When does the exhibition take place?

The special exhibition runs from April 26, 2026, to January 10, 2027, at the Amberg City Museum.

Where can the exhibition be seen?

At the Amberg City Museum, Zeughausstraße 18, 92224 Amberg.

What is the admission fee?

According to the official visitor information, the regular admission price for the Amberg City Museum is 6 euros. Discounts and family tickets are also available.

Are there tours and accompanying programs?

Yes, the exhibition will be accompanied by public tours, lectures, art snacks, children’s formats, holiday programs, and other museum educational offers.

Is the exhibition accessible to everyone?

Yes, the museum offers inclusive formats such as tours in German sign language, in easy language, and offerings for visually impaired and blind people.

Can I come with children?

Yes, there are offerings for various age groups, including early childhood programs, workshop canteens for children, and family activities.

Prechtl's Imagery Unfolds Surprising Depth and Radiance at the Amberg Museum

Name: Heads. Times. Stories. Michael Mathias Prechtl on the 100th Birthday
Start: 2026-04-26T13:00:00+02:00
End: 2027-01-10T18:00:00+01:00
Location: Stadtmuseum Amberg

Heads, Times, and Stories: Michael Mathias Prechtl at the Amberg City Museum

On the 100th birthday of the painter and illustrator Michael Mathias Prechtl, born in Amberg, the Amberg City Museum dedicates a major special exhibition to the internationally renowned artist. Under the title Heads. Times. Stories. Michael Mathias Prechtl on the 100th Birthday, an art experience unfolds that combines biographical depth, art historical precision, and a dense exhibition atmosphere.

Prechtl as a Master of Line and Gaze

Michael Mathias Prechtl (1926–2003) is one of the most prominent German graphic artists and illustrators of the 20th century. His work for the New York Times, SPIEGEL magazine, and literary classics made him known far beyond Bavaria. The exhibition shows him not only as a virtuosic draftsman but also as a painter with a keen sense of character, zeitgeist, and political constellations.

The range of his oeuvre is particularly impressive: from portraits to print graphics to large-format paintings and designs. Prechtl worked with satirical sharpness, historical allusion, and a visual language that oscillates between irony and seriousness. Those who view his works experience art as a precise observation of the world and at the same time as a poetic condensation.

Rare Works from Estates and Private Collections

The exhibition unites works from the artistic estate acquired by the city of Amberg with numerous loans from private collections. Many of these works have never been seen publicly or have not been displayed for a long time. Highlights include the large-format painting The Dream Toledo, a view of the Prunn Castle in the Altmühltal, and designs for the frescoing of the Nuremberg City Hall.

This mix gives the exhibition a special museum tension: well-known key works enter into dialogue with surprising discoveries. This creates an examination of works that reveals Prechtl's artistic development as well as his thematic diversity.

Between Personal and Political

A focus of the curation is on the relationship between Prechtl and his wife Frydl Zuleeg, who was a trained artist herself. Early portraits and personal constellations provide a sensitive view of his work. At the same time, the exhibition raises questions about the representation of women, gender, identity, and self-determination. In this way, Prechtl's work is placed in a contemporary cultural context without losing its historical uniqueness.

The tensions in his biography also remain visible: the recognized master and the loner, the internationally successful artist and the locally rooted Prechtl. It is precisely these ambivalences that give the exhibition its appeal and depth.

Discover with All Senses

The Amberg City Museum focuses on museum educational communication and low-threshold access. Several media and participatory stations invite visitors to explore Prechtl's art up close. A tactile model of a central work, texts in easy language, and offerings in German sign language expand the aesthetic experience and strengthen cultural participation.

The accompanying program is also wide-ranging: public tours, art snacks during lunch, offerings for early childhood education, workshop canteens for children, holiday programs, lectures, and family activities accompany the exhibition for many months. Thus, the museum becomes a vibrant place of cultural education where research, communication, and the enjoyment of seeing come together.

Conclusion: A Must-Visit for Art Lovers

Heads. Times. Stories. is more than an anniversary exhibition. It opens the view on an artist who has sustainably shaped German graphics and illustration and simultaneously shows how lively a city museum can work with its collections, loans, and communication formats. Anyone who appreciates art history, print graphics, painting, and the special exhibition atmosphere should experience this show in Amberg live.