The Haus der Kunst was built between 1933 to 1937, according to Paul Ludwig Troost’s design. It was built with the personal participation of Adolf Hitler as the Haus der Deutschen Kunst, located on the south border of the English Garden. It opened with the first Gro§en Deutschen Kunstausstellung, in 1937. The exhibition Entartete Kunst, was shown in the neighboring gallery building on the Hofgarten as a contrasting event which placed approximately 600 works on view and allowed for public ridicule of their creators.

After the fall of the Third Reich, the Haus housed the Staatsgalerie Moderna Kunst in its western wing. The eastern wing developed into one of the most prestigious venues for international exhibitions between 1959–1980. It became one of the Haus’s many goals to rehabilitate the position of the art it had once promoted as alien. Exhibitions of such artists as Beckmann, Cézanne, Gauguin, Kandinsky, Klee, Munch, Picasso and van Gogh were shown. Christoph Vitali, director from 1994 to 2003, presented over 60 noted exhibitions, including the Barnes Collection, Roy Lichtenstein, Die Nacht, Francis Bacon, Lyonel Feininger, Max Ernst, Paul Klee and Frank Stella.

In May 2003 Chris Dercon took over as the Haus’s new director and was given the task of pursuing new paths with his program. This new direction was launched with the exhibition Partners, curated by the collector and artist Ydessa Hendeles with works from her collection. In addition to the presentation of other renowned collections, such as the Generali Foundation Collection and that of Ruth and Peter Herzog of Basel, important photographic positions were shown in the exhibitions on Bernd and Hilla Becher, Robert Adams and Lee Friedlander.

The Haus focuses on contemporary art, while also making cross connections to work from more art historical movements. The exhibitions are interdisciplinary in character, establishing links between art from earlier centuries and contemporary positions, fine art and applied art, as well as creating a focus on film, photography, architecture and design.

The Haus der Kunst is regarded as one of the most dynamic exhibition venues in Europe with a progressive programme. The Haus der Kunst today enjoys cooperative undertakings with institutions such as the Tate Modern, London; Museum of Modern Art, New York; Whitney Museum of Art, New York; Centre Pompidou, Paris; Jeu de Paume, Paris; Graphic Design Museum Beyerd Breda; MoMu Fashion Museum Antwerp. The most extensive exhibition in Europe to date on the American artist Paul McCarthy was an international success in Summer 2005. Renowned artists and personalities from both cultural and academic circles, including Patti Smith, Yoko Ono, Zaha Hadid, Rem Koolhaas, Herzog & de Meuron, Christoph Schlingensief have also appeared as guests in the Haus.

The Haus der Kunst presents approximately eight exhibitions each year.

The Haus der Kunst differentiates between public and private tours, both available in English. Public tours are free of charge and take place at specified times. Private tours are to be booked in advanced for an appointed time.

The Haus der Kunst’s specific education programs include: Art after work; Tour, snack & drink; Tour, coffee & cake; Family days out; and tours through the historical archive.

The Haus der Kunst opened its historical archives to the public for the first time in 2005. Since then, the public and scholars have had access to a wealth of documents and other materials that provide insight into the institution’s historical development and exhibition business from 1933 to the 1970s. The archive is located in one of the building’s cellars, which was used as a ‘vegetable cleaning room’ for the restaurant from 1937 to 1945. The space served to store files in the post-war era. In 2004/2005, the historian Sabine Brantl examined the inventory in the archive, catalogued it, and then published a monograph on the history of the Haus der Kunst. In response to the lively interest in the subject, and to enable a sustained dialogue on the history of the institution, Sabine Brantl began offering regular tours of the historical archive. These tours not only take in the part played by what the Nazis called the ‘House of German Art’, but also reflect on the understanding of the place’s history today, as well as the function and meaning of architecture.

The Haus der Kunst provides opportunities for children and teenagers to discover and enjoy their own creativity. They get to meet artists, discuss their work with them, and develop their own visual solutions. The programme encompasses; tours and games / workshops / private group events.

The Haus der Kunst presents approximately 190 workshops and 200 private group events each year.

Catalogues are published for special exhibitions.

The Haus der Kunst has exhibition space of 4500 m2. Gallery east: 1.850 m2 / Gallery north: 1.200 m2 / Gallery south: 1.124 m2 / Middle hall: 800 m2