The Museum of Photography Braunschweig will celebrate the 150th birthday of Braunschweig photographer Käthe Buchler (October 11, 1876 – September 14, 1930) in 2026 with a wide range of projects. Her estate has been part of the museum’s collection since 2003, with a large portion held as a deposit in the Braunschweig City Archives. The estate comprises approximately 1000 glass negatives, around 240 Autochrome prints, slides, albums, vintage prints, and archival materials. Its significance for the history of 20th-century photography has been highlighted internationally in recent years. The Museum of Photography has conducted extensive research and implemented various projects related to this legacy.

The exhibition “People and Images” provides new insights into the work of the important Braunschweig photographer and presents her, contrary to earlier views, not only as an amateur photographer but also as a professionally working photography pioneer.

In addition to the exhibition in the museum gatehouses, the children’s and youth exhibition “Käthe Buchler Today – Art from Waste” on the topic of waste collection and upcycling will be shown in the Dankwardstraße branch of the Braunschweigische Landessparkasse bank. This exhibition takes up a central body of work by the photographer and brings her photographs of children collecting waste from the time of the First World War into the present day.

A concert at the Municipal Museum on October 11, 2026, will commemorate the photographer’s actual birthday. Also as part of the 150th anniversary program, Käthe Buchler Square will be inaugurated, following the Braunschweig City Council’s decision on June 30, 2026, to name the square between the gatehouses after her, after a proposal by museum director Barbara Hofmann-Johnson and prior votes by the district council.

A publication is being released by the publishing house of the Walther and Franz König bookstore in Cologne.

Sep 10 – Dec 2026
Käthe Buchler today – Art from waste
Children’s and youth exhibition at the Braunschweigische Landessparkasse, Dankwardstraße branch.

Friday, Oct 2, 2026, 4 pm
Inauguration of Käthe-Buchler-Square
in front of the Museum of Photography Braunschweig.

Friday, Oct 2, 2026, 7 pm
Opening Reception

Sunday, Oct 11, 2026, 3 pm
Birthday concert
with David Johnson (violin) and Elizabeth Mucha (piano) at the Braunschweig Municipal Museum, Löwenwall.

Thursday, Oct 19 & Friday Oct 20, 2026
Meeting
at the Braunschweig University of Art in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Annette Tietenberg.

Guided tours for various age groups, children’s birthday parties, and workshops can be booked individually via vermittlung@photomuseum.de