Berlin has always been a city of eccentric artists, a haven for wonderful music ranging from classical to modern, and a unique museum landscape. Yet we often forget that there are unsung heroes who make these great achievements possible in the first place. Introducing: a unique hothead and trailblazer!
2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the death of publisher and art dealer Paul Cassirer. His legacy: He was the herald of Impressionism in Germany— and the patron of its greatest name: Vincent van Gogh! Here are some of the most remarkable stories and key chapters from the life of the man who brought Impressionism to Berlin.
The man who brought the sunflowers to the Spree: Paul Cassirer and the Impressionist miracle
Born in 1871 in Breslau, Cassirer moved to Berlin—already a bustling hub at the time—after completing his studies in Munich. As the driving force behind the Berlin Secession, Cassirer made it his mission to shake up the stagnant art market and make room for something new. In doing so, he also made powerful enemies.
Cassirer vs. Kaiser Wilhelm: The “Gutter Art” Scandal
Shortly before the end of the 19th century, Paul and his cousin Bruno brought works by Impressionists such as Monet and Degas to Berlin . Kaiser Wilhelm II and his conservative Prussians were horrified! The Kaiser condescendingly called modern art “gutter art.” And what does Cassirer do? Instead of kowtowing to the Kaiser, he uses the outrage as free publicity —and in doing so, pushes Impressionism further toward the mainstream.
An Art Lover in Berlin: Mission Impressionism
When Cassirer organized one of the first major Van Gogh exhibitions in Germany in 1901, people thought he was crazy. Yet he was so convinced of Vincent Van Gogh’s talent that he risked a great deal of money. Because Cassirer recognized the raw emotion and modern genius. The establishment’s reaction: “scribbles” and “daubs.” But Cassirer stood unwaveringly by the already deceased Van Gogh! Today, Van Gogh paintings fetch hundreds of millions on the art market.
Times are changing – Cassirer in exile
Although Cassirer volunteered for World War I in 1914, the reality of war turned his attitude into a radical rejection of war. He fled the fighting to Switzerland. There, he used his publishing contacts to publish pacifist writings and a magazine, which brought him into conflict with military censorship .
Until the end of the war, Cassirer spent a lot of time at Café Odeon in Zurich. In this new world, the tide had turned. Cassirer, once a pioneer, suddenly seemed old-fashioned compared to the wild Dadaists in the café. Heated verbal exchanges broke out between the tables. Cassirer insulted the Dadaists across the café, calling them “destroyers of culture.” They labeled him a “stodgy bourgeois.”
At Café Größenwahn
In Berlin, the Café des Westens on Kurfürstendamm (also known as “Café Größenwahn” ) had been his second living room. Cassirer often sat there with Max Liebermann and the Secessionists . Here, too, the art discussions often got out of hand. Once, someone had mentioned a second-rate painter in the same breath as Édouard Manet. Cassirer is said to have flown into such a rage that the neighboring tables were downright frightened.
Van Gogh Spotting in the Capital
Today, hardly anything complements Berlin’s spring colors better than the bright yellow hues of the world’s most famous sunflowers. Cassirer was the first to bring them to Berlin! In fact, every Van Gogh painting mentioned in this article was brought to Berlin by Cassirer!
If you’re in the mood for a dose of Van Gogh right now, you don’t have to look far. Berlin is celebrating Van Gogh with this immersive exhibition! There, you can pause for a moment and take it all in: as you gaze at Van Gogh’s wonderful artworks, you’re also looking at Cassirer’s life’s work. A bridge-builder who brought the colors of the great Van Gogh to Berlin’s concrete jungle. Thanks to him, Berlin became a whole lot more colorful!
