Forgotten Art in Bamberg: Experience Alexej Borutscheff at the State Library
Date and Time
Location
Price
About this Event
Mood
Venue Type
A rare art experience in the New Residence
The Bamberg State Library opens with Forgotten Art in Bamberg. Alexej Borutscheff (1911–1994) a window into the work of an artist who shaped the Bamberg post-war period with expressive strength, literary imagination, and colorful handwriting. The free guided tour on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 5:00 PM leads through an exhibition that makes Borutscheff's drawings, illustrations, and art-historically significant works newly legible. ([bamberg.info](https://www.bamberg.info/poi/staatsbibliothek_bamberg-4743/))
An artist between war experience and poetic imagery
Alexej Borutscheff, born in 1911 in western Russian Roslavl, came to Bamberg in 1945 and remained in the city until his death in 1994. From an architect, he became a freelance artist with a unique character. His graphics show an expressive, woodcut-like language; naturalism was foreign to him. Instead, he developed an imagery characterized by fantastic realism, memory, and literary imagination. ([de.wikipedia.org](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexej_Archipowitsch_Borutscheff))
Literature as a stage for lines and colors
Particularly impressive are Borutscheff's illustrations for Faust by Goethe, for E. T. A. Hoffmann and for other works of world literature. Additionally, there are portraits of Beethoven, Picasso, Stalin, and figures from myth and fable, as well as horses, centaurs, animals, and still lifes. This range makes it clear how far his work extends beyond mere regional art. It connects Bamberg local references with European literary and cultural history. ([de.wikipedia.org](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexej_Archipowitsch_Borutscheff))
Bamberg as a pictorial space and memory place
The exhibition gains its special tension from the place itself: The Bamberg State Library is located in the New Residence at the Cathedral Square, a historical ensemble with cultural radiance. While the exhibitions are on, the star vault and Scagliola hall are also accessible, which impressively connects artwork observation and spatial perception. The library also preserves Borutscheff's estate with graphics, books, paintings, tools, and printing materials. ([staatsbibliothek-bamberg.de](https://www.staatsbibliothek-bamberg.de/kulturvermittlung/fuehrungen/))
Why a visit is worthwhile
This tour is more than an introduction to an artist's life. It offers an aesthetic experience between memory culture, literary history, and artistic precision. Those interested in post-war art, book illustration, drawing, and the cultural topography of Bamberg will find an exhibition with high professional depth and atmospheric density. A visit promises insight, proximity to the original, and a new perspective on a wrongfully forgotten name. ([de.wikipedia.org](https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexej_Archipowitsch_Borutscheff))
Conclusion: Forgotten Art in Bamberg brings Alexej Borutscheff's work into a lively dialogue with the city, its literature, and its history. The free tour offers a rare opportunity to experience this multifaceted art in its original context. Anyone wanting to rediscover Bamberg as a cultural place should not miss this date. ([bamberg.info](https://www.bamberg.info/poi/staatsbibliothek_bamberg-4743/))
Official channels of the Bamberg State Library:
- Instagram: No official profile found
- Facebook: No official profile found
- YouTube: No official profile found
- Website: https://www.staatsbibliothek-bamberg.de
