{"id":14931,"date":"2026-02-19T23:12:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T22:12:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kaethe-kollwitz.berlin\/?p=14931"},"modified":"2026-02-22T19:01:27","modified_gmt":"2026-02-22T18:01:27","slug":"stage-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kaethe-kollwitz.berlin\/en\/theater\/stage-1\/","title":{"rendered":"Stage 1: The beginnings"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_row type=”vc_default” gap=”35″][vc_column width=”1\/4″][vc_single_image image=”14974″ img_size=”full” css=””][\/vc_column][vc_column width=”3\/4″][vc_column_text css=””]Kollwitz’s first documented visit to a Berlin theatre dates back to February 26, 1893. It was the premiere of \u201cThe Weavers\u201d by Gerhart Hauptmann (1862\u20131946), which made a profound impression on her. She later recalled that she immediately began work on her own series of prints based on the play. However, she likely also responded to another drama that premiered only a few weeks later that same year: Max Halbe’s (1865\u20131944) \u201cJugend\u201d (Youth).<\/p>\n

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Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749\u20131832) was the artist’s declared favorite poet, and his \u201cFaust I\u201d played a central role in the Kollwitz family’s Easter tradition. She had already engaged with the character of Gretchen in 1889, presumably while still studying in Munich. In 1897, she had the opportunity to see Parts I and II of the tragedy in Berlin. The only documented evidence, however, only confirms her attendance at Max Reinhardt’s (1873\u20131943) celebrated production of \u201cFaust II\u201d in 1911.[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row type=”vc_default” full_width=”stretch_row” gap=”35″ content_placement=”middle” css=”.vc_custom_1770821468858{background-color: #80152A !important;}”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”” el_class=”white-h3 white-p”]<\/p>\n

exhibited works:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n

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