Café Magnétique: Cosmo­politanism and Nationa­lism

In the second part of the event series Café Magnétique, film and literary scholar Cathy Gelbin (connected digitally) will explore the concept of cosmo­politanism in the context of European-Jewish history. Julia Friedrich, director of collections at the JMB, will then talk about the painter Otto Freundlich, whose works are exhibited both in the Paris Magnétique exhibition and the JMB’s permanent exhibition, and asks: Can one speak of a “cosmo­politan” here?

Parisian cafés functioned as places to meet people and gather together on a daily basis, and often also as a first port of call for new arrivals. They were the parlors and studies of many artists and were essential for the self-organization of migrants in a new, foreign environment: The cafés were used to establish contacts, find rooms and studios, and to prepare exhi­bitions. Famous Parisian cafés such as the Café de Dôme in Montpar­nasse were the hub of the migrant and particularly the Jewish-influenced art scene, which soon became known as the École de Paris. The Café Magnétique series revives the Parisian cafés in the Jewish Museum Berlin, inviting you to exchange ideas about the École de Paris over food and drinks.