History of Ludwig Museum Budapest
The German couple, Irene and Peter Ludwig, the founders of Ludwig Museum – Museum of Contemporary Art, Budapest, built up a collection of more than 12 thousand works of art, ranging from antiquities to contemporary art. The pieces they have donated or lent are on display at 30 museums worldwide, out of which 12 bears the name of the founders, among others institutions in Budapest, Cologne, Vienna and Beijing.
Ludwig Museum, Budapest – the first Ludwig institution beyond the Iron Curtain – was founded in 1989, which was preceded by the formation of Ludwig Foundation in Hungary in 1987.
70 outstanding international artworks were selected and donated to the Budapest institution and further 95 pieces were lent as long-term deposits. These artworks constitute the core of the museum’s international collection. The first collection display of the newly founded museum, which is Hungary’s first museum dedicated exclusively to contemporary art, was opened in 1991 in Building A of the Buda Castle and was hosted by the Hungarian National Gallery. In 1996, the institution took on the name Museum of Contemporary Art and its collection was enriched with a remarkable collection of Hungarian artworks. Ludwig Museum moved to the Müpa (formerly the Palace of Arts) in 2005.
An average of 8-10 temporary exhibitions are organised at the Ludwig Museum each year. From time to time, it also showcases its collection to the public in various contexts.
The guiding principle of Ludwig Museum’s collecting policy is to strengthen the institution’s position within the region. The uniqueness of the collection is provided by its Central-Eastern European character, in other words: artistic achievements from the past half century produced by a region with a particular historic and cultural context are emphatically present. Progressive Hungarian art of the 1960-80’s is presented primarily through selected works, parallel with international tendencies.
The Ludwig Museum was led by director Katalin Néray, an art historian and museologist, from 1993 until her death in 2007. Enjoying a widespread international reputation, Ms. Néray, a distinguished expert of contemporary art, played a fundamental role in creating and building up the collection, as well as in working out the museum’s conceptual framework. Her outstanding work and activities were recognised with several prestigious awards and prizes.
The Ludwig Foundation: History and Aims
Irene Ludwig studied history and art history at the University of Mainz. While a student, she got acquainted with Peter Ludwig, whom she married in 1951. The couple joined a prospering family business, the Monheim chocolate factories, but dedicated all of their free time to the arts, and starting in the 1960’s they established and developed one of the most remarkable contemporary art collections in Europe.
In October 1982, Irene and Peter Ludwig established the "Ludwig Foundation for Art and International Understanding." After the sudden death of her husband on July 22, 1996, Irene Ludwig established the "Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation" with the intention to complete Peter Ludwig’s life-work and to secure permanent financial security for museums preserving pieces of their collection.
The goals and activities of the Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation are realized in particular through the acquisition and administration of art objects, including the organization of exhibitions and the promotion of loans to public exhibitions, as well as through the financial support of the acquisition and maintenance of works of art, the promotion of all these, as well as the development of international relations on a cultural level.
A further aim of the Foundation is to facilitate cooperative efforts between the various Ludwig Museums in the spirit of international cultural dialogue. The promotion of a multicultural dialogue will improve social relations beyond national borders. In accordance with the visions and goals of the founders and in appreciation of their enormous achievements and outstanding collection, it is the responsibility of the Foundation's boards to lead the Foundation into a prosperous future. The boards are, however, at the same time, free to react to the challenges of changing times. The establishment of the Peter and Irene Ludwig Foundation was not intended to serve the purpose of preserving the Ludwig Collection as a monument, but rather to pursue any activities, in the spirit of the founders, that are future-orientated and productive.
Ludwig Museum – Museum of Contemporary Art in Budapest is also a member of the association, its international acquisitions and professional programmes are still regularly financed by the Foundation based in Aachen.
The founders
Peter Ludwig
Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Peter Ludwig was born on July 9, 1925, in Koblenz. In the autumn of 1945 he started studying law at the University of Bonn and from 1946, he studied art history, archaeology, prehistory and philosophy at the newly founded University of Mainz. He already started collecting activities while at university. In 1950 finished his doctoral thesis titled "Das Menschenbild Picassos als Ausdruck eines generationsmäßig bedingten Lebensgefühls“ ("Picasso’s image of man as an expression of a generationally determined attitude to life“). In 1951 he married Irene Monheim and ran a successful management career in the family-owned Monheim/Ludwig Chocolate Company. As of 1957, cooperation started with the museums in Cologne and Aachen. He was appointed as a member of numerous museum boards and committees. His activity and dedication were recognised with several prestigious prizes and awards, and he was given the title Honorary Professor by several universities. Peter Ludwig died on the 22nd of July 1996.
Irene Ludwig
Professor Dr. h.c. mult. Irene Ludwig was born in 1927 in Aachen. In 1947 she started studies in art history, archaeology and prehistory in Mainz. She started her collecting activities already while at university in Mainz. As of 1957, cooperation started with the museums in Cologne and Aachen. She has been appointed as a member of numerous museum boards and committees. Her activity and dedication were recognised with several prestigious prizes and awards, was given the title Honorary Professor by several universities. Irene Ludwig died on the 28th November 2010.
