On Saturday 27 April, Constanze Itzel, Director of the House of European History, and Marius Winzeler, Director of the Grünes Gewölbe, Dresden, opened the exhibition Bellum et Artes – Europe and the Thirty Years' War to the public. In their introductory words, they stressed the relevance of transnational museum cooperation to address such a European topic in history, and they shared their delight at the fact that so many outstanding 17-century artworks from various collections across the continent were coming together in this exhibition.
The welcome speeches were followed by talks in the galleries by experts from the Czech Republic, Germany and Sweden, that shed light on the main messages of the exhibition and shared the story of certain objects. From the ornamental weapons set of Elector John George I of Saxony to the painting "Allegory of peace" after Rubens, they gave telling examples of the role arts played in the Thirty Years War.
Two days before, lenders, partners and friends of the House of European History were invited for a pre-opening reception and preview of the exhibition, where former president of the European Parliament and Chair of the House of European History's Board of Trustees Hans-Gert Pöttering made a strong statement on the priority for the European Union to stay engaged in the struggle for peace today.
Uncover more about Europe and the Thirty Years' War through the exhibition, which unravels the complex interplay between conflict and artistic expression.
Bellum et Artes is a Europe-wide research project involving a dozen institutions from seven countries, coordinated by the Leibniz Institute for the History and Culture of Eastern Europe and the Dresden State Art Collections. The exhibition at the House of European History is open seven days a week, with free entry, and runs until 12 January 2025.
