Wilhelmshaven's oldest cultural institution: an exhibition venue for contemporary art in a listed building of postwar modernism.
October 10, 2026 – November 15, 2026
Sculptural and ephemeral works by the Vienna-based artist examine how things and historical narratives change under shifting social conditions. Presented as part of NORDWESTKUNST 2025.
October 10, 2026 – November 15, 2026
The Berlin-based artist investigates traces of a nomadic life and creates spaces between arrival and home. Presented as part of NORDWESTKUNST 2025.
The Kunsthalle grew out of civic engagement: in 1912, at the suggestion of Admiral Friedrich Graf von Baudissin, the Verein der Kunstfreunde (Friends of Art Association) was founded, and a year later the Kaiser-Friedrich-Kunsthalle opened, backed by around 300 signatories of a founding appeal. This makes it the oldest cultural institution in the city on the Jade Bight.
The original building was lost in World War II; afterward, the association held exhibitions in makeshift spaces. In 1964, the city decided on a new building, which opened on March 3, 1968. Architects Hans Günter Harms and Frank Sommerfeld designed a brick and concrete building in the tradition of Bauhaus modernism, its facade defined by a relief by Siegfried Pagel; the building has been a listed monument since 2008. Following roof repairs, the Kunsthalle remained closed until the end of 2024.
The Verein der Kunstfreunde für Wilhelmshaven still runs the venue today. It shows changing exhibitions of contemporary art – painting as well as large-scale installations – and opens its doors to performance, music, dance and literature. Its regular formats include presenting the winners of the NORDWESTKUNST art prize. The municipal art collection comprises around 2,000 paintings.
| Adults | €4 |
|---|---|
| Reduced | €2 |
| Groups | –Private guided tour by advance booking (max. 25 people): €60 plus reduced admission; school classes free. |
Free admission: "Kunst für Alle": free admission on one day per exhibition
Free admission for members of the Verein der Kunstfreunde für Wilhelmshaven and for school classes.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
Great for kids & families
Children's workshops "Meine Kunsthalle" for ages 6 to 12 on four Saturdays per exhibition; private tours, also for children's birthday parties, can be booked. Daycare centers and schools have free admission.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Exhibition walk-throughs, artist talks, the reading circle "Die Kunst zu Lesen" and "Kunstpicknick" (art picnic); children's workshops "Meine Kunsthalle" (ages 6–12) on four Saturdays per exhibition. Schools and daycare centers: free admission, visits also possible outside opening hours by arrangement. |
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