The Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, founded in 1808 by the Elector of Bavaria Maximilian I Joseph Wittelsbach, was one of the most important artistic centres of 19th-century Europe. In 1886, the academy moved to its monumental headquarters, designed by Gottfried von Neurethner, right next to the Victory Gate. For decades, the academy was a symbol of liberal education, attracting numerous artists from outside Germany, including many painters from Poland.

Polenkolonie (Polish colony) at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts

Munich became a real magnet for Polish artists, especially after the tragic events of the November and January uprisings, when repression by the partitioning authorities forced many of them to leave the country. Between 1828 and 1914, as many as 322 Polish artists chose to study at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts there, a phenomenon in the history of Polish art.

Reasons for choosing the academy

Why did they choose to study in Munich? In addition to the modern art infrastructure, the structure of the academy and the high level of teaching, the Royal Academy of Fine Arts offered the opportunity for comprehensive development. Students were exposed to a variety of trends in European art, from historicism and psychologism to symbolism and Art Nouveau, which resonated in their work. Interestingly, the Munich-based education focused on fidelity to the realities of the period, fostered an interest in native costumes and the native landscape in Polish artists, strengthening their sense of national identity and encouraging the creation of national art.

Successes of Polish artists

Thanks to the success of such graduates of the Munich academy as Adam Chmielowski (1845-1916), Józef Brandt (1841-1915), Józef Chełmoński (1849-1914), the brothers Aleksander (1850-1901) and Maksymilian Gierymski (1846-1874), Jan Matejko (1838-1893), Alfred Wierusz-Kowalski (1849-1915) and Stanisław Witkiewicz (1851-1915), Polish art gained a strong position on the European stage. Their commercial triumphs attracted successive generations of Polish artists to Munich, creating a kind of migratory phenomenon in the art world.

Decline in popularity

However, with the outbreak of the First World War, Munich's importance as an artistic centre began to wane and its place was taken by the Parisian universities, which became a new Mecca for Polish and European artists.