Video Podcast
"The Liebermann Case"
Max Liebermann was one of the leading figures of Impressionism in Germany and also exerted a profound influence as a collector, curator, and mentor. In the conservative German Empire, the Jewish painter served as president of the Berlin Secession, where he was a courageous voice for progress, internationalism, and renewal. Yet by the time of his death in 1935, Liebermann had been forced out of the public eye, and his work had been ostracized. How did this come to pass? In the four-part video podcast “The Liebermann Case,” cultural journalist and host Johannes Nichelmann explores this question. He traces Max Liebermann’s journey from his scandal-ridden beginnings through his days of glory as a celebrated German artist to his final years spent in bitterness and solitude. The podcast is available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
“The Liebermann Case” connects art history and the history of the era through the multifaceted biography of Max Liebermann. Featured experts include Evelyn Wöldicke, a Liebermann specialist and director of the Liebermann Villa on the Wannsee; Jens Bisky, journalist and author, and Ortrud Westheider, director of the Barberini Museum. The podcast is hosted by cultural journalist Johannes Nichelmann, who also serves as its producer.
Ortrud Westheider, Director Museum Barberini“The Museum Barberini is essentially a house of Impressionism. It therefore seemed only natural to us to take a closer look at Max Liebermann—arguably the most important representative of this movement in Germany—beyond the scope of our current exhibition. In the video podcast, we not only learn a great deal about his artistic philosophy and his work, but also get to know Liebermann as a person—with his sense of humor, his love for his family, his combative nature, and the hostility he faced throughout his life. The idea from nb Studios for this format immediately won us over, and thanks to the comprehensive support of the Liebermann Villa—for which we are very grateful—we can now permanently build a bridge from Potsdam to Berlin’s Max Liebermann.”
Tilo Wandelt, Jaqui Dresen
Johannes Nichelmann in conversation with Shelly Kupferberg during the podcast preview on 8 May, 2026
Tilo Wandelt, Jaqui Dresen
Podcast preview on May 8, 2026
Evelyn Wöldicke, Director Liebermann-Villa am Wannsee“Max Liebermann’s biography is not a seamless success story. It tells of exclusion, of contradictions, and of how quickly social recognition can change. A central goal of the Liebermann Villa is to present Liebermann not only as a painter, but also as a figure caught in the tensions of his era. The podcast offers a particularly dynamic format for this: it brings together different perspectives, opens up new avenues of understanding, and invites listeners to delve deeper into contemporary history. It is a great pleasure for us to be part of this important project, helping to bring Liebermann’s multifaceted story into the present.”
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Evelyn Wöldicke is a Liebermann expert and director of the Liebermann Villa on Lake Wannsee.
Bernhard Link
In the podcast, journalist and author Jens Bisky serves as an expert on socio-political developments in Germany from the Weimar Republic through to the National Socialists' rise to power.
Through June 7, 2026, the Museum Barberini’s exhibition Avant-Garde: Max Liebermann and Impressionism in Germany traces the development of German Impressionism through more than 110 works from international collections. The focus is on Max Liebermann—as a painter, collector, and president of the Berlin Secession—who played a pivotal role in opening up the German art world to modernism. At the same time, the exhibition shows how a younger generation of artists, inspired by the French avant-garde, created new visual worlds that bridged the city, nature, theater, and everyday life. In addition to works by Liebermann, Lovis Corinth, Max Slevogt, and Fritz von Uhde, visitors can also discover works by many other artists of the time, including Dora Hitz, Maria Slavona, and Lesser Ury.
"The Liebermann Case"
A four-part video podcast by the Museum Barberini in collaboration with nb Studios
With:
Jens Bisky, Journalist and Author
Johannes Nichelmann, Host
Ortrud Westheider, Director, Museum Barberini
Evelyn Wöldicke, Director, Liebermann-Villa am Wannsee
Writer and Director: Marie Tiemann
Host: Johannes Nichelmann
Camera: Tobias Winkel
Sound: Julius Hofstädter
Editing: Marvin Leibold
Graphic Design: Julian Krischker
Expert advice: Evelyn Wöldicke, Viktoria Bernadette Krieger (Liebermann-Villa am Wannsee)
Production: Carsten Bartelt, Jenny Häschel, Beate Selchow
Producers: Johanna Behre, Johannes Nichelmann
Lead: Carolin Stranz, Achim Klapp (Museum Barberini)
More about Max Liebermann:
