Read aloud
Highlights
Discover the highlights from the anniversary year 2024 in Greifswald here. You can find an overview of all other events in our program calendar.
20 January 2024
St. Nicholas‘ Cathedral
Opening ceremony
The anniversary year will open on 20 January 2024 in a ceremony at St Nicholas’ Cathedral where Friedrich was baptised. Speakers will include the patrons Claudia Roth (Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media) and Manuela Schwesig (Minister President of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania). The journalist and art historian Florian Illies will give the welcome address. Musical accompaniment will be provided by internationally
renowned electro musician Christian Löffler, who will follow the speeches with a concert and lightshow designed especially for the cathedral.
Free entry
Photo © TMV/Tiemann
7 April 2024
Dom St. Nikolai
Dom romantisch!
As part of the “Dom romantisch!” initiative the St. Nicholas parish have brought a world star
to Greifswald – Ólafur Elíasson is one of the most well-known contemporary artists. The new
design of the east window group will envelop the cathedral in bright light to evoke the colour
spectrum used by Caspar David Friedrich. Construction work begins this year– and the
window group will be ceremonially unveiled during a service on 7 April 2024.
Free entry
Photo © TMV/Tiemann
from 28 April 2024
Pomeranian State Museum | CDF Centre | St. Spiritus
Special exhibition highlights in the anniversary year
As truly befitting a painter, 2024 will be filled with special exhibitions for the anniversary.
While the special exhibition “Life Lines” at the Pomeranian State Museum will show the museum’s extensive inventory almost in its entirety for the first time, the exhibitions “Places of Longing” and “Hometown” will display notable paintings such as Chalk Cliffs on Rügen and Meadows near Greifswald, loaned especially for the anniversary.
From May onwards, the special exhibition “Caspar David Friedrich. The Hidden Life of Pictures” at the Caspar David Friedrich Centre will display various collections tracing the
artist’s life through his paintings and drawings.
As of June, the socio-cultural centre St. Spiritus will focus on the painter’s companions in the
exhibition “Caspar David Friedrich: Friends and Acquaintances in Greifswald”. One of these
is Johann Gottfried Quistorp, Friedrich’s first art teacher.
Caspar David Friedrich, Portrait of Adolph Gottlieb Friedrich, © Pomeranian State Museum
26 July 2024
Dom St. Nikolai
The Sea of Ice – world premiere
As part of the Festspiele MV, one of Germany’s largest classical music festivals, Christian Jost has composed a piece on the city’s famous son for the anniversary. Jost is one of the most renowned composers of our time.
Commissioned by the University and Hanseatic City of Greifswald, this piece for Caspar David Friedrich will be presented here for the first time – by the Zurich Chamber Orchestra, star violinist Daniel Hope, and the SIGNUM saxophone quartet.
Entry: t.b.a.
Photo © Nicolas Zonvi
31 August 2024
Eldena Abbey ruins
Martin Kohlstedt live in the abbey ruins
On 31 August, one of Friedrichs favourite subjects – the ruins of Eldena abbey – will be commemorated in musical form with a performance by Martin Kohlstedt. A musician from Erfurt, he combines classical piano and modern electronic beats in his work to create one catchy melody after another.
Free entry
Photo © Franziska Vopel
05 September 2024
Greifswald marketplace
Cake for Caspar
What’s a 250th birthday without a real party? On 5 September 2024, a big birthday celebration will take place at Marktplatz Greifswald. “Cake for Caspar” will involve a varied programme of theatre, music and birthday cake to celebrate the anniversary. The highlight of the event will be a joint project with Dresden, Friedrichs later residence.
Free entry
Photo © Ralph Eckardt