Chronology of Karl Koestchau's Life

 
1868   Karl Theodor Koetschau born 27 March 1868 in Ohrdruf, Thuringia, Germany
  1869    
  1870    
  1871    
  1872    
  1873    
  1874    
  1875    
  1876    
  1877    
  1878    
  1879    
  1880    
  1881    
  1882    
  1883    
  1884    
  1885    
  1886    
??????????????????????????????????????????????? 1887   After attending schools in Munich, Nürnberg and Zwickau, he graduated from high school in Zwickau
1888   Military service in the royal Saxon infantry regiment no. 133
[1888 -1889]
1889   Bonn University. Professors: Justi, Loeschcke, Dove, Ritter, Lamprecht
  1890    
1891   Strasburg University. Professors: Janitschek, Michaelis, Bresslau.
[1891 - 1892]
  1892    
1893  

Graduated with a doctorate from Leipzig University. Dissertation: "Barthel Beham und der Meister von Messkirch."

Vice-secretary at the Art History Congress.

Marriage.

Private scholar in Gotha
  1894    
  1895    
1896   Internship at the Ducal Library (Herzogliche Bibliothek) in Gotha
1897   Director of the Ducal Collection of Art and Antiquities (Herzogliche Kunst- und Altertumssammlung) at the Veste Coburg. Reorganized the collections. Numismatics. Research on Goethe. Research on arms and armour
[1897 - 1902]
  1898    
  1899    
1900   Editor-in-chief of the Zeitschrift für Waffenkunde, a periodical specialized in the history of arms
[1900 - 1907]
  1901    
1902  

Director of the Historical (Historisches) Museum in Dresden and the Royal Military Gallery (Königliche Wehrgalerie).

Taught seminar on historical arms
[1902 - 1907]

  1903    
  1904    
1905   Founder and editor-in-chief of the specialist periodical Museumskunde on practical and theoretical issues of museum administration
[1905 - 1924]
  1906    
1907  

Director of the Grand Ducal Museums (Grossherzogliche Museen) and the Goethe National Museum (Goethe Nationalmuseum) in Weimar. Reorganized the collections, Goethe's house and Tiefurts Palace.

Is granted the title of "Hofrat" (title of Aulic Councillor, like Privy Councillor).

On the executive of the Nietzsche archive. Joint chairman of the International Art History Congresses in Darmstadt and Munich
[1907 - 1909]

1908  

Administrative officer and secretary of the German Art Historical Association (Deutscher Verein für Kunstwissenschaft)
[1908 - 1914]
1909  

1909-13 1 April 1909 - 29 June 1913, deputy director of the Picture Gallery (Gemäldegalerie) and Sculpture Collection (Skulpturensammlung) of the Kaiser Friedrich Museum in Berlin.

1 October 1913 - 30 June 1913, interim director of the Sculpture Collection.

Taught courses on museology
[1909 - 1913]
  1910    
  1911    
1912   Editor-in-chief of Repertorium für Kunstwissenschaft, a major art history journal
1913   1 July, director of the Municipal Art Collections (Städtische Kunstsammlungen) of Düsseldorf (according to municipal records, he worked there until 1941, which means he would have retired at 73). Reorganized the collections. Set up Print Room. Started Nazarenes' Collection (see also 1928)
[1913 - ?]
1914  

Captain of an air defence unit near Düsseldorf.

Member of the Society for the History of the Rhineland (Gesellschaft für Rheinische Geschichtskunde)
[1914 - 1917]

  1915    
  1916    
1917   Founding member of the German Museums Association (Deutscher Museumsbund) with Pauli and Swarzenski
  1918    
  1919    
1920   Honorary professor of Bonn University in museology, art techniques, research on historical sources, archaeology, etc.
[1920 - ?]
  1921    
  1922    
1923   7 April, wrote letter of reference granting permission to Max Stern to bid at auction and buy works for the Düsseldorf municipal art collections
  1924    
1925   Suggested dissertation topics to Max Stern
1926   Member of the Deutsche Akademie in Munich
  1927    
1928  

Recipient of a Festschrift in honour of his 60th birthday.

Reorganized the Municipal Art Collections (Städtische Kunstsammlungen) in Düsseldorf and set up the collection in a new museum building (Kunstmuseum) at Ehrenhof 5, which was opened at the end of April 1928
  1929    
  1930    
  1931    
  1932    
1933  

1 July 1933 - 31 March 1936 director ("auftragsweise" - on instructions, by special appointment) of the Picture Gallery (Gemäldegalerie) at the State Museums (Staatliche Museen) in Berlin
[1933 - 1936]
  1934    
  1935    
1936   1 April, retired from the museum in Berlin
1937   Max Stern tried to put him in charge of Galerie Julius Stern. Because Koetschau was found to have had a Jewish grandfather, he could not run a business. He gave his books to Max Stern just before Stern fled Nazi Germany
  1938    
  1939    
  1940    
1941   Retired from civil service in Düsseldorf
  1942    
  1943    
  1944    
  1945    
  1946    
  1947    
  1948    
1949   17 April, died in Düsseldorf