Frankfurt's Culture Commissioner Ina Hartwig expressed profound relief over the pardoning of Algerian author and Peace Prize laureate Boualem Sansal, calling it "really good news" and thanking Federal President Steinmeier for his efforts. The 81-year-old writer had been imprisoned in Algeria since November of last year and was sentenced to five years in prison. Sansal received the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade in Frankfurt's Paulskirche in 2011.
Meanwhile, Frankfurt's cultural landscape is experiencing a renaissance with several major exhibitions opening this week. The Liebieghaus Sculpture Collection launched "Animals Are Just Humans Too," featuring sculptures by August Gaul (1869-1921) in bronze, ceramic, and marble, juxtaposed with sculptures spanning three millennia. Curator Vinzenz Brinkmann explains that "August Gaul shows for the first time in European art history the animal as an independent individual." The exhibition showcases approximately 100 animal sculptures, including eagles, bears, otters, penguins, and orangutans, running until May 3, 2026.
The Städel Museum has unveiled two masterpieces from its "Old Masters" collection after seven years of extensive research and restoration work. The Flémalle Panels, among the most significant Flemish paintings of the 15th century, pioneered a painting revolution around 1430 by using oil instead of egg as a binding agent for paint. This technique allowed up to seven layers of paint to be applied instead of just one or two, enabling deceptively realistic painting. The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, with Thursday hours extended until 6:00 PM.
In Bad Arolsen, the Arolsen Archives, the world's largest archive of Nazi victims containing over 40 million documents, will receive a new home. Construction for the federal building project begins in 2026, directly opposite the main building on the Arolsen Archives grounds. This facility serves as an essential resource for researchers worldwide studying Nazi persecution and supports local memorial initiatives.
The Caricatura Frankfurt, the Museum for Comic Art, is hosting a three-day flea market under the motto "The Moose Cleans Up" from Thursday through Saturday. Satire enthusiasts can purchase books, postcards, posters, prints, objects, frames, mats, magazines, and other comic items at bargain prices. The market operates Thursday and Friday from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM, and Saturday from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.
In a heartwarming community story, Wolfgang Schwalm, former member of the Wildecker Herzbuben duo, volunteers monthly as a driver for the citizen bus in Weissenborn. He joins approximately 35 volunteer drivers who make rounds twice weekly through the communities of Ringgau and Weißenborn. Since its inaugural journey in 2011, the citizen bus has operated for 932 days serving senior citizens. The 71-year-old former singer, following the duo's separation in August, plans to restart his career as solo artist "Der Herzbube Wolfgang."
Frankfurt received an extraordinary birthday gift on what would have been Vicco von Bülow's (Loriot) 102nd birthday. The entire artistic estate of the humorist multitalent is transferring to Frankfurt and the Caricatura Museum. The Frankfurt Museum for Comic Art had celebrated Loriot's 100th birthday with the tribute "Oh Well, Loriot at One Hundred," which became the museum's most successful exhibition to date, attracting over 127,000 visitors from September 28, 2023, to May 12, 2024. Previously, the artistic legacy of the cartoonist, author, director, and actor was stored in Loriot's villa at Lake Starnberg near Munich.
In Kassel, a solemn memorial event took place as 2,659 names of Jewish Nazi victims were read aloud in front of the former Gestapo headquarters at Königstor, commemorating those deported 87 years ago. The reading began at 8:00 AM and continued into the late evening, with psalms and prayers concluding the ceremony at 10:00 PM. The 280-page script meticulously lists the life data of Jews from the former Kassel administrative district who became victims of the Nazis, drawing from various sources including the Arolsen Archives, the Yad Vashem database, and the Federal Archives.
The Bergpark Kassel welcomed back a long-lost treasure as the "Chinese Man" sculpture returned to its original home after centuries of wandering. Originally standing in the 18th-century park, the sculpture was removed during park renovations and passed through private ownership until a Kassel couple returned it to Hessen Kassel Heritage. Now restored with its missing head and foot tips, it stands in a small grove in the lower part of Mulangstraße.
Architectural news emerged from Wiesbaden as the Viennese firm "Schenker Salvi Weber ZT" won the international architectural competition for the planned extension of Museum Wiesbaden. From over 120 applications, 20 architectural firms were invited to participate, with 19 ultimately submitting designs. The winning design impressed the jury with its "architectural quality, functional organization, and sensitive handling of the listed building stock." The planned extension will add approximately 3,000 square meters of usable space for special and permanent exhibitions, storage rooms, and office and technical areas.
