. At the ceremony, Mayor Daniel Bullinger highlighted the development of Kunsthalle Würth and its importance for the town and region.
Designed by Henning Larsen Architects, the extension adds approximately 600 square meters of exhibition space, bringing Kunsthalle Würth’s total to approximately 3,200 square meters. For the first time, visitors can follow a circular route through the venue. New spaces for art education and audiovisual content further expand the opportunities to present art in different ways and make it accessible.
The first exhibition in the reopened venue is the major solo exhibition “Anselm Kiefer – All That Is the Case.” It brings together more than 70 works from the Würth Collection as well as 21 works on loan from the artist that will be on view at Kunsthalle Würth from 16 October 2026. Anselm Kiefer is one of the most important artists of our time. His multilayered works explore history, memory, and the fundamental questions of human existence. His work has shaped the Würth Collection for decades.
The two central themes of the reopening, architecture and art, were also at the heart of the ceremony: Werner Frosch of Henning Larsen Architects provided insights into the architectural extension of Kunsthalle Würth. Florian Illies, art historian and catalog author, addressed the work of Anselm Kiefer and the major reopening exhibition “Anselm Kiefer – All That Is the Case.”
In addition to the exhibition in Schwäbisch Hall, one of Anselm Kiefer’s works is receiving a new permanent home in Künzelsau: the Anselm Kiefer Pavilion, designed by Sir David Chipperfield, has opened at Museum Würth 2. It is dedicated to the monumental work Black Flakes from the Würth Collection. The work, which stands around 11 meters high, is being presented for the first time in a building designed specifically for it.