Munich - State Gallery of Modern Art

(Local Name: Staatsgalerie moderner Kunst im Haus der Kunst) Immediately on coming to power Adolf Hitler ordered the construction of a "Haus der Deutschen Kunst" (House of German Art, known today as the "Haus der Kunst") in Prinzregentenstrasse at the southern edge of the English Garden. Designed by Paul Ludwig Troost, the 160m/525ft-long, 60m/197ft-wide building with its row of Doric columns running the length of the front, was opened to the accompaniment of a large procession and much ceremony in 1937. To heighten the effect of the monumental building Hitler widened Von-der-Tann-Strasse (the continuation of Prinzregentenstrasse), demolishing the famous Jugendstil (Art Nouveau) facade of August Endell's studio "Elvira". The entire south side of the street was taken down and Prinz-Carl-Palais, the Neo-Classical style of which influenced Troost's design, was given a new north front. The State Gallery of Modern Art has been temporarily housed in the western half of the building since 1946, something of an irony since many of the works on display were considered "degenerate" during the Third Reich. Originally moved from the Neue Pinakothek in 1919 owing to lack of space, the collection includes both modern classical and contemporary works. About half of the 450 items on display are by German artists, among them Klee, Schlemmer, Nolde, Baselitz and Kiefer. The Gallery also possesses a considerable collection of works by modern Italian artists, the basis of which was a substantial gift from Marino & Marina Marini. France, Spain and the USA are among other countries represented.