Herkomer

Herkomer brings together art, local history and early motoring in Landsberg am Lech, Bavaria. The Herkomer Museum explores Hubert von Herkomer, who lived from 1849 to 1914 as a portrait painter, inventor and automobile enthusiast. His widow Margaret gave the city buildings, paintings, artworks and personal belongings in 1929, forming the foundation of the collection.

The exhibition “A Man of Many Parts” includes medals, awards and childhood drawings made when Herkomer was eight. A fan designed by Margaret carries signatures from Richard Strauss and Hans Richter, adding a personal detail to the displays. The museum route leads into the Mutterturm, a historicist tower built by Herkomer in 1909 and largely preserved in its original state.

Herkomer also connects with the Herkomer Konkurrenz, whose first rally took place in 1905 as Germany’s first touring-car rally. The event tests vintage passenger cars, commercial vehicles and buses built up to 1930 along routes through the Bavarian-Swabian region. Herkomer designed the 68-kilogram winner’s trophy, while the victor also received a portrait painted by him.