Prinzhorn Collection

The Prinzhorn Collection in Heidelberg preserves one of the world’s most important bodies of art created by people living in psychiatric institutions. Its historical collection includes drawings, paintings, sculptures, textiles and writings produced mainly between the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Largely assembled by the psychiatrist and art historian Hans Prinzhorn, the collection profoundly influenced modern art and later discussions surrounding Art Brut and outsider art. This section explores its artists, history and critical legacy, while examining the complex relationship between creativity, psychiatric institutions and cultural recognition.