The Jewish Museum Berlin dedicated the first major exhibition in Germany: Paris Magnétique. 1905 – 1940, to Jewish artists of the School of Paris (École de Paris). On 20 March 2023, the Executive Board of “Willkommen in Berlin“ invited the members to a guided tour through this impressive exhibition. 

In the first half of the 20th century, Paris was a magnet for artists from all over the world. Many Jewish artists who came from Eastern and Central Europe wanted to escape the poor living conditions in their countries of origin and flee from marginalization and discrimination that escalated into pogroms. They enjoyed the freedom and opportunities for their work which the French capital offered them. They belonged to an avant-garde, redefining the work of art in its own right.

More than 120 artworks were on display, including works by both well-known and lesser-known artists: Marc Chagall, Amedeo Modigliani, Chaim Soutine, Chana Orloff, Sonia Delaunay, Otto Freundlich, Jacques Lipchitz etc. In addition to numerous paintings, sculptures and drawings can also be seen. Photos, newspaper and film clippings illustrate the historical context. Biographies of the artists as well as their networks and meeting places such as the Café du Dôme in Montparnass where they exchanged ideas, or the Arthouse „La Ruche“, a rotunda designed by Gustave Eiffel with numerous small studios in which they worked and lived, allow us to immerse ourselves in Paris at that era and give a lively impression of the jewish-european diversity in the French capital.

The term Pariser Schule was coined in 1925 by journalist and art critic André Warnod and does not describe a specific style. But it stands for a cosmopolitan art scene that opposed nationalistic and racist tendencies.