When does the exhibition take place?

The special exhibition starts on 10.08.2026 at 10:00 AM and ends the same day at 5:00 PM.

What is the entrance fee?

The researched entrance fee for adults is 11 euros, reduced 8 euros. Children and young people up to 18 years have free admission.

Where does the exhibition take place?

At the Prince Pückler Museum Park & Castle Branitz in Cottbus, Robinienweg 5, 03042 Cottbus.

Is the exhibition suitable for a short museum visit?

Yes, as a cabinet exhibition, it is very well suited for a concentrated visit focusing on painting, drawing, and collection history.

Is there information about accessibility?

The castle and the venues of the house are listed on the official pages with notes on accessibility and relevant information. For detailed questions, it is advisable to inquire at the museum.

Where can I find more information about the museum?

The official website of the Prince Pückler Museum Park and Castle Branitz provides the most important information about the collection, offerings, and events.

Italy's Light Meets Branitz: Hugo Paul Harrer Rediscovered at the Castle

Name: Special Exhibition: Between Capri and Rome. Hugo Paul Harrer
Start: 2026-08-10T12:00:00+02:00
End: 2026-08-10T19:00:00+02:00
Location: Fürst Pückler Museum Park & Schloss Branitz

Italian Longing in Branitz Castle: Rediscovering Hugo Paul Harrer

The special exhibition Between Capri and Rome. Hugo Paul Harrer invites you into the world of 19th-century painting, which thrives on the light of Italy, Roman cityscapes, and the Amalfi coast. In Branitz, an artistic experience unfolds that impressively connects biography, collection history, and art historical context.

A Life Story Between Rome and Cottbus

At the center is the painter Hugo Paul Harrer (1836–1876), a representative of the Düsseldorf School, who found his way to painting after architectural training and furthered his education in both Rome and Düsseldorf. His works revolve around Italian landscapes, street scenes, and ruins, atmospheric distant views, and that precise observation that combines academic painting with poetic moods. The exhibition also focuses on Franziska Wickerath, Harrer's wife: She preserved and disseminated the legacy that later went into the Carl-Blechen collection of the city of Cottbus.

The Imagery of the South

Particularly appealing is the examination of the motifs that condense the romantic image of Italy in the 19th century: Amalfi, Rome, coastal light, architectural fragments, and the freshly restored Vesuv. Drawings and paintings unfold a subtle spatial effect between topography and memory. For art enthusiasts, this offers a view of the interplay between nature studies, travel experiences, and stylized composition.

Curating with Art Historical Depth

The cabinet exhibition presents the collection comprehensively for the first time and makes visible how closely private life paths, collection development, and museum mediation intertwine. Especially in Branitz, where the focus on Pückler's garden art and the cultural historical heritage of the house is already sharpened, Harrer's Italy receives a special stage. The exhibition thus also lends itself to cultural education: It connects painting, biography, collection history, and the question of how art lives on through generations.

Exhibition Atmosphere for the Curious

The atmosphere promises to be concentrated and at the same time sensual: small formats, detailed drawings, the colors of the South, and the quiet elegance of a museum cabinet. Those interested in art movements of the 19th century, travel imagery, and the history of German painting will find a rewarding destination here.

Conclusion: This exhibition opens a window to Rome and Capri, as well as into the collection world of Cottbus and Branitz. Those searching for Italian painting, art historical contexts, and a fine museum art experience should definitely visit the special exhibition live.