On May 2, 1898, the "Berliner Secession" was founded - an event that aimed to bring a breath of fresh air to the Berlin art scene. 65 artists joined this association protesting against the art policies of the art academy and the state. They primarily criticised the jury decisions at established exhibitions and demanded more participation and their own exhibition halls.
Members of the Berlin Secession came from different artistic movements such as Impressionism, Symbolism and Art Nouveau. Already in his opening speech for the first exhibition in 1899, their president Max Liebermann pointed out that a work of art did not need to belong to a particular style in order to be shown. The artwork should merely embody a "sincere feeling". The ranks of the Berlin Secession included many prominent names, including Max Beckmann, Ernst Barlach, Lovis Corinth, and Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, as well as - which was unusual at the time - several female artists such as Käthe Kollwitz, Dora Hitz and Sabine Lepsius. The Berlin Secession quickly evolved into a renowned platform for contemporary art from all over Europe. However, under political pressure during the era of National Socialist, it was forced to dissolve.
