Ernst Barlach House, Expressionist art museum in Jenisch Park, Altona, Germany.
The Ernst Barlach House is a museum in a functionalist brick building within Jenisch Park dedicated to the sculptor's work. The rooms feature large windows bringing natural light while displaying sculptures, drawings, and prints spanning his artistic development.
Hermann F. Reemtsma met Ernst Barlach in Güstrow in 1934 and began collecting his work, starting with the walnut sculpture Der Asket (1925). By Barlach's death in 1938 he owned 20 sculptures and around 100 drawings, which he shielded after the Nazis seized 381 works and banned Barlach. In the 1950s he set up his art foundation, and shortly before his death in 1961 he commissioned the museum, built by Werner Kallmorgen from 1961, finished after Reemtsma's death and opened in October 1962.
The museum is named after Ernst Barlach, and its collection began with Hermann F. Reemtsma's purchase of the walnut sculpture Der Asket (1925); Reemtsma also commissioned Barlach to complete the Fries der Lauschenden. The attached library holds literature on Barlach and his era.
The museum sits in Jenisch Park in Othmarschen, in Hamburg's Altona borough, west of the centre. The entrance is reached through the park, and the galleries are grouped around an inner courtyard that was glazed over in 1995/96. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday; the surrounding park paths allow a walk before or after the visit.
Children who attend guided tours can follow a character called Willie Woodworker leading them through the collection. This figure transforms the visit into a playful adventure for younger visitors exploring the artworks.
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