Worpswede's cultural scene is in transition: Jäger is leaving the museum association after 15 years

Worpswede's cultural scene is in transition: Jäger is leaving the museum association after 15 years

A farewell with deep emotions is coming up: Matthias Jäger, the managing director of the Worpswede Museum Association, will be giving up his position at the end of August after 15 eventful years. His resignation comes after a period full of challenges, as he describes his job as an “absolute dream job”. “It was an adventure to create each exhibition,” says Jäger, who already in his childhood developed a close connection to Worpswede, where his family regularly spent time. The discussion with the artist Paula Modersohn-Becker, who stands for the expression of Worpswede culture and art, was of particular importance to him Weser-Kurier reports.

Jäger, who previously worked as manager of the Bremen Chamber Philharmonic, brings sound cultural expertise to his work. His involvement in the cultural office was aimed at supporting museums and artists. A crucial milestone during his term of office was the implementation of the “Worpswede Master Plan”, which united four museums under the museum network and included significant renovation work and new exhibition concepts. Thanks to Jäger's vision, the museum landscape in Worpswede experienced a refreshing change, which even led to a nomination for the Cultural Brand Award. He sees his departure as the “perfect moment” to make room for something new and is supported in this by Imke Schumacher-Reichert, who will succeed him.

The influences of Paula Modersohn-Becker

Paula Modersohn-Becker, who lived between 1876 and 1907, is considered one of the most important pioneers of artistic modernism of her century. She can be seen as a central figure within the Worpswede artists' colony. Modersohn-Becker left behind an impressive body of work that includes around 750 paintings and 1,000 drawings. Her works impress with an intense connection to the people and nature in Worpswede. Her portraits of women and children in particular are known for their dignity and expressiveness. Her unique signature combines powerful, sensitively designed colors and avoids distorted representations in order to paint an authentic picture of rural life, as Worpswede Museums explains in detail.

As part of the upcoming exhibition “The Indivisible Sky,” which will be on view from June 29, 2025 to January 18, 2026, Modersohn-Becker will be in focus. The exhibition extends across four museums and focuses on her much-celebrated work as well as the lives of other female artists of the time. As a pioneer of female self-determination, she made a significant contribution to the artistic landscape in Worpswede and was posthumously recognized as an independent artist, something she was often denied in the society of her time. Works by contemporary artists such as Anahita Razmi will also be shown in order to draw a link to today's artistic practice, which Worpswede Touristik emphasizes emphatically.

Matthias Jäger not only leaves behind a newly designed museum landscape, but also a cultural treasure that inspires visitors and artists worldwide. He is celebrating his farewell with an exhibition that shows 19 photographs of the Bremen Samba Carnival and will open on July 10th in Kreishaus I. Jäger plans to remain connected to Worpswede's museum landscape as a visitor and is looking forward to new, unspecific challenges in culture.