Albrecht Altdorfer and his Ratisbon Workshop

Generous donations and acquisitions contributed to one of the largest communal collection of graphical works owned by the Historisches Museum Regensburg (Ratisbon Historical Museum). A particular feature of the collection of prints is the work of Albrecht Altdorfer (d. 1538), which Franz Winzinger in his role as the grand old man of Altdorfer-research donated to the Historisches Museum. Altdorfer's printed work shows religious depictions, such as for example the history of the crucifixion of Christ, as well as diverse mythical scenes in the most impressive manner.

Albrecht Altdorfer was the most important artistic personality in Ratisbon. He not only maintained from 1505 to his death in 1538 his workshop in the city but also contributed to decisions about the fate of the city as a member of the external and internal city council. To this day, the house where the Renaissance artist lived in the city has been preserved. Altdorfer's enterprise, in which Hans Mielich (1516–1573) and Michael Ostendorfer (d. 1559) worked as well, is considered one of the most innovative artistic workshops of this time.

The Historisches Museum owns as a permanent loan of the Katharinenspital Stiftung (Foundation of the Saint Catherine's Hospital) Altdorfer's earliest preserved work on panel Die beiden Johannes (The Two Saint Johns) as well as fragments from his late oeuvre, i.e. his only preserved murals from the so-called "Kaiserbad" (imperial baths) of the episcopal court. The portrait of his patron, of the episcopal administrator Johann III von der Pfalz (1488–1538, from 1507 episcopal administrator) is also be displayed in the Historisches Museum. It was created by Hans Wertinger (gd. 1533). From Altdorfer's workshop the so-called "Minoritenaltar" (altar of the order of the friars minor) dated to the year 1517 is still in the museum. Apart from these paintings, in the museum a fragment of Altdorfer's tomb slab and the sculpted building decorations from the bays of the episcopal court executed after Altdorfer's designs, are preserved. The museum possesses a facsimile of the Freiheitenbuch (book of city liberties and rights, 1536) situated in the Ratisbon municipal archive on the title miniature of which Hans Mielich depicted Altdorfer within the circle of city councillors.

>> This collection is part of the stock of the Historisches Museum Regensburg (Ratisbon Historical Museum).