Artist’s colonies arose in Europe during the second half of the nineteenth century quite independently of each other, although almost at the same time. They came into being in exceptionally picturesque localities. The market town of Dachau near Munich was one of such places discovered by painters. The artists were fascinated by the unique situation of the town and the extent of the moor landscape. An artists’ colony began to develop around 1850, which from about 1880 became known nationally after painters had taken up residence in Dachau and founded private art schools there. The town with its 5,000 inhabitants became inundated with painters. Those who settled in Dachau participated in the cultural life of the town, founding the District Museum (Bezirksmuseum) in 1905 and in 1908 the Painting Gallery (Gemäldegalerie) in Dachau Palace. The European artists’ colonies came to an end with the first world war, and so did the Dachau artists’ colony, today renowned as one of the oldest and largest of Germans artists’ colonies. 

216 p. with numbers Fig.
edition fischerhuder kunstbuch
Verlag Atelier im Bauernhaus
28870 Fischerhude
ISBN 978-3-88 132-392-5
Language: English