The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation has unveiled its highlight exhibitions for next year, promising visitors an extraordinary journey through art history and human civilization. Museum-goers will have the opportunity to trace the footsteps of Genghis Khan, explore humanity's first settlements, and discover the legacy of a prominent Berlin art collector who helped shape the art world.
The most anticipated exhibition is expected to be "Paul Cassirer and the Breakthrough of Impressionism" at the Alte Nationalgalerie, running from May 22 to September 27, 2026. This major show will likely draw long lines of visitors eager to explore the legacy of one of the era's most influential art dealers. Cassirer, whose 100th death anniversary falls next year, represented some of the most celebrated artists of his time, including Degas, Cézanne, Manet, Monet, and Renoir. The museum's collection houses 60 works with Cassirer provenance, including Claude Monet's "Summer," which will be featured in the exhibition.
The Gemäldegalerie will present a compelling counter-exhibition with its major portrait show running from October 16 to March 14. This comprehensive exhibition aims to reveal commonalities across centuries of portraiture, spanning from Botticelli to Lempicka and covering artistic developments from the 15th to the 20th century. Visitors who believe selfies are a contemporary invention will be proven wrong by this historical perspective on self-representation in art.
The Neue Nationalgalerie will attract art enthusiasts with a major exhibition dedicated to Constantin Brâncuși, scheduled from March 20 to August 9, 2026. The Romanian-French artist is recognized as one of the pioneers of abstract art, and the Berlin exhibition will showcase 100 sculptures rarely seen outside of Paris. The famous Brâncuși studio will also be recreated within the Neue Nationalgalerie. This remarkable opportunity has arisen due to the renovation of the Centre Pompidou in Paris, the usual home of these masterworks.
The Museum of Decorative Arts will celebrate the 100th birthday of exceptional designer Verner Panton with "Power, Pop & Plastic," running from November 13 to May 23, 2027. Meanwhile, the Museum of Prehistory and Early History will examine how Genghis Khan transformed both Asia and Europe in an exhibition opening in early October 2026, marking the 800th anniversary of the death of the founder of the Mongolian Empire.
For those interested in even more ancient history, the James Simon Gallery will present "Built Community: Göbekli Tepe, Tas Tepeler, and Life 12,000 Years Ago," exploring the beginnings of human settlement construction. The exhibition will feature Karl Schmidt-Rottluff, whose paintings continually reimagined the world through his unique artistic vision.
The Prussian Foundation museums are creating an extensive cultural program for next year, spanning millennia of human history and artistic achievement. From ancient civilizations to modern artistic movements, visitors will have unprecedented access to some of the world's most significant cultural treasures and artistic innovations.
