Early years

Within a few weeks, the organization's statutes had been established, and the first Board of Directors elected. In the statutes it was stipulated that the KVM, as an "association for a sociable artistic life", should represent a heterogeneous membership and "has no other purpose than to discuss and promote the interests of art and artists, and to entertain each other socially". As early as 1849, the board was able to officially announce that almost all of Düsseldorf's male artists had joined the association. Following the decision that non-artists could join, it became a focal point for Düsseldorf's intellectual community. The composer, Robert Schumann, was admitted as a member in 1850. The public at large was able to participate in some of the group's activities, through events such as a masked ball and carnival, known as the Malkasten-Redoute, which was celebrated every year until 1938.

In 1856, a group of members associated with Leutze and Hermann Becker, called for a "first gathering" of German visual artists in Bingen am Rhein. The meeting, held that September, brought together over 160 artists from twenty-one cities, and led to the establishment of the Allgemeine Deutsche Kunstgenossenschaft (General German Art Cooperative); the first national organization of artists in Germany.^[2]

As the association grew, it became impractical to hold meetings and events in rented venues, which were often too small or too expensive.^[3] From 1857, efforts were made to acquire land on which to build a permanent meeting hall and administrative offices. They eventually focused their attention on a parcel near Schloss Jägerhof, which was the former residence of the philosopher, Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi. The City of Düsseldorf wanted to keep it from falling into the hands of speculators so, in 1861, they approved Malkasten's request to incorporate and acquire the property.

The Malkasten-Haus, from 1867

The Malkasten-Haus in 1904

To finance the acquisition, the corporation's Chairman, Otto Euler, organized a lottery. The artists provided oil paintings (in gilded frames), watercolors, lithographs, prints and photographs, as well as a marble statue; with a total value of 46,000 Thalers.^[4] Construction on the new clubhouse began in 1864, and the building was dedicated in 1867. The garden pond was decorated with a statue modeled after the "Venus de Milo", made of the metal from melted paint tubes. Due to its relatively soft texture, the statue's buttocks became the target of people with crossbows, slings and blowguns.^[5]

In September 1877, Emperor Wilhelm I was the guest of honor for the presentation of several tableaux vivants; one of which depicted General Gebhard Leberecht von Blücher, crossing the Rhine near Kaub, with Prussian and Russian forces, thereby initiating the campaign in north-east France (1814). The script for the event and the staging were produced by Karl Hoff, with music composed by Julius Tausch. This was followed by a banquet. The event made such an impression on the public officials of Düsseldorf that a mural of it was painted in the meeting room of the new Town Hall in 1894.

Emperor Wilhelm I at Malkasten, by Fritz Neuhaus

In the early 1880s, the Rittmeister, Armand von Ardenne, and his wife, Elisabeth, became acquainted with the magistrate, Emil Hartwich, at a Malkasten event. The subsequent love affair between Elisabeth and Emil led to a duel in which he was killed. This incident served as inspiration for the classic novel, Effi Briest, by Theodor Fontane.

For the Rhenish Millennium Celebration in 1925, the members of Malkasten staged historical-themed parades, with hundreds of costumed participants. Three years later, they presented one of the last festivals honoring the artist, Albrecht Dürer. Throughout the 1920s, they presented lectures by notable writers, including Thomas Mann.^[6]

Many Malkasten artists were persecuted during the Gleichschaltung (Nazification) of Germany, but the officials of the organization itself came to terms with the situation. Together with the Militant League for German Culture, they celebrated the "Nationale Erhebung" (National Uprising) and planted a "Hitler Oak" dedicated to "Our Savior in Dire Straits"

The membership structure itself remained unchanged until 1939, following the outbreak of World War II. Up to then, the number of members was steady at around 400. Although some sacrifices had to be made, the strong sense of community enabled them to survive the Great Depression and the Nazi regime. After 1945, their heavily damaged buildings were rebuilt, according to plans created by the architects Helmut Hentrich and Hans Heuser. Hentrich served as the first Chairman of the revived organization, from 1945 to 1955.^[7][8]

In 1977, Helga Radener-Blaschke was the first woman to be accepted as a full member of Malkasten.