Schönebeck. He has been dead for 50 years, yet his pictures live on and will soon take us on a journey of the imagination to the Bördeland region and to Schönebeck, Barby and Calbe as they were in the recent past. In a special exhibition, the Salzlandmuseum Schönebeck is displaying a selection of almost 100 drawings from its own collection, left behind by the artist and press illustrator Armin Timler – in memory of an (almost) forgotten draughtsman who lived in Burg and Magdeburg and whose work portrayed the places and lives of the region.
Armin Timler was born in 1896 in what is now the Jerichower Land district; he attended grammar school in Magdeburg and took private art lessons. His path to becoming a painter was interrupted by his service as a soldier in the First World War, but not halted, even though his right hand remained stiff following an injury. Timler attended the schools of applied arts in Magdeburg and Hanover and then worked as a freelance painter and press illustrator for various newspapers, such as the Genthiner Zeitung, Magdeburger Tageblatt and Mitteldeutsche Zeitung. His works appeared in newspapers and local calendars. Until well into his old age, he also gave drawing lessons and delivered lectures on art history. Armin Timler died in Magdeburg on 11 April 1976.
Using pencil, brush and ink, Timler created numerous atmospheric scenes of villages, farmsteads and people at work. He sought out the romantic soul of the landscape, with a particular fondness for historic buildings. This focus shifted with the end of the Second World War: he depicted the destruction of Magdeburg in his characteristic black-and-white style. His pictures document a side of our region that has since been almost lost.
To mark the 50th anniversary of Armin Timler’s death, the Salzlandmuseum is exhibiting a selection of the nearly one hundred drawings in its collection from July until early October.
Anyone interested is warmly invited to the opening of the special exhibition on 1 July at 2 pm. As always, admission is free and this is a great opportunity to experience the exhibition in a special setting.
Armin Timler – the forgotten illustrator | Exhibition opening | Wednesday, 1 July 2026, 2 pm | Salzlandmuseum Schönebeck, Pfännerstraße 41