The core of the museum is the artistic work of Joseph Beuys. The van der Grinten brothers had been close friends with the artist since the 1950s and were the first to acquire works by him. The collection of the Museum Schloss Moyland comprises nearly 6,000 works by Joseph Beuys, including drawings, watercolours, oil paintings, reliefs, and sculptural works. In addition, the van der Grintens also acquired numerous archival documents on Beuys´s life, work, and activities, which form the basis of the Joseph Beuys Archive within the Museum Schloss Moyland Foundation.
Research centre
As an international research centre, the Joseph Beuys Archive is an integral part of the Museum Schloss Moyland, while also serving as an institute at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf (academy of arts). It contains a large holding of archive materials on Joseph Beuys, one of the most important artists of the 20th century. The extensive stock of both artworks and archive materials by and on Joseph Beuys under one roof is unique worldwide.
Key holdings
- Library on the life and work of Joseph Beuys
Most comprehensive library on Joseph Beuys worldwide, international publications from 1950 to the present, as well as unpublished literature and periodicals that are no longer available, can be researched via the online catalogue - Press clippings from 1947 to current publications
- Photographs from the early 1950s to 1986 of Joseph Beuys or concerning his works and influence
- Letter documents from c. 1950 to 1986, mostly documents addressed to Joseph Beuys, including printed materials, flyers, manuscripts and notes
- Printed materials from 1960 to the present day on Beuys exhibitions, conferences and events
- Audio-visual media for internal use only
Special archive: Medienarchiv Joseph Beuys, ZKM | Karlsruhe
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Special archive with the entire artistic estate of Ute Klophaus, including the photographic work with approximately 15,000 black-and-white prints and 52,000 negatives, as well as various archival materials
Contact
Stephan Arntz
Phone +49 2824 9510-28
jba@moyland.de
The Joseph Beuys Archive is open to the public. We offer personal advice and assistance. We are also happy to receive your research requests. For extensive research projects, a personal visit to the archive is advisable. The reading room of the archive has ten work stations, one computer desk and a photocopier.
The archive and the library are available by appointment only.
Information
Terms of Use [PDF]
Schedule of Fees [PDF]
Request for Access [PDF]