Curatorial Trainee, Modern Art

This listing has been translated from German. Excellent written and spoken German is required, alongside strong English and French.

Organisation: Städel Museum
Location: Frankfurt am Main, Germany
Department: Modern Art
Contract: Full-time, two-year fixed-term traineeship
Start date: 1 October 2026
Application deadline: 30 August 2026

About the Position

The Städel Museum is seeking a Curatorial Trainee to join its Modern Art department within the division for programming, artistic direction and academic affairs.

This opportunity is intended for an art historian with a passion for nineteenth- and early twentieth-century French and German art who would like to contribute to the development of public-facing exhibitions and learn how a museum collection is researched, interpreted and presented.

The Städel Museum’s Modern Art collection encompasses European painting and sculpture from 1800 to 1945. Its principal areas include early nineteenth-century German painting, Realism, Impressionism, Symbolism, Expressionism and the work of Max Beckmann.

The collection includes major works by artists including Marc Chagall, Edgar Degas, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Franz Marc, Paula Modersohn-Becker, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Auguste Rodin and Ottilie W. Roederstein.

Responsibilities

The Curatorial Trainee will:

• Support curators with the development and delivery of exhibition projects.
• Undertake academic and art-historical research.
• Draft loan requests.
• Contribute to accompanying exhibition catalogues through writing and editorial work.
• Request image permissions and reproduction rights.
• Produce exhibition and interpretive texts.
• Participate in exhibition design, installation and project management.
• Develop and deliver guided tours.
• Support the care and research of the Museum’s collection of paintings and sculptures from 1800 to 1945.
• Respond to collection-related enquiries.
• Write concise wall texts and individual artwork descriptions.
• Help maintain the collection database using Axiell Collections.

Candidate Profile

Applicants must have:

• A completed master’s degree in European art history.
• Excellent and broad art-historical knowledge, particularly of nineteenth- and early twentieth-century French and German art.
• A strong interest in working directly with original artworks.
• Excellent written and spoken German.
• Strong English and French language skills.
• Experience writing across different formats.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, PowerPoint and Excel, as well as Photoshop.
• Excellent organisational and communication skills.
• The ability to work collaboratively and complete tasks independently and purposefully.
• A high level of motivation and initiative.

A doctorate would be advantageous.

Previous practical experience in museums and exhibitions, catalogue production or museum collection databases would also be beneficial.

What Is Offered

The Städel Museum offers:

• A varied position within a dynamic and meaningful working environment at a private foundation.
• Access to an international professional network.
• Attractive and fair remuneration based on the Museum’s internal salary system.
• An occupational pension and additional savings benefits.
• Modern workspaces within historic museum buildings beside the River Main.
• A subsidised public transport pass.
• Free parking and charging facilities for e-bikes and electric cars.
• Internal and external professional development.
• Flexible working hours, with the possibility of remote working depending on responsibilities.
• Reduced-price lunch options nearby.
• Staff discounts in the Museum’s shops, cafés, guided tours and studio courses.
• Invitations to staff tours, exhibition openings and internal events.
• The option to join the Wellpass fitness and wellbeing programme.

About the Städel Museum

The Städel Museum is one of Germany’s most important and best-known art museums.

Its extensive collection presents approximately 700 years of art history, spanning the Middle Ages through to contemporary art.

Application Materials

Applicants should submit comprehensive application materials, including a curriculum vitae and relevant supporting documents.