A new private museum dedicated to the largely forgotten Leipzig-born painter Rolf Werner (1916-1989) has opened in Großröhrsdorf, a town located between Dresden and Bautzen in eastern Germany. The museum, housed in a former industrialist's villa, showcases approximately 90 oil paintings by Werner, with plans to expand the collection to include drawings and additional works in the future.
Rolf Werner lived for many years on the Baltic Sea island of Usedom, where he painted idyllic landscapes and urban scenes. Despite his artistic output, Werner has become largely forgotten in contemporary art circles. His works were last publicly displayed over a decade ago at his former residence on Usedom. The painter's artistic style focused on carefully composed landscapes that were not mere reproductions of reality, but rather imaginative interpretations that possessed what admirers describe as 'magical qualities.'
The museum was established through the passionate efforts of Dresden-based painter and graphic artist Silke Höppner and her husband Thorsten Preuß, who reside in Großröhrsdorf. Höppner first encountered Werner's work as an art student when she visited the former Rolf Werner memorial studio on Usedom. 'It was love at first sight with his small works, and that feeling continues to this day,' Höppner told MDR Culture. She was immediately fascinated by Werner's artistic approach, noting that he would work extensively on each piece, composing them until they achieved perfect balance.
According to Höppner, Werner's artistic process involved taking creative liberties with his subjects rather than simply copying them. 'He conjures his own world, and that's what's convincing about his works: they are never superficial and never hastily painted,' she explained. The painter would spend considerable time on each work, giving himself the freedom to compose until reaching what he considered absolute equilibrium. Among the displayed works are picturesque cityscapes from Leipzig and occasional harbor scenes, alongside the landscapes for which he became known.
After Werner's widow died in 2014, the artist's entire body of work was placed in storage and disappeared from public view. Höppner took the initiative to contact Werner's descendants and, along with her husband, now preserves the artist's estate in their Großröhrsdorf home. The couple has independently established the museum on one floor of their former industrialist's villa, creating a dedicated space to honor Werner's artistic legacy.
The Rolf Werner Museum is located at Bischofswerdaer Straße 8 in the Bretnig district of Großröhrsdorf and operates on weekends, opening Saturdays and Sundays from 11 AM to 6 PM. Admission to the museum is free, making Werner's rediscovered works accessible to the public once again. The museum represents a grassroots effort to preserve and celebrate the work of an artist who might otherwise have remained in obscurity.
