New Management for the Association for Goldsmiths' Art and the German Goldsmiths' House Hanau: Malte Guttek to Assume Role on January 1, 2024

Hartwig Rohde, President of the Association for Goldsmiths’ Art, and Lord Mayor Claus Kaminsky, a member of the Association’s board, and Martin Hoppe, Head of Department for Culture, City Identity, and International Relations met the 34-year-old art historian from Cologne for a first working meeting.

Following his studies in Art History and Christian Archeology in Bonn and Rome, Gutter earned his doctorate via the sculptor Heinz Breloh. Currently, in the process of reviewing Breloh’s estate, Guttek is preparing a major retrospective on the artist’s oeuvre in Neumünster in 2024. Following a scientific traineeship at Kolumba – Art Museum of the Archdiocese of Cologne, Guttek worked as a freelance curator for various exhibition projects. His focus lies on examining objects of applied art: among other shows, last year he curated an exhibition of the ceramicist Young-Jae Lee in Cologne.

Lord Mayor Claus Kaminsky: “I am delighted that the Association for Goldsmiths’ Art, which operates the German Goldsmiths’ House on behalf of the City of Hanau, has selected a well-versed scientist and practitioner. I am confident that he will continue to outline the significance of the Goldsmiths’ House for the city, the region, Germany, as a whole, and internationally as well, and also continue to attract exciting exhibitions and hence even more enthusiasts to Hanau.”

Hartwig Rohde: “The Association for Goldsmiths’ Art is pleased that the well-appointed House is being entrusted to a young scientist who is devoted to applied art and hence to jewellery and hollowware design as well, and who, with new ideas on furthering digitization and member networking and continuing the program at the German Goldsmiths’ House, will be a strong advocate on the museum's scene.”

Guttek will be the successor to Dr. Christianne Weber-Stöber, who managed the business activities of the Association for Goldsmiths’ Art from 1989 and, from 2006, also directed the German Goldsmiths’ House. She is set to retire at the year’s end and will be initiating her successor in his new role from October 1.

Malte Guttek: “It’s an exciting challenge for me to take on the management of the Association for Goldsmiths’ Art and the German Goldsmiths’ House. I’m really looking forward to my tasks. I’ll particularly enjoy the continued preparations to renovate the House on the Altstädter Markt in the months to come, and familiarizing myself with the House’s collection. I am keen to continue to interlink the German Goldsmiths’ House both nationally and internationally, as well as to open new conceptual and potential spaces in Hanau.”