The F.C. Gundlach Collection remains on permanent loan at the House of Photography for another 20 years

The F.C. Gundlach Foundation is extending the permanent loan, agreed upon by F.C. Gundlach in 2003 for the establishment of the House of Photography in the Deichtorhallen, until at least 2046. The loan, which previously comprised 9,000 works, will be expanded to approximately 14,000 works and will thus include the entire F.C. Gundlach Collection as well as the F.C. Gundlach collector's library, comprising over 10,000 volumes.

For the F.C. Gundlach Foundation, the continuation of the cooperation in presenting the F.C. Gundlach Collection is an essential part of fulfilling its purpose, which, in addition to preserving and continuing the collection, also includes working with F.C. Gundlach's photographic oeuvre and promoting photography as an artistically and socially significant cultural asset.

As desired by its founder, the F.C. Gundlach Foundation will continue these activities within a network of cooperation partners and contacts in the international photography scene. From its extensive holdings and in dialogue with photographers, collections, and archives, exhibitions and publications will make diverse aspects of the medium of photography visible to the public and rediscover historical positions.

We thank the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and the management and team of the Deichtorhallen for the successful cooperation of the past 23 years and for the trust in further collaboration, and we look forward with excitement and anticipation to the coming 20 years!

Photo: Bertold Fabricius

Here is the joint press release from the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, the F.C. Gundlach Foundation, and the Deichtorhallen:

April 22, 2026

Cooperation agreement on F.C. Gundlach Collection as permanent loan to Deichtorhallen extended by 20 years

Expanded loan to be presented with the collector's library in the renovated House of Photography

Just in time for the 100th birthday of the Hamburg photographer, curator, and collector Prof. F.C. Gundlach (1926 – 2021), the City of Hamburg, Deichtorhallen Hamburg GmbH, and the F.C. Gundlach Foundation have agreed to extend and expand the loan of the F.C. Gundlach Collection to the Deichtorhallen Hamburg GmbH for at least another 20 years.
The loan, which previously comprised approximately 9,000 works on the theme "The Image of Man in Photography," will be expanded to around 14,000 works and, as the "F.C. Gundlach Collection," as it is now called, will in future also include 5,000 exhibits focusing on abstract photography, subjective photography, and landscape and object photography. The loan also includes the F.C. Gundlach collector's library, comprising over 10,000 volumes.
For the continuous presentation of the extensive collection, the exhibition space of the House of Photography will be expanded to include additional areas as part of the ongoing renovation and modernization of the listed southern Deichtorhalle: For the first time, a dedicated area for the collection will be created on the first floor, combining an exhibition space, the newly designed F.C. Gundlach collector's library, and the visible storage area, offering new possibilities for presentation and mediation.
The continuation of the successful cooperation, which began in 2003, fulfills F.C. Gundlach's wish to keep his prominent collection in Hamburg and to permanently link it to the House of Photography in the Deichtorhallen, of which he was the founding director. 

Dr. Carsten Brosda, Senator for Culture and Media: "The continuation and expansion of this successful cooperation is a win for Hamburg as a city of culture. The significant Gundlach Collection is an important building block for the further development of the House of Photography as one of the internationally leading exhibition venues for artistic photography. With the renovation and expansion of the house, the city is creating outstanding opportunities for the presentation of this unique collection and the art form of photography in all its facets." 

Matthies van Eendenburg, Chairman of the F.C. Gundlach Foundation Board: "With the extension and expansion of the permanent loan of the F.C. Gundlach Collection to the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and thus to the House of Photography in the Deichtorhallen, a central wish of the collector F.C. Gundlach is fulfilled, who, in 2000, enshrined the preservation and presentation of his collection in the statutes of his foundation and stated: 'In my opinion, there is indeed such a thing as a moral obligation for collectors to make parts of their collection or its entirety public. That is, to maintain it as a living organism and to be able to react to societal changes, trends, and eventualities.'"

Dr. Dirk Luckow, Intendant of Deichtorhallen Hamburg: "F.C. Gundlach – photographer, collector, curator, and visionary – was among the early advocates of photography as an independent art form. By donating a part of his collection, he laid the foundation for the House of Photography – which, thanks to the generous investment by the City of Hamburg, will shine in a whole new light from 2028. Together with the F.C. Gundlach Foundation, we are preserving and developing this legacy. With approximately 14,000 works in the future, the F.C. Gundlach Collection opens up a multi-faceted view of photography – as a living resource for the 200-year history of photography as well as for the future of the medium. A milestone for our institution! In the newly created area for the F.C. Gundlach Collection, we can open it up more for research and academic engagement, and focus on close observation, public participation, and relevance for the present. 

As a photographer, collector, curator, and entrepreneur, F.C. Gundlach has significantly shaped the art form of photography in Hamburg. Among other things, he founded the extensive F.C. Gundlach Collection, which is one of Germany's most important photographic collections. On his initiative, the city opened the House of Photography in the listed southern Deichtorhalle in 2005, which is today considered one of the internationally outstanding exhibition venues for photography. Already in 2003, F.C. Gundlach provided a part of his collection to the house as a permanent loan under the motto "The Image of Man in Photography." 

In anticipation of the fundamental renovation of the building, Prof. F.C. Gundlach and the contracting parties had already expressed their intention in a Letter of Intent in 2019 to continue the successful cooperation and to expand the loan with additional collection and library holdings. The corresponding contract, with a term of at least 20 years, has now been signed.

In 2021, the city began comprehensive renovation and modernization of the South Hall of the Deichtorhalle – the House of Photography – within the framework of the tenant-landlord model with Sprinkenhof GmbH. As part of this, an additional exhibition area for the F.C. Gundlach Collection of approximately 200 square meters will be created on the west side of the first floor, along with an expanded depot and the F.C. Gundlach Library. These additional areas will enable the collection to be presented and conveyed to the public even more effectively in the future. 

The internationally sought-after collection not only greatly enriches the Deichtorhallen's exhibition concepts but also offers an attractive starting point for additional collaborations with renowned museums and exhibition venues through the possibility of external loans.

On the occasion of his 100th birthday, his adopted home, Hamburg, also commemorates F.C. Gundlach's diverse commitment. As part of the Triennial of Photography Hamburg, which he initiated, two exhibitions on his work and collection are planned: "F.C. Gundlach. You'll Never Watch Alone" at the Bucerius Kunst Forum and "Cocktail Prolongé: F.C. Gundlach Special" at the Halle für aktuelle Kunst.

For media inquiries: 

Ministry of Culture and Media 
Enno Isermann - Press Spokesperson 
Phone: 040 428 24-207 
Email: enno.isermann@bkm.hamburg.de 
Internet: www.hamburg.de/bkm 
Instagram: @bkm_hh | LinkedIn: Behörde für Kultur und Medien

F.C. Gundlach Foundation
Sebastian Lux - Managing Director 
Phone: 040 444551
Email: lux@fcgundlach.de
Internet: www.fcgundlach.de 
Instagram: @f.c.gundlach.foundation 

Deichtorhallen Hamburg 
Astrid Umbreit - Press Spokesperson
Tel.: 040 32103-250 
Email: umbreit@deichtorhallen.de  
Internet: www.deichtorhallen.de 
Instagram: @deichtorhallenhamburg