22.04.2025
Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart
Christian Boltanski’s The Missing House from 1990 has been permanently secured for the public as a donation by Annette Messager to Hamburger Bahnhof. The public artwork in Berlin Mitte becomes part of the Endless Exhibition, connecting the museum and urban space. The 24 nameplates of the installation at Große Hamburger Straße 15–16 commemorate former residents of a building destroyed during World War II. The plaques, mounted across two 20-meter-high walls, will be reinstalled on-site following extensive restoration on 8 May 2025, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The Missing House by French artist Christian Boltanski was created in the context of the exhibition project Die Endlichkeit der Freiheit Berlin 1990 in public space in Berlin Mitte. The installation addresses the Nazi era, the Holocaust, and the bombing of the city during World War II. The house at Große Hamburger Straße 15–16, built in 1911, was primarily inhabited by Jewish families who were dispossessed and deported. Others died in a bombing raid on 3 February 1945. The 24 plaques, affixed to two firewalls, list the names of Jewish and non-Jewish residents along with their professions and the time periods during which they lived there.
As part of Hamburger Bahnhof’s Endless Exhibition, the public will be able to learn more about the artwork through a microsite and a booklet for self-guided tours starting on 8 May, the 80th anniversary of the war’s end. After extensive restoration, replicas will replace the original wooden panels outdoors, with the originals remaining in the museum.
On behalf of the Fonds de dotation Christian Boltanski, founded by Annette Messager, I am delighted that ‘The Missing House’ is being added to the collection of Hamburger Bahnhof. This major work by the artist is not only his first public installation in urban space but also the first in which the theme of fate takes on a symbolic form. This donation ensures the visibility of the work for as many people as possible and guarantees its preservation for future generations, underscoring its essence as a memorial to our shared European history.
Annalisa Rimmaudo, President of the Christian Boltanski Endowment Fund
We are thrilled to have permanently secured Christian Boltanski’s important work for Berlin. Thanks to generous support and this wonderful donation, the collection – and the free offerings of Hamburger Bahnhof – continue to grow. As part of the Endless Exhibition, the work represents our engagement in the city and our commitment to making Berlin’s history visible.
Till Fellrath and Sam Bardaouil, Directors of Hamburger Bahnhof – Nationalgalerie der Gegenwart
On Saturday, 10 May 2025, an artist talk with art historian Sarah Alberti will take place at Hamburger Bahnhof (Invalidenstrasse 50). From 1 June, free guided discussions will be held on-site at Große Hamburger Straße on the first Sunday of each month (2 pm in German; 3 pm in English).
French artist Christian Boltanski (1944–2021) grew up in Paris in a family shaped by the events of the Holocaust. His work explores universal themes of memory and the disappearance of individual fate. Boltanski participated in documenta several times (1972; 1987) and was part of “Zeitlos” (1988) at Hamburger Bahnhof. Retrospectives of his work were held in Paris, including “Monumenta” at the Grand Palais in 2010 and at the Centre Pompidou in 2019. In 2011, he represented France at the Venice Art Biennale.
Meanwhile 21 artworks from the Hamburger Bahnhof collection displayed indoors and outdoors form the Endless Exhibition. The microsite and booklet guide visitors through the museum, garden, and surrounding areas, connecting the collection with history, architecture, and the neighborhood. The tour includes Dan Flavin’s light installation (1996), historic sites such as the former border crossing at Invalidenstraße, Christian Boltanski’s “The Missing House” in Große Hamburger Straße (1990), and annual commissioned works by Berlin-based artists Judith Hopf (2023), Claudia Wieser (2024), and, for the Open House (13–15 June 2025), a new sound installation by Susan Philipsz.
The Missing House is a donation from Annette Messager, courtesy of Fonds de dotation Christian Boltanski.
The restoration was supported by the Berlin State Office for Monument Preservation and the German Foundation for Monument Protection.
Supported by Hamburger Bahnhof International Companions e. V.
