Germans in Georgia - Art, Architecture, Science: 200 years of Georgian-German relations

This year, 2017, is the 200^th anniversary of Georgian-German relations and the 25^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Georgia and Germany. As part of the celebrations the Georgian National Museum’s Dimitri Shevardnadze National Gallery in Tbilisi presents the exhibition "Germans in Georgia - Art, Architecture, Science" from 12-30 April 2017.

The relationship between the two countries, Georgia and Germany, began when the Germans first settled in Georgia 200 years ago. Georgia also attracted German scholars, architects, writers, artists, and representatives of business communities, who made great contributions to the country's development.

For example, German naturalist and ethnographer Gustav Radde initiated and founded the Caucasus Museum in 1965. During this period, distinguished representatives of German science and culture, including artists and researchers, were working in Georgia. German economic experts who worked or lived in Georgia include: Otto and Walter Siemens, the Hummel brothers, the Forrer Brothers, and Richard Semmel.

German scientists in Georgia included Julius Heinrich Klaproth who wrote a three-volume book on his travels in the Caucasus in 1807-1808. He was followed by morphologists Moritz von Engelhardt and Friedrich Parrot, the botanist Karl Koch, the natural scientists Moritz Wagner and Friedrich Kolenati who explored the glaciers. Gottfried Merzbacher created the first map of the Caucasus Mountains after his travels in 1891-1892. Arnold Moritz founded the first observatory in the Caucasus in 1850 – he was followed by Ferdinand Dohrand in 1877 and Johann Mielberg in 1878. From 1861 the botanist Heinrich Scharrer became the director of the Imperial Botanical Garden in Tbilisi, which he transformed into a research facility.

In architecture, the Georgian National Gallery, the Classical Gymnasium, and the city council building are some of the historic buildings built by German architects. Each building's architecture is a blend of the two country’s cultures.

Otto Jacob Simonson designed the façade of the Governor’s Palace on Rustaveli Avenue, and together with Heinrich Scharrer he designed Alexander Park in 1859. Albert Salzmann designed the women’s college on Gudiashvili Street, the Caucasus Museum and the Museum of Military History (which is now the National Gallery). Paul Stern, Ferdinand Lehmkuhl, Joseph Ditsmann, and Leopold Biefeld designed the City Hall and the Opera building.

The exhibition highlights paintings, graphic works, architectural drawings and photographs by German artists. Georgia-based German artists in the exhibition include: Oskar Schmerling, Teodor Horschelt, Boris Vogel, Max Tilke, Irina Steinberg, Richard Sommer, Alexander Salzmann and more. 

For this exhibition, the Georgian National Museum partnered with the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation, Berlin State Museums, The German Archaeological Institute, Senckenberg Museum, The Goethe institute, German Mining Museum and other organisations.

Boris Vogel, Northern View of Metechi 1934

Boris Vogel, Yerevan Square 1927

Richard Karl Sommer, Shah Ismail Moscque 1926

Richard Karl Sommer, Market Scene 1926

Paul von Franken, Old Tbilisi 1879

Franken's view in 2016

Helene Korber-Franken, Old Tbilisi 1854

Boris Vogel, Colourful Street 1928

Boris Vogel, Bath Street 1930

Boris Vogel, Botanical Street 1930

Botanical Street 2017

Botanical Street 2016

Boris Vogel, Old Tbilisi 1930

Vogel's view 2016

Oskar Schmerling, Tranportable Dowry (no date)

Oskar Schmerling, Barber Shop (no date)

Richard Karl Sommer, Recreation 1903

Paul von Franken, On the Banks of the Rioni 1879

Oskar Schmerling, Landscape 1930

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MARTINA NICOLLS is an international aid and development consultant, and the author of:- The Shortness of Life: A Mongolian Lament (2015), Liberia’s Deadest Ends (2012), Bardot’s Comet (2011), Kashmir on a Knife-Edge (2010) and The Sudan Curse (2009).