Lotte Laserstein (1898–1993) was a German-Swedish painter, and is today considered one of the great realists of the 20th century. She made her mark in 1920’s Berlin, where she was one of the first women to graduate from the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts. However, she was forced to flee to Sweden in 1937 because of her Jewish background. After spending many summers on Öland, she settled permanently in Kalmar in 1957. There she continued to paint portraits, landscapes and still lifes and became a valued artist in the region. She was awarded the Kalmar City Culture Prize in 1977 and lived and worked in the city until her death.
Opens 11 December 2025
In this year’s winter exhibition, Kalmar Castle turns its attention to Kalmar and Öland, which were not only places where Lotte Laserstein lived, but also places she loved. Through this project, we want to create an exhibition in the Sture Hall at Kalmar Castle, the same hall where a tribute exhibition was held for Lotte Laserstein in 1991, one of the last she herself participated in before her passing. The hall has recently been reopened to the public, making this a unique opportunity to reconnect with the history of both the place and the artist.
The exhibition depicts the artist’s life in Germany, Stockholm, on Öland and in Kalmar. The exhibition also shows personal objects that have belonged to Lotte Laserstein, as well as paintings and sketches.
The exhibition will be on display from December 11, 2025 to February 22, 2026.
Collaboration
This exhibition is part of a larger collaboration, where cultural actors in Kalmar and on Öland together raise Lotte Laserstein.
- At Kulturhuset Strömmen, a place outside the entrance will be named after Lotte Laserstein.
- At Kulturhuset Strömmen, a permanent exhibition about Lotte Laserstein will be displayed in the foyer. It will be inaugurated in October.
- The musical theatre performance “Lotte Laserstein, Berlin – Räpplinge” is performed at Kalmar Castle in collaboration with Charlotte Aaby Hertzman HB, Teaterladan and in collaboration with Byteatern Kalmar Länsteater. Premiere December 12.
- At Digitaltmuseum you can see the large Lotte Laserstein collection that Kalmar County Museum possesses. Objects are loaned to both Kalmar Castle and Kulturhuset.
- Kalmar Art Museum supports the exhibition at Kalmar Castle with loans and art history expertise.
- The Norra Öland Pastorate is paying tribute to Lotte Laserstein through a sign at her grave, as well as an event on her birthday on November 28.
