Interieur met drie lezende figuren

1920

Elected president of the Academy of Arts

After the war and revolution Liebermann took over the Academy and tried to unite the various currents beneath its roof, Expressionism included: under him Max Pechstein, Karl Hofer, Heinrich Zille, Otto Dix and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff were admitted. He gave it a democratic structure and a free system of education.

1920s

Defends Otto Dix's “Trench”

Liebermann supported Dix's emotional depiction of the horror of the world war, which was accused of being tendentious, calling it one of the most important works of the post-war period. At the same time, despite his basically tolerant views, he polemicized against Ludwig Justi, who brought Expressionists to the National Gallery.

1922

The murder of Walther Rathenau

The murder of his relative and companion by right-wing activists deeply disturbed Liebermann. Around then he produced lithographs for Heinrich Heine's “Rabbi von Bacharach”, numerous paintings of his garden, and drawings in memory of fallen Jewish soldiers at the front.

7 – 9 October 1924

Deaths of his brother Felix and his relative Hugo Preuss

On 7 October 1924 his younger brother, the historian Felix Liebermann, a lifelong friend, died; two days later he had to mourn his relative Hugo Preuss, the father of the Weimar constitution. He withdrew more and more into himself and his garden.